Steelyard Blues

Steelyard blues is a terrific addition to the Woodstock, or anti-establishment, era movies which include Easy Rider, Vanishing Point and Zacharia, to name a few. Peter Boyle is priceless as he does an impression of Marlon Brando and later scales a building without the use of ropes -- also a terrific early performance by KWRP's Howard Hessman. Don't miss this hip, fun farce. They don't make em like this anymore. Fantastic sound track featuring Maria Muldaur -- among others.

... required.

Escapism grounded in grim reality. You just really want them to get away with it, and then, even when it's all going horribly wrong, they somehow do!!! Excellent early 70s vibes aplenty.

Sadly, Peter Boyle passed away today, so I should point out that his presence lights up the whole film. I can never understand why he never got more character parts.

I include this film with a number of other early 70s films such as Easy Rider, Two Lane Blacktop and The Getaway. Intelligent escapism, with a tinge of cannabis. Cannot understand why it doesn't have a DVD release, especially when many other, lesser, movies are brought into the equation. It deserves the whole extras/commentary/scene setting that Fear and Loathing got, after all!

I spent the entire Summer during the making of the film on the set/location of the film, and I would say that being thirteen years of age at the time, it was a heck of ride!!! I learned about racial tension on the streets of Oakland. The local African American population wasn't always crazy about the film crew's presence...lots of discernible anger and tension.I learned about how you try to shoot on location at a real demolition derby with a real live audience. It was organized chaos, and fights were breaking out in the stands and on the track....Peter Boyle was always making everybody crack up with his Marlon Brando imitations.....there was a lot of focus and preoccupation on getting scenes done correctly with pyrotechnics and explosions....hours of debate and preparations...

It was the end of the sixties, and the Vietnam War was going on endlessly with no end in sight....Jane Fonda was blackballed by Hollywood and Steelyard Blues was at least a paycheck.

A piece of Hollywood history during a very uncertain time....

Social misfits work to rebuild an old plane to make the ultimate escape from reality. Non-conformists vs. The Establishment--again! Easy targets, unconvincing characters, though not bad with this interesting cast: Donald Sutherland as an ex-con, Jane Fonda (in a funky dark brown wig) as a hooker, Peter Boyle as a thief, and Howard Hesseman as a politician. Fonda--persona non grata at the time due to her involvement with the Vietnam War--gives probably her least-interested performance in a movie (she's just not present). One BAFTA nomination: Sutherland as Best Actor (shared with his work in "Don't Look Now"). ** from ****

A warm fuzzy movie from a stoned era. Rebels without a clue decide to flee the rat race in a surplus flying boat. A few problems rear their ugly heads. Like their being permanently broke, the plane needing some major rebuilding, and their inability to hold down anything approaching a full time job. Boyle is in fine form as the down at heel mechanic and the fight between him (knife) and Sutherland (felt tip pen) is a comedy classic. A fine goofy feelgood ensemble piece that plays like they busked it for laughs. It would probably seem quaint and a bit dated if I saw it now, but back in the 70s it was a breath of fresh air. With a faint whiff of hash about it.