Smokey Bites the Dust

I first saw this in '85. Instead of having Burt Reynold's in the driver's seat, we have Jimmy McNicol, driving the local town cop (Barnes) insane, giving him daily chases and taunting him on his installed c.b. This time he's gone too far, where he runs off with Daddy's (Barnes's) little girl, and he's none too happy about. And it's prom night too. All this is a car chase movie, where forget plot or logic. We even see two ten plus kids smoke, the boy looking very much like that silent chubby kid, Peter in The Cosby Show. But unlike Cosby this isn't funny, just a sheer excuse to spend 86 minutes. We have impressive pile ups, crazy chases, a snake slithering across the road, near it's start, if to maintain further interest. Some known actors star in this, an early price to pay, for future stardom. We too have an imprisoned guy making moonshine, and a younger William Forsythe, a jock, who's girl is riding with Smokey (McNichol) though of course this is not the real character's name. What left me in puzzlement was it's enigmatic R rating. May'be it was the reference to watching two kids smoke. I don't know what else it could be, as this film doesn't deserve to go beyond a PG. May'be the censors were on a mental vacation, like the makers of this movie, and when the writer's surname is named after a piece of fruit, you know you got problems.

220406: Read, comprehend and then react. This film is not for those seeking logical, well thought out entertainment. But, if you're a car person who loves stunts and humour, this action-packed story is nearly perfect; once one adjusts (ride out the first twenty minutes and you'll see). Full of classic rides, some neat collisions and subtile jokes this film is great for the right audience, like me. "Smokey" features a young William Forsythe and many, what are now high dollar and desirable, muscle cars. I can't imagine what it would cost to be created in today's economy but someone should really consider a remake of this film? Please don't use any of the remaining classic muscle though. Some need to be preserved and protected, as proven here, from the often destructive entertainment industry. Besides, there are many modern muscle cars that can be wrecked instead and car people, like me, are going to love seeing that. Enjoy!

Producer Roger Corman had decided to recycle car chase footage from previous films he was involved in and edited them together in this romp from the latter days of New World Pictures. Jimmy McNichol and Janet Julian are likable enough as the cute young couple on the run from bumbling, but no-nonsense sheriff (Walter Barnes) and a slew of other characters. Even Dick Miller shows up as the angry owner of a car that the two steal right in front of him and spends the rest of his screen time chasing after them in a helicopter. The rest of the plot is rather flimsy, including three so-called Sheiks who try to trick a local moonshiner and various cars speeding, chasing, and crashing.

No plot, no point, just a series of auto stunts and slapstick. Not sure why the Sheriff is careless with his daughter's life throughout, but At least many stunt drivers got a good paycheck.

Smokey Bits The Dust got inflicted on the movie going public in 1981. And after two viewings of it I can't even tell you what the plot is of this mess.

Jimmy McNichol plays the local bad boy in this neck of the Ozark woods who just likes to race cars and wreck as many as he can because it's good clean fun. He's got the hots for the sheriff's daughter, Janet Julian, and on Homecoming Day he kidnaps her.

After this the whole film is one mindless 80 minute or so car chase in which law from other jurisdictions including some Arabs get involved. To be honest I actually tried figuring out what the plot was and couldn't.

Roger Corman produced this mess and shame on him.