I had to look up what serves as the foundation of this story, which is that Coors beer was not legally sold East of the Mississippi River until the mid-'80s because of how it was canned. This made people want it.
~ Justin T. Westbrook, Jalopnik Reviews
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How did I live through the 1970s without ever having seen The Blues Brothers or Smokey and the Bandit?
(Maybe am card-carrying member of a Minority of some sort.... [Perhaps the people who conduct "mid day racist séances" will stereotype and shun me....])
Burt Reynolds died, and as headlines float by about his life and work, I was reminded of Smokey-and-Bandit, maybe should watch that, & then, information unfolds before my eyes: there is a documentary about the Smokey and the Bandit movie! I would love to see that, I love documentaries! (Maybe will just watch the documentary first....)
From the Jalopnik Internet site, here is young Mr. Westbrook's review, under the title, "Smokey and The Bandit Will Change Your Life."
----------------------- I cannot envision the world where a movie like Smokey and The Bandit -- an action-comedy about a famed local driver and his trucker friend tasked with retrieving 400 cases of outlawed Coors beer in 28 hours while being chased by a Texas sheriff for picking up a runaway bride -- can be the second highest-grossing film in the year of its release, second only to Star Wars.
Yet that is what happened in 1977, because Smokey And The Bandit is goddamn magical.
My expectation for this movie was so low I am actually in disbelief at how much I ended up enjoying it. Very few other movies have done what Smokey And The Bandit accomplishes with its carefree attitude, great dialogue, memorable characters and an instant classic of a song. This is a very difficult movie not to enjoy.
I was expecting something dated, boring, completely overrated. Something I wouldn't be able to relate to.
I completely underestimated this movie. Who can't relate to the desire to floor a Trans Am in pursuit of beer and riches?
I admittedly had to look up what serves as the foundation of this story, which is that Coors beer was not legally sold East of the Mississippi River until the mid-'80s because of how it was canned.
This made people want it.
According to the movie, it was desirable enough to dish out $80,000 for a good amount.
...Smokey and The Bandit has car chasing in spades. It is essentially a non-stop hour-and-a-half long Pontiac ad, and I mean that in the best, most complimentary way possible....
The characters in this movie are the best, whether you're laughing with them or at them....
I am almost shocked that Sally Field's "Frog" runaway bride character was not the typical "annoying girl" you typically find in these generically masculine movies. She isn't just a distraction for the movie. She's dressed reasonably, gives the Bandit shit despite falling in love with him, and avoids being a target for punchlines. Plus, she gets plenty of wheel time.
Finally, Sheriff Buford T. Justice, and his son that may or may not be of his own loins, deliver the best laughs of the entire movie.
This is a great movie to have on in the background of your weekend, but it deserves to be watched thoroughly. It's borderline mindless action with some good lines to catch you off guard when you do pay attention. It's somehow corny without slipping into cringeworthy, and it's great. It's exactly what you would expect from stuntman Hal Needham's directorial debut.
The Bandit's 1977 Pontiac Trans Am is one of the most iconic muscle cars in movie history, with its paint scheme matching the lovely mural adorning the Bandit's 18-wheeler.
It's hilarious how the movie cuts away from the stunts, like when the Trans Am lands the bridge jump and is clearly destroyed, only to cut to Bandit and Frog completely unfazed by the seemingly violent landing they just experienced, or how the car seems in perfect shape considering all of the walls and fences Bandit ends up driving through.
The car looks great, sounds great, and the movie treats it with respect, avoiding any sort of speed ramping to make it seem faster. It sounds genuine, from engine note to tire squeal, and the open T-tops help to open up the car for the camera to better capture the characters. It's clear there was a stuntman behind the camera, and that he knew what he was doing.
How Seth Rogen hasn't remade this movie with him running illegal Colorado weed East yet is almost unbelievable. I'm not saying that should happen, just that it seems an obvious grab.
Maybe it's because he will never compete with the charm of Burt Reynolds, or how much more drug trafficking is frowned upon these days compared to the freewheeling '70s.
Anyway, I'm off to cut T-tops into my car and buy a CB radio, and I fully intend to only ever refer to cops as "smokey" for the rest of my life. All while playing this:
[links to something blocked -- it's probably the song "East Bound And Down"]...
-30-
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