Synopsis
Ryan O’Neal, in a spectacular bit of miscasting, is a drifter with an explosive temper. He isback from Vietnam, moving from job to job. After getting himself fired from a cucumberplantation, he is taken on as a handyman at a motel. He is fascinated by the plantation owner’s“secretary” (Leigh Taylor-Young), and she is just a bad, bad girl. Her quest for kicks lead togreater and greater risk and danger, and O’Neal, smitten, follows along, getting in over hishead.
Th…s is not one of the more felicitous Elmore Leonard adaptations. In fact, it’s one of theworst. O’Neal is hopelessly baby-faced, utterly unconvincing in a role that is itself all too vague.The dialogue is criminal, especially unforgivable as an adaptation of a book by the master ofdialogue. Worst of all is the almost complete lack of plot. Though crime does, eventually, occur,it is too little, too late to expunge the memory of the grim, humourless, terminal meandering thatmakes up most of the running time. And let’s hear it for the hilariously gruesome pop songs.
Audio
Dismal as the movie is, it arrives on DVD in decent shape. The mono soundtrack is clean,clear and undistorted. There is no background hiss, and the music, awful as it is, comes throughjust fine. One doesn’t really feel the absence of stereo, and remixes are rarely a good idea.
Video
This is, apparently, the very first home video appearance of the film. Rescued from utterlydeserved obscurity, the film looks very handsome. The image is sharp, and is presented in 2.35:1anamorphic widescreen. The print shows virtually no signs of aging: grain and speckling arealmost non-existent. The colours, blacks, flesh tones and contrasts are all very fine.
Special Features
Nothing except the theatrical trailer.
Closing Thoughts
The movie sounds fine, and looks good. It is also unwatchably dull.
Special Features List
- Theatrical Trailer
