Film & Water #169 – Drive-in Double Feature: Criminals!

THE FILM & WATER PODCAST

Episode 169 - Drive-In Double Feature: Criminals!

Rob and Max Romero are back with another Drive-In Double Feature, this time taking a look at two movies about criminals: 1974's TRUCK STOP WOMEN starring Claudia Jennings, and 1972's BONNIE'S KIDS starring Tiffany Bolling!

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9 responses to “Film & Water #169 – Drive-in Double Feature: Criminals!

  1. Well, you guys gave me another two movies to watch, and with Christmas over, and holiday movies now out of season, why not binge some sexploitation films, disguising themselves as crime movies?

    I’m not really sure why “hicksploitation” made it down into New Mexico, but I will just apologize, Max. We’ll try to keep that to my neck of the woods, from now on.;)

    The sub-atomic level of dissection you guys went into on these films was fantastic. I loved it. Do more!!!

    Chris

  2. Oh was this magic!

    the west texas truck stops are havens of human trafficking and drugs! Ask Max about the Petrol station going East on 1-10 as your leaving El Paso!

  3. I think Max and I must have grown up in the same community, though mine was in the west of Canada. I, too, had my heros as truckers and stunt drivers, and saw many of these hick flicks in my own hick town theatre — waiting for my dad to finish his many barley and rye sandwiches in the Hotel tavern across the street, before we drove home to the farm. I don’t remember either film but I know I saw many like it – in my memory, I recall Two Lane Blacktop, Gone in 60 Seconds, Sugarland Express, Fast Green Car, and Electra Glide in Blue, that went in rotation with Blaxploitation and Kung Fu films in the Tower Theatre. You can guess I will be looking for Truck Stop Women, and this time, I shouldn’t have to worry about Puberty!

  4. Cindy and I watched “Truck Stop Women”. Afterwards, she just turned and stared at me, as if to say “Why did you make me watch this?” I said “Blame Rob!”

    All kidding aside, it was a fun bit of hicksploitation, with some, dare I say it, actual character development? I kept trying to place Seago without looking him up, and suddenly it hit me: Lt. Kelso from TOS’ “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, actor Paul Carr.

    Next up, Bonnie’s Kids! But I may be flying solo with that one…

    Chris

  5. Awesome show, guys! Great to have more B-movie discussions.

    Since I’m a B-movie fan living in Alabama, with a LOT of truck-driving relatives, of course I’ve seen Truck Stop Woman. I didn’t realize it was directed by Mark Lester and, until you started naming off some other entries in his oeuvre, I didn’t realize I had seen so many of his movies. Maybe the setting of the movies were determined by where the moviemakers could film. Truck Stop Women was set in the southwest and I believe Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw was as well. Lester probably was able to use locations, crew, etc. he had already used for Truck Stop Women. Sorry, teenage me was too busy ogling Lynda Carter to pay much attention to the setting, plot, or, well, anything else. I’ve since watched it again on blu-ray.

    Bobbie Jo did feature a theme song by popular country singer Bobby Bare, so maybe Lester just liked country music. I would have thought Bare would have been to expensive to sing on such a low-budget film. Oh, it also continued the theme of unattractive guys (Marjoe Gortner) getting with hot ladies (the aforementioned Lynda Carter). If you don’t remember Gortner, he was also in Starcrash with Caroline Munro. I didn’t enjoy Lynda driving an old Grand Marquis just like the one my mean old grandmother used to drive. Sort of killed the thrill being reminded of Granny during the movie.

    A lot of 70s skin flicks seemed to have tragic endings. In addition to the two you covered, Bobbie Jo has one (not surprising since it was the same director as Truck Stop Women), The Teacher, Malibu High….I could go on-and-on.

    Even if I haven’t seen a fairly famous B-movie, I’ve usually heard of it. This was the first time I recall hearing about Bonnie’s Kids, so thanks for the informative show. I wonder if I heard the title and just ignored it, thinking it was a kids’ movie wacky hi-jinks of a mom and her precocious brood. You have to admit that Bonnie’s Kids isn’t a very sexplotation title.

    Finally, I’m going to double down on my comment about the nothing guys getting with hot girls in the B-movies is the dream, even if the guys have to perish. Just thinK : if you got to be with Lynda Carter, Laura Gemser, Brinke Stevens, Caroline Munro, Anitra Ford, Pam Grier, Barbara Bouchet, Michelle Bauer, etc….wouldn’t you think, “Hey, man, I’ve topped out. Life is never going to be any better than this, and it will all be downhill from here.”? That could even be the theme for your next double feature. If you have to have the nerdy guy survive, I recommend Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama. It is the ultimate nerd fulfillment fantasy, especially if you like Linnea Quigley.

    Oh, and before you get to jealous of being the only guy in a car-full of girls. That was my first three years of college. I always drove because they were drunk and they would say sexy things to me like, “You’re my best friend. I can talk to you about anything but hot guys. Too bad you’re not gay.” and “I wish I could find someone who looks like my boyfriend buy treats me like you do.” Sigh. See why I was driven to Laura Gemser movies?

  6. What a weird conversation. I loved it. There can’t be many songs called “I’m A Truck,” so the one I heard recently must’ve been the one in Truck Stop Women! I don’t even know where I heard it, but I like to listen to a lot of odd music programs. I don’t need to waste any more time thinking about it or researching it.

  7. Great episode- I wasn’t buying either Flash or Green Lantern prior to Zero Hour- I had a long run of both starting just after. So this series technically did what it was supposed too, got
    readers reading.

  8. So…reporting back in, I watched Bonnie’s Kids, and I have to say, this is a far more… legitimate movie, than Truck Stop Women, but I agree with everything you guys said. I found the characters very engaging, but there was certainly no one to root for. Larry may be the closest thing, since he was so thick-headed he didn’t even stop to think he may be doing something illegal. Diana was tragic, but there is that bit where she’s basically sleeping with her niece. And I think the definitely did the deed since they both got out of bed, then got dressed. The following scene was honestly one of the most uncomfortable scenes I’ve watched in a film in a long time.

    Deplorable Stepfather Charlie, played by Leo Gordon showed up in The Haunted Palace, and our most recent House of Franklin-Stein series, as the local opposition to Vincent Price, where he was murdered by his own mutated son. This guy has trouble with family, for sure!

    I actually enjoyed watching this, so good on you guys for spotlighting it!

    Chris

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