Larry Rayder is an aspiring NASCAR driver, Deke Sommers is mechanic. As they feel they collectively are the best, the only thing that is holding them back is money to build the best vehicle possible. As such, they decide to rob a supermarket's office of the money in its safe to pursue their dream. On the most part, their robbery is successful, although their plan breaks down in its end phase, which doesn't allow them as much getaway time as they wanted. Another problem they face is an unexpected third person in their getaway, Larry's one night stand Mary Coombs, who doesn't like the fact that Larry ran off on her, although she eventually also says that she doesn't want any of the money. With a police scanner and two-way radio in their souped up Dodge Charger, they try to outrun the police, who have an identification of their vehicle, and a general description of the three. The police pursuit is led by the tenacious Sheriff Everett Franklin, who knows he and his team can catch them, but also knows that the three may be able to get out of the state to 'freedom' through a grove of walnut trees, which Larry, Deke and Mary may or may not know. At every literal and figurative turn, Larry needs to show his superiority as a driver, while trying to ditch Mary, who is a little more resourceful in staying with them than he anticipates.
L**T
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry - in answer to Death to Spurs post "For Dingleberries Only" of 19th January 2014.
Ok, a little late in the day (three years on from your post!) but I'll try and 'nail it' for you as to why "There seems to be a lot of love flying about for this film..."A lot of us are petrolheads (you may be too, I don't know) and always have been. Starting with Bullitt there began a series of movies featuring car chases where the action of the cars was real (and filmed in real time) and close-ups of the actors showed an absence of that horrible old aspect from all previous films whereby it was obvious to the viewer that the 'stars' were sat in a cutaway cockpit in a studio with rear projection showing a film of unrelated moving scenery through the back window behind the actors. So now the viewer can 'buy into' the action as being genuine. The word which covers this element of film-making is, I believe, verisimilitude.Other movies to embrace this new technique were, as has been mentioned in several reviews here, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot, Smokey and The Bandit, White Lightning and many others not forgetting perhaps the 'daddy' of them all Vanishing Point.Shooting car chases like this then also required them to be filmed out in the real world, be that in cities like San Fran - as per Bullitt - or the vast open landscapes featured in VP. So, a wonderful tapestry away from the studio backlots. Next up is that films such as Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry always feature muscle cars with real 'muscles' to flex! Not that many car chase films feature Ford Pinto's or Chevy Nova's! So, out on the open landscapes of America these great cars really get to stretch their legs - and you have to concede they make a wonderful noise and sight doing just that.Okay, now to Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry - yes, as you point out, this is not a film without flaws! The basic premise of a stony-broke racing driver stealing a supermarket payroll is pretty far-fetched/unlikely - call it what you will. The best that can be said is that they don't kill or injure anyone in the process. The ending, as you also note, is no great surprise, particularly as Vanishing Point pulled the same trick three years earlier and the DM,CL ending was seen as 'copycat' straightaway right from the start back in '74.A few good points about the film. All the characters in the film are likeable! Deke the mechanic (Adam Roarke) is a washed-up ex-alcoholic, sure, but he's a sympathetic soul. Mary Coombs (Susan George) is a bit of a rural dumb broad but she's amusing with it. Franklin (the late, great Vic Morrow) is just wonderfully grumpy while Hank the young 'hotrodder' police officer in the souped-up police 'interceptor' never fails to make me smile with his youthful enthusiasm for the chase! Even Larry (Peter Fonda) is somehow likeable in spite of there not being that much to like in his character - he's a bit of an all-round sh*t actually! Then again, he plays that whole laid-back cool 'thing' ( a very key fad back in those days) very well and the truth is probably that it was a bit of a replication or extension of his role in Easy Rider a few years earlier - ie. a 'vehicle' for being cool! Back then being cool was measured in denim, shades and not saying much at all whereas today (think Fast & Furious!) cool is measured in muscles, tattoos, stylish haircuts and urban street talk.Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry also does a fine turn in subtle humour which suggests that the film doesn't take itself too seriously - such as when the renegades realise their tape 'gimmick' hasn't bought them the leeway time-wise that they expected and Fonda, at the wheel of the Impala, says laconically (but hey, how else does Fonda speak?!):"If a man was smart, do you know what he'd do right now?"To which the other two ask:"No, what?""I dunno, I thought maybe you'd know."Or, the exchange between two police officers first on scene at the supermarket following the heist:"Tell 'em to notify the sheriff. Y'know that b*stard Franklin's gonna sh*t when he hears a blue '68 Chevy."Or else the aforementioned Hank who delivers a whole spiel of sarcastically vitriolic lines at the back of the Charger once his interceptor gets on its tail and his part of the chase is on!Compare this film's tongue-in-cheek humour with all the straitlaced 'taking themselves way too seriously' characters in (yes, you've guessed it!) those Fast & Furious films.So, great cars, great scenery, fun characters, fast-paced action and the chance to see proper American stunt drivers well and truly let off the leash to do what they do best for real with zero CGI. There really is a lot to like and be entertained by in this film.Er, I will concede though (as if you haven't already noticed) that I may be just a teensy-weensy bit biased in my appraisal of this film...
L**E
Great Movie, Poor Qulaity Blu-Ray format transfer....
BUY THE DVD or Dual Film Blu-Ray INSTEAD, This Spanish release is simply a FORMAT transfer to a Blu-Ray Writable disc , The picture is no better than my older DVD copy, and at least the DVD had a 5.1 audio track. This film has an official Blu-Ray release on a Double film disc, which is a much better quality. I made the mistake that this may have been a remaster or better quality than the Dual release. No criticism of the seller, as the item arrived fast and well packaged.The film however is excellent, a must for anyone that loves a good Car chase movie!!!!!!
M**E
top road movie,great comedy,best disc.
Another one from the good old 1970`s,as with everyone else saw this in my teens and thought it was a cut above b-movie of it`s time,now I feel it`s a classic,and this dvd copy is about the best you can get,great car chase,road movie call it what you like,infact most of the film is based in the car,a different ending which I will not give away,top picture on the disc and although 5.1 due to age of movie and budget not the best surround sound but forget that if nothing to watch put this on,great entertainment and a added bonus SUSAN GEORGE,what could any hot blooded male want more,a six pack maybe!.
W**E
Great film
Great film, I remembered it as a kid and thought I'd give it a go, basically it just one long car chase !! Brilliant
N**R
Cars
Nutts
M**Y
That Dodge Charger!
Always loved this film. One of the best car chase movies out there with some great muscle car action. Brilliant!
A**.
Five Stars
Brilliant driving movie
C**Z
Five Stars
great dvd
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