Wheeler

True to its title, this film does feature a psycho from Texas. Wheeler (John King III) rolls into a small town in order to help out in the kidnapping of a local oil businessman. He accomplishes his task early on and then spends the rest of the running time trying to get the money. He fails. This is a curious regional flick. It seems to have a message (child abuse makes people bad) but loses all that in the sleazy aspects and Southern justice. The film's highlight/lowlight has Wheeler pouring a pitcher of beer over a totally nude barmaid (Linnea Quigley in her first role) he is harassing. There is also one of the longest footchases in the history of cinema. It starts at like 52 minutes in and doesn't resolve itself (other scenes cut in) until a half hour later. If anything, it is worth seeing for John King III, who looks like a young, deranged Dick Van Patten with long hair.

Buoyantly grimy feature is a headless wallow in the cinema pigpen, but does have its iniquitous black heart in the right place. The meandering account of two hired criminals embroiled in a kidnapping scheme is merely a flimsy framework for the binding of several scenarios, each rife with senseless violence and gratuitous naturism of the female form. I have absolutely no problem with that, especially with a baby-faced Linnea Quigley in the mix, being doused with beer and forced to dance to twangy country tunes.

Our primary antagonist is a moon-faced Texas nutcase with a sick penchant for lustmord, a psychosis seeded in his childhood when he saw his mother in concupiscent action with some random Tom, Dick, or Harry. John King III gives his psychotic character the works in an over-the-top and pretty memorable performance, though the rest of the cast are merely commensurate(which is better than can usually be expected from this subjacent ambit of cinema)

5.5/10...unapologetically excessive, dog-eared 70s fun.

whew! i just finished this tour-de-force of a picture show! there is most definitely no character in the history of cinema who stands as grand as wheeler. he has more moxie than a fox in a rat trap! nothing can complete with this character who enjoys some kfc at a local tavern while forcing the waitress to put on an alluring strip show. in addition, the soundtrack or "wheeler's theme" is the tops! i didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but i was certainly glued to my davenport! oh, and his pilgrim hat is the benchmark in fashion...i only i could find the store where he got that....! in closing, this moving picture show was fraught with thrills and chills...i nearly wet my trousers!

When I was watching this film for the first time, I was in tears of laughter as the opening credits were rolling up the screen, knowing full well what to expect. They say don't judge a book by its cover, but when I saw the cover for "The Butcher", I just knew there was a gem inside. Never before have I laughed so much. This film has become legendary at my school. John King III is a genius! Just how many times can Slick say: "Now I got your ayyass!"? Why also does Slick go "bing-bong-bing-bong-boinggg" when he drops the sacred "Wheeler's kniyfe"?

Keep up the good work!

Movie feels like its 3 hours long but only runs under an hour and a half. Nothing happens and when it does it takes FOREVER to! I give this movie this, it has the longest foot chase scene in the history of movies!! For Grindhouse and VHS collectors its worth seeing once.