Joyride (1977)

You won't be disappointed!

Fantastic!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Nothing to see here in this poor attempt at a car chase/on-the-lamb drama, which plays more like a wannabe produced by Columbia Picture's heir Bruce Curtis, and starring 4 children of Hollywood stars. Dezi Arnaz Jr., Robert Carradine, Melanie Griffith, and Anne Lockhart. Film has a run-of-the-mill opening with catchy Electric Light Orchestra tunes introducing us to the uneventful lives of some 3 uninteresting late teen/early 20 somethings longing for something more (Arnaz Jr. Carradine, Griffith). They hatch a rather vague plan to head north to Alaska, something about owning a fishing boat. After landing less-than-desirable blue collar jobs in the cold North, these three upset the wrong people and end up on the lamb with an employee of the top corporation around (Lockhart...the only interesting cast member/character). The film flies south from it's already low standing by this point and there is never an absolution to what these brats want, nor is there any tact in how they go about trying to achieve it. The writing is terribly unmemorable, and the story is never completely clear. Director Ruben has no style in how he captures this uneventful series of even more so pedestrian events. Producer Curtis pulls out all the stops to deliver a product with car chases, sex, drugs, and rock n roll. SNORE. It is simply an afterthought cocktail of left-over iconographic elements which fit so awkwardly into it's own bowl of dry, tasteless crumbs. PASS.

No Spoilers. 6 out of 10 stars. I wasn't expecting much from this movie, but it turned out to be better than average and highly watchable. If you are a 70s film buff like I am, then this movie is an even nicer find, cars, hair, dialogue, grainy atmosphere, no CGI, economic malaise...and a very pretty Melanie Griffith (with a few scenes of nudity to go along with it all). Alaska/Pacific Northwest in the 70s is also nice. And no CGI, some car chases, some action, etc. All that being said, it's nothing amazing, I don't want to oversell the movie. Currently showing on Netflix streaming, worth putting in your queue.

Two guys and a girl, all apparently in their early twenties, leave their dreary jobs in the lower forty-eight and head north to Alaska in their hearse, in search of adventure and freedom from "the system". It's a weak script. The main characters are shallow and rather generic. We never learn enough about their back-stories to empathize with them.The plot trends repetitive and aimless. Some of the sex scenes seem gratuitous, and included to extend the runtime. I couldn't find much of a theme, apart from the obvious idea that youthful dreams, sans pragmatism, lead nowhere but to disappointment. Much of the script's dialogue is too on-the-nose.Color cinematography is conventional. There's a tendency toward dull, grayish, dreary visuals, which is fine, given the geographic setting. Casting is acceptable, except for Melanie Griffith, whose childish face and extremely weak voice seem out of place. Overall acting is below average. Probably the best element is the music of Electric Light Orchestra."Joyride" looks and feels very much like a 1970s film, with its emphasis on free-spirited youth and cheap visuals. It's not an awful film. It's just that the story lacks substance.

I just saw this movie and all I can say is, where are the drive in's these days. This seems like it would have been a great 2nd feature at a drive in in 1977 (maybe playing with one of those Joan Collins movies), but it's only worth watching now if you're feeling nostalgic for the 70's. Silly plot that is full of holes, but it does remind one of the era it was made in. Interesting to see Melanie Griffith so young and Anne Lockhart is quite attractive, though not much of an actress. In fact, there is not much acting going on in this movie at all. It's sort of a Dukes of Hazzard adventure without a twang or a 1969 Dodge charger jumping over stuff in the Woods. But there is a Mecrury Comet jumping over a garbage dump in this one!