Exit Speed

"Exit Speed" just became available on DVD via Blockbuster, here in the southern New England area. In looking to get a "two-fer," i.e., rent one and get one free, I picked it up. I think they had two copies, total for this very fine and very exciting 'road warrior' kind of movie.

OK, I must confess to having a Jones for Lea Thompson, who gets a top tier billing in this ultra-violent survival adventure. She was truly so very, very good in "Back To The Future". She does well here, too, as 'a soccer Mom'. She goes from scared stiff to resolute in a big hurry.

If I had anything to complain about, it might be that the author(s) put two of the better characters out of action, as in dead, very early in the story. That was, I think, a modest mistake. The palpable sense of fear and loathing which carries this adventure is truly one of the film's most admirable elements. Some of the best action happens at night but in the way it was all photographed, there's really nothing missing.

There is definitely a fine sub-routine in this film, too, revolving around the moral conundrums facing Good Mom ( Lea Thompson's role as an ultra-yuppie returning from a funeral ), and The Not At All Bad Girl, which is Alice Greczyn as a Vegan illustrator and role-playing archer.

Julie Mond sparkles in this film, for sure, as the Really Really Bad Girl -- who is an Army deserter and Iraq veteran -- and Fred Ward does a great job as a typical Fred Ward character, i.e., long-suffering.

As noted this film is short at 88 minutes but it's worth the rental and it is worth the time and yes, I've watched it twice already. Then again, I am thinking of going for a third viewing ( done ! ), 'cause it is pretty much a deeper film than it seems to be, and so unappreciated.

Eight stars out of ten and I am happy to say there ain't no Zombies !!

This was a total surprise. It was a very fun and entertaining thriller. While the plot was pretty generic it was very fast paced and full of action. I was also very shocked by the amount of blood and gore their was. The kills were also very well done. There was some shocking kills and most of the characters weren't that annoying. There was some poor dialogue and acting but that's what happens with b movies. Its a solid fun movie.

Exit Speed was an interesting movie. It seemed like something that would come on a Saturday afternoon in the late 70's. I thought in the beginning , what in the world is this gonna be about because I refuse to read the back of the box (so to say) I like to be taken by surprise and with this choice I was. It keep you watching and rooting for the good guys.

To put a small synopsis there for you I will say that it was about passengers on a bus that was kidnapped and thru their strengths, weakness, talents, and idiosyncrasies, they band together to survive this crack smoking, nose piercing, biker group from Hell.

I liked it and I think you will too.

I would not have expected much from a film titled 'Exit Speed'. However, my brother recommended it and I decided to give it a shot. In a nutshell, 'Exit Speed' is a thriller about a group of passengers travelling to Texas when, on the way, they are attacked by a murderous biker gang. It is pretty much what one would call a popcorn thriller. The film would have been more fun to watch had the execution been up for the marks. It looks like a past midnight TV movie or a straight-to-video flick. It certainly would have benefited with a bigger budget and more style. The cinematography is dull. The background score is awful. Most of the cast, with the exception of Lea Thompson act from mediocre to bad. Thompson is the only one who's up for the mark. But perhaps a bright side is that the worst actors are killed off. The suspense is maintained well enough. Surely it is easy to predict who will die and what will happen next and so on but the tension between the gang and the passengers and within the passengers is well conveyed. 'Exit Speed' will perhaps be best enjoyed if the viewer took it for what it is rather than nitpick. It's nothing more than a popcorn thriller.

It's Christmas in Texas. Military Police Archie Sparks (Fred Ward) is hunting AWOL Corporal Meredith Cole (Julie Mond). She escapes and boards a bus with a variety of passengers. The bus is harassed by a passing biker gang. One of the bikes fall over and the bus runs over it. The biker starts shooting killing the bus driver and others. They manage to kill the biker but the rest of his friends come looking for revenge. They drive into an isolated scrap yard and must fend off the criminals.

The story is thin and worthy of any number of B-movies. It's not that believable in the age of cell phones and interconnectivity. The whole movie isn't that realistic. The biker gang seems more like central casting rejects. It's a cross between Mad Max 2 and Home Alone. The junk yard is stock full of MacGyver material. There is some cat-and-mouse stuff in the night. It does have some fun 80s action. There are some solid actors here doing it for the paychecks.