While tracking a strong-armed pimp who has skipped bail, a bounty hunter discovers a contract has been put out on him and must go on the run.While tracking a strong-armed pimp who has skipped bail, a bounty hunter discovers a contract has been put out on him and must go on the run.While tracking a strong-armed pimp who has skipped bail, a bounty hunter discovers a contract has been put out on him and must go on the run.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Snow
- (as Bob Harris)
- Toro
- (as Clarence Barnes)
- Director
- Writers
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Featured reviews
It is a typically paradoxical blaxpolitation film. It serves as both a reminder why the genre were so enjoyable - brazen heroes and villains, loads of sexy chicks for each, a top soul soundtrack - and why it had to die eventually - the burden of uninspired cashing in, here there and everywhere.
BLACK BULLET is as b-grade as they come, and it's surprisingly nasty in places. With a similar cast and crew to the far-superior BLACK BELT JONES (a blaxploitation gem), you expect tongue in cheek, but by the time you've heard the world `bitch' a thousand times, it starts to lose its comic gleam.
But at the end of the day it's all in good fun. It's just a shame the modern gangstas didn't get the joke.
I have taken recently to watching some Blaxploitation films mostly because I find the genre to be agreeably trashy and in a way the weaknesses can be accepted and almost enjoyed as part of the experience that you have come for. Trashily made, violent, tough black male leads, gorgeous females with lots of sass, funky soundtrack, solid action and unintentional laughs – all of these things sort of come with the territory. Truck Turner actually stands out as one of the more enjoyable of the genre, while still very much being a genre film with all the staples in place. The film is built on the usual sense of tough cool in the packaging and in the lead character and the plot pretty much does what you expect as a revenge plot provides plenty of gun battles and bright red blood squibs going off – none of it particularly thrilling but none of it dull either.
Where it actually benefits is in the casting. Hayes is not the best actor of course but he does have a lazy cool charm about him and he leads the film well. He is totally out-acted though by Nichelle Nichols who is not only sexy but is convincingly full of murderous rage – as others have said, it is a world away from her character on Star Trek but she really dominates the screen here with a marvellously over the top and driven house-mother harpie. Kotto is not quite as good but he is a very good presence and deserved to be used a bit better than he was. That said he still rocks most of his scenes and is rewarded with a memorable final scene. Weeks is funny, Chase is cute and beyond that everyone is par for the genre course, with plenty of bad hair and overacting in the men and lots of flesh in the women.
Truck Turner is still a genre film of course and it needs to be met on those terms but it does stand out as a good example of the genre – tough, cool, good performances, lots of pimp etc stereotypes and plenty of silly gun action. Far from being a great film, it is still a very good genre piece.
The film basically has everything good blaxploitation cinema needs: A super-tough bad-ass of a hero as you will only see them in 70s cinema, a cool sidekick, eccentric villains, violent shootouts, funky music, delightfully vulgar slang dialogue including many unforgettable lines and, last but definitely not least, dozens of sexy and dangerous women. None other than Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols plays the beautiful and lethal crime-madame and prostitution-mastermind Dorinda, and Yaphet Kotto (Alien) makes a perfect crime-boss in his role of Harvard Blue. Alan Weeks makes a good sidekick for Truck Turner and beautiful Annazette Chase fits greatly in the role of Truck's girlfriend. Isaac Hayes himself is great, simply the definition of Bad-Ass in his role. Every line he says is the epitome of coolness, and so is everything he does. The funky theme-song, which was, of course, composed and sung by Hayes himself, is great and contributes a lot to the unique blaxploitation feeling. The film furthermore profits from great camera work - Truck blows them baddies away from some very cool angles. All in all, "Truck Turner" should not be missed by a fan of 70s Exploitation cinema. Highly Recommended!
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally developed as a film for Robert Mitchum. After Mitchum, James Coburn was attached to star- but that fell through as well. Having already invested in the script, American International Pictures decided to turn it into an "urban picture" and cast a black actor. Dick Anthony Williams, best know for his work in The Mack (1973) and Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973) was initially cast, but was quickly replaced by Isaac Hayes, who wanted to get into acting. It was also felt that Hayes was a bigger name draw than Williams.
- GoofsThe damages seen on the pink car vary throughout the car chase scene that ends at the sewage plant.
- Quotes
Dorinda: Now all you whores sit down. I wanna talk to you. Anybody thinking about leaving here is gonna find my left foot square up your ass! Do you understand that?
[Turnpike mumbles to Annette]
Dorinda: [yells at Turnpike] Shut up, you junkie whore! I'm talkin' to you! And those two bitches that left, they'd better learn to sell pussy in Iceland because if I ever see them again, I'm gonna cut their fuckin' throats! We are family... and that's what we're gonna stay. Now I got important business out there today. And when I call you, I want you to come out there and shake your asses proper! You hear? HUH? Now get out there and make it look good! And Raquel, take that fuckin' jacket off! MOVE IT!
- Alternate versionsThe original UK cinema release was cut for an 'X' certificate to remove a man being kneed in the groin and a shot of Truck pushing a gun into a guard's buttocks. All later releases were uncut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 3 Strikes (2000)
- How long is Truck Turner?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Cazadores de asesinos
- Filming locations
- 1235 Sierra Alta Way, Los Angeles, California, USA(Mansion shootout scenes.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $177,372
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