The Walking Tall trilogy DVD Set

 

TITLE-Walking Tall 1,2,3

SOURCE-Shout Factory DVD set

I had seen at least the first 2 films back in the early 80s. Having been told the story about how someone  that worked with dad was Buford Pusser's cousin. So months back when I found this for 50 cents,gotta love the good junkstore,I grabbed it. Planning on one evening watching all three.

WALKING TALL

Buford is a Marine that just did 5 years as a pro wrestler. Him and his wife and two kids move to rural Tennessee. He sees how a local bar/whore house/gambling den has taken over the town. And after getting beat up for trying to stop all these illegal activities Buford runs for sheriff and wins. With the rest of the film being him and his deputies stopping all the crime in town.

Nothing amazing but I can see why this was a huge hit in 1974. Joe Don Baker is great as the lead. With the rest of the cast being decent.

WALKING TALL II

Made just a few years after the first one,and with Bo Sveson as the lead. Like how they use Buford getting shot in the face in the first movie to explain why he looks different this film. More car chases more stunts and less story than the first. With lesser acting too. Guessing this was a hit too. Also this one ends after Buford has died.

WALKING TALL III

Yep another film,Bo is back. But now it is set about a year after the first film,ignores most of the second. And even less plot than the last one. I see why this was the end of the film franchise for what 30 years?

Overall the three films aren't bad. The first one is something I can see myself going back watching again. But parts 2 and 3? Nah skip those turds.

The Walking Tall Trilogy DVD set gets a C+

That Man Bolt

 

TITLE-That Man Bolt

SOURCE-DVD

It is rare I find a blaxploitation film that I had never heard of. This film is one I had never heard of. I got a big lot of "Kung Fu DVDS" cheap. And this was in it.

Fred the Hammer Williamson is in jail in Macau. He gets released to escort a pile of money out of the country. But it seems various groups want to make sure he doesn't succeed on his mission.

Simple plot. And it works. The almost 2 hours running time flies by. The film is an odd mixture of Blaxploitation+James Bond+70s Martial art cinema. Add in a dash of In Like Flint/Our Man Flint.

You can tell while watching that the writer was sure this would be a hit. So much stuff is hinted at that could be explained in sequels. If there had been sequels I would watch them.

Not amazing but still one where now I want it on Blu ray.

That Man Bolts gets a C.

Airheads

 

TITLE-Airheads

SOURCE-DVD

I clearly remember going to see this opening night. After the movie was over left the theater thinking god that wasn't good.  Skip ahead to 2003 found the DVD cheap. Grabbed it and owning the DVD and Comedy Central airing it often made me change my mind of this comedy.

Chaz is the lead singer of the struggling band The Lone Rangers. He gets kicked out of his girlfriend's apartment. Moves in with the rest of the band. And after Rex brings home some realistic looking waterguns from work,they make a plan. They are gonna take a radio station hostage until their demo gets played on the air.

After bumbling their way into the station,and their demo reel to reel tape burning up we get the stand off. So many lines from this I quote often. "I ain't farting on no snare drum!" 

So the head of the cops out front of the station sends off a young rookie cop. Told to go to the strip to find the girlfriend that has the cassette copy of the bands song. 

She is found at a night club,where White ZOmbie are on stage. Guessing this wasn't long before White Zombie broke up.

Back at the station we got an accountent crawling thru the air ducts,armed with a gun. Seems the drummer is also a pool boy. And in the pool boy job he slept with the head of SWAT's wife. So SWAT armed this accountent with a gun,

When the list of stuff the band has demanded,including items like a football helmet full of cream cheese and Nude Pictures of Beat Arthur,the Lone Rangers are bringing it in. The front door closes early and breaks the tip of the water gun. Which causes some of the hostages to run out yelling that the guns are fake. Same time our accountant takes fire at the band. And the DJ ends up getting the gun and handing it over to the band.

Soon a big record label is there offering the band a contract. A stage is flown in and they are gonna get to not only perform their song but also shoot a music video. Once they learn they will have to lip synch the video they refuse. Jump out into the crowd. And we fade to a few months  later. The Lone Rangers are performing in prison. And should be out in 6 months. 

Simple plot,and with a lesser cast this would just be another forgotten mid 90s comedy. Look at this cast, got Steve Buscemi as Rex,Adam Sandler as Pip the drummer,Brendon Fraiser as Chaz. Then an at the time not that big a star Chris Farley as a cop,Ernie Hudson as the head of the police team. 

Not really sure why this has been out of print for so long. The DVD use to be easy to find. The Blu Ray is one I have only seen in person a few times. It is rare to find Airheads streaming on any legit service.

And how can I hate a film that hopefully got a pile of mid 90s teens into the band Reagan Youth. Yes the song the Lone Rangers do near the end of the film is a cover of the 80s Hardcore band Reagan Youth's best known  song.

Airheads gets a B+.