Zero to Sixty

This awful movie purports to be a comedy, but the only way to tell is from the "wacky" music that plays during the supposed funny parts.

The story is almost non-existent, the characters are annoying and the chase scenes are trite. A car chase through a vegetable market? How unique.

I don't know how this movie got made but it had some fairly big TV stars for its day in the cast. Dick Martin and Lyle Waggoner had cameos. I'm not really sure why Darrin McGavin made this and he probably isn't either.

The movie is really terrible but it still has some power to make you sit transfixed and acknowledge how bad it is with out actually doing anything about it.

I like this movie although I am not sure why. I saw it more than 20 years ago on cable and thanks to OnDemand, I had the chance to see it again. No real plot to keep up with, but lots of crazy car chases and a script loaded with banter between Darren McGavin (who does way to many scenes in his underwear) and the young lady who played Violet in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." I always wondered why McGavin wasn't a bigger star and why he was relegated to B-movie material like this. He manages to save the film with his comic timing. Likewise, the young lady, whose name escapes me, is pretty funny too. As many of the posters have indicated, this is a fairly uncomfortable movie. After all, the teen-age lead wants to bed the significantly older (at least 50!) McGavin!??! Very weird! There's little chance this movie would get released today with such a premise. In any event, "Zero to Sixty" is fast-paced enough to be interesting and entertaining. Watching it will definitely bring back memories of those numerous Saturday afternoon matinées featuring mindless PG B-flicks loaded with profane scripts and plenty of car wrecks. Enjoy.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the second greatest repo man movie of all-time! Darren McGavin stars Michael Nolan, a man in desperate need of a job following his recent divorce. He quickly finds one when his car is repossessed. New to the repo game, Nolan teams up with 16 year old "Larry" (Nickerson), a smart mouthed tomboy stolen straight out of THE BAD NEWS BEARS. As the duo cruise around town looking for their wares, a series of madcap encounters ensue including everything from mobsters to a sly vixen (Collins).

That plot synopsis may sound a bit thin and there is a reason for that. ZERO TO SIXTY basically has no plot. What makes the film enjoyable is the energy of Darren McGavin as the put upon husband turned repo man. Had any other actor filled that role, the film would not be as agreeable as it is now. McGavin brings that manic Kolchak liveliness to this character and it makes him awfully hard not to like. There is also pretty good chemistry between McGavin and young Nickerson, who is probably best remembered as Violet Beauregarde in WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971).

This brings me to the film's only really odd point. For the most part this is a breezy 70s comedy that, like the aforementioned BAD NEWS BEARS, teams up an older man with a young girl. The only difference here is that "Larry" actively tries to seduce McGavin's character! Needless to say, it creates some really odd moments. The filmmakers cover themselves by having McGavin shack up with sexier (and older) Joan Collins at one point in the film, but the weirdness returns when McGavin confesses to having thought about "getting it on" with "Larry" at the film's conclusion.

With such a thin plot, the film resembles a television show rather than a theatrical feature. It makes sense when one inspects director Don Weis' filmography; he did episodes of nearly every major 70s TV series from "Happy Days" to "CHiPs" to "Baretta" to "The Man from Atlantis." Actually, this would have been a pretty good ensemble series a la TAXI. Sylvia Miles co-stars as the repo shop owner who is constantly flirting with every man she sees. And 70s comedy/music trio The Hudson Brothers provide some Three Stooges inspired gags and the film's songs. You will definitely be humming the theme by the end because it is extremely catchy and pops up every time the smallest bit of action occurs on screen. Sharp eyed viewers will catch cameos by Dick Martin, Lorraine Gary and Lyle Waggoner. There are also a few nifty car stunts courtesy of Paul Baxley backed by son Craig Baxley (went on to become a successful stunt coordinator and film director in his own right).

I first saw this on cable probably 25 years ago. When it came up on Prime I decided to take a trip down Memory Lane. Some films age better than others...this one not so much. Still, if you enjoy the '70 teens and cars genre (Grand Theft Auto, The Van, etc.), you'll probably find something entertaining in this low-budget car theft comedy. It's always a pleasure to watch Darrin McGavin in comedic roles and he lifts the script (which he co-wrote under his birth name) higher than it has a right to be. The rest of the cast succeeds or fails to various degrees.

The good: Dick Martin as a shady divorce lawyer.

Denise Nickerson as Larry, the teen car thief.

The mediocre: Sylvia Miles as the repo company owner.

Lyle Wagonner as a gay bartender.

The bad: Joan Collins as the same tramp Joan Collins always plays.

The horrendous: The Hudson Brothers during their 15 minutes of fame.

One final note: this film probably falls into the "they couldn't make this today" category.

Darrin MacGavin's Michael character is probably in his late 30's-early 40's. Larry is a 16 year old girl. (actress Denise Nickerson is really 31, looking every bit of 16). While pulling up just short of statutory rape (and Larry tries like heck), Michael resists, but nonetheless there is a creepiness hovering over them. It does gets resolved in the end.

Having read the other comments here *prior to* watching this movie, I didn't go in expecting much. Yeah, there's no deep plot here... just a simple one about loony circumstances leading to a friendship and a love based not on pure nothingness (as in many movies) but upon that friendship and sticking up for one another. A simple movie just about that simple concept... with a lot of car chase scenes thrown in.

I didn't realize Denise Nickerson as Violet Beauregarde, but her acting really stood out for me as quite genuine in this movie -- I think it held up against modern day standards for this type of spunky character... and I'm someone who thinks that most 70's movie acting bites a big one. That, and she reminded me of an ex girlfriend almost to a tee, personality-wise. McGavin played very naturally as well... the two obviously had fun working together and stood way above the rest of the cast -- which WAS typically 70's in their performances.

I like this movie.. and might keep it as a nostalgic link to simpler, far more naive, times.