MALONE (1987)

 This movie tried to make Burt Reynolds an 80's action star. At the time though people were not having it. I guess audiences got used to goofy Burt from all those SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and CANNONBALL RUN films and that's all they would accept. Of course Mr. Reynolds had plenty of earlier action roles earlier on in stuff like GATOR and WHITE LIGHTNING but I guess those roles were lighthearted enough not to bum people out. This one isn't that bad with Cliff Robertson(probably known to most people from his appearances on various T.V. programs) as the no-good ultra-patriot looking to buy up a town and start his own revolutionary army or something and Reynolds is always good even if he's not cracking jokes in between blowing people away. Overall this one is pretty typical of 80's actioners(if you just overlook the way too young love interest(Cynthia Gibb)) and worth a look for Burt fans though you should probably check out SHARKEY'S MACHINE first for an even better example of his prowess in this genre.
 Also fans of THE WALKING DEAD show can get to see a younger Hershel(Scott Wilson) here with no beard though he doesn't really get to do much except pal around with Mr. Malone.

SKULLDUGGERY (1970)

 Burt Reynolds meets Bigfoot?? Kinda, sorta. Bigfoot here is actually a whole clan of ape-people, or Tropi as they are called. Most of the movie though is just a typical jungle adventure until our group discovers these primitives. Then Burt uses the Tropi as slaves to work a mine, then his drunken partner bangs one of the female creatures and impregnates it, then Burt gets upset because some rich guy wants to also use the Tropi as slaves. Amazingly the film then devolves into the worst of genres before it ends, the dreaded courtroom drama! William "Blacula" Marshall plays an attorney who calls everyone a filthy racist if they don't think the ape-people are human-beings deserving of the same rights as everyone else. Finally a militant black power dude with an afro shows up to make fun of the mother ape and it all ends on a very downbeat note. Apparently the original cut of this film was more intensely about race-relations but in this finished version that only comes up in the last 15 minutes or so which seems a bit jarring and out of place.  Ultimately this film sounds a lot better when describing it then actually viewing it but it is odd enough that it keeps you watching just to see what the hell is going to happen next. Sadly the payoff is pretty dumb.




                                                      TROPIS: MAN OR APE?

SHARK (1969)

 This was originally titled CAINE, which is the name of the main character played by a yet-to-be-very-famous Burt Reynolds, and is a much more appropriately dull title for what is a mostly boring movie. There are sharks involved in the quest for some sunken treasure but they are not the main focus.
 Apparently one of the stuntmen on this was killed by a shark while filming one of the attack scenes and it's still in the film somewhere which they would exploit in promoting it. So I guess if you want to see some snuff-footage in the middle of a fairly unexceptional heist movie give it a look.
 Director Samuel Fuller was mostly known for his film-noirs of the 50s so I guess that's why there are unexpected jazz tunes playing in the background of many scenes. AKA MANEATER

                                                            Hype!!:

 

                          This had some crappy VHS covers that tried to link it to JAWS!:

Known in Germany as OUTSIDER:

Known in Spanish countries as THE FILTHY WEAPON?:

None of the sharks in this are quite this big:

WHITE LIGHTNING (1973)

After becoming a Hollywood star and making a bunch of garbage most people forgot that at one time Burt Reynolds was actually a good actor.  A lot of his 70's output, like most famously DELIVERANCE, dealt with hillbillies in one way or another.  This film could be called straight-up hicksploitation since almost everyone in it is your stereotypical redneck character.  It's also a pretty straightforward revenge flick that follow Mr. Burts Gator McKlusky as he works toward his revenge on a corrupt southern sheriff played by a slimy-looking Ned Beatty who is responsible for killing his little brother for being a hippie.  As in most 70's action-type flicks many cars are raced and smashed up.  This one was rated PG so you get a grand total of 0 boobs and very little blood for your money.  Bo Hopkins also appears as a fellow moonshine runner and hippies are bashed throughout the film.  Also it's before Reynolds had his trademark mustache.  The movie comments on intolerance in the old south a little bit and isn't bad for what it is and would probably be a decent time-waster if you like 70's action.  There was a sequel a few years later titled GATOR but from what I remember that one was a little sillier than this. 

SHARKY'S MACHINE (1981)

This is sort of Burt Reynolds version of a DIRTY HARRY movie minus the right-wing political slant of that series.  Mr. Burt not only stars as tough-guy cop Sharky but directs this 80's action flick.  While I never feel like Reynolds is quite as an imposing/iconic figure as Eastwood this still works pretty good for what it is and that's mostly due to the great cast present.  You get Bernie Casie from a bunch of blaxploitation gems like DR. BLACK AND MR. HYDE as a philosophical ass-kicking member of Reynolds team of cops along with Charles Durning.  Also on the team is that guy who used to narrate all those educational Disney film strips they forced me to watch in elementary school and was the voice of Piglet who seems like kind of an oddball choice to have on a team of bad asses.  The highlight for me though is great character actor Henry Silva as the main psycho assassin character.  He was just so good at portraying a complete nutcase who you also believe is dangerous as hell.  With the look he has on his face throughout the film you're never sure if Silva is going to start crying, yelling or shit his pants but you know something bad is gonna happen.  This is totally worth checking out if you're a Silva fan like myself or if you dig those DIRTY HARRY flicks.