Steelyard Blues
This offbeat, funny, counterculture romp stars Donald Sutherland, Jane Fonda, John Savage, Howard Hesseman, and Peter Boyle ( in a tour de force performance).
Veldini, a former demolition derby driver, is released from jail and returns to meet up with old cronies: his prostitute girlfriend (Fonda) and Eagle (Boyle). The plan: fix up an old PBY aircraft and fly off to a place where there are no jails.
A noble goal, but complicating their endeavor is the fact that they need to steal needed parts for the plane from the U.S. Navy and Veldini's brother (Hesseman) who is determined to see his brother back in jail. Along the way Veldini finally gets to complete a life-long goal: wrecking the only American model car
he's never smashed in a derby.
But the high point for me is Peter Boyle as Eagle. A Human Fly
in the circus he checks himself in and out of the mental institution
at will by climbing up and down the building. He assumes a
different identity in each scene with elaborate costumes and
attitudes from an airline pilot, cowboy, and more - including what
has to be the best Marlon Brando impersonation in a pinball parlor.
Written by David S. Ward and directed by Alan Myerson, this
1973 film is a delight.
Note: TV version was released as The Final Crash.
No comments:
Post a Comment