Supervan (1977)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Captivating movie !

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Mark Schneider ('Santa Barbara') stars as Clint Morgan, a young man who wants to strike out on his own rather than follow the path that his father has set for him. He plans on entering his van in a "Freakout Competition" for vanners, with his eyes on the $5000 grand prize. However, his van gets totalled after he saves Karen (Katie Saylor, "Invasion of the Bee Girls") from being raped, and her attackers give pursuit. But good fortune comes his way: good friend Bosley (TV veteran Tom Kindle) has designed a futuristic, solar powered "super van" dubbed "Vandora" which he lets Clint use. This puts Clint at odds with Karens' arrogant fat cat father T.B. Trenton (Morgan Woodward, "Moonshine County Express"), an auto industry hot shot who's already entered his own "Trenton Trucker" into the event."Supervan" is no great shakes; it doesn't have much of a story, for one thing. But it's still pretty good fun for lovers of 1970s drive-in cinema. It's got a respectable amount of vehicular action and stunts, a healthy dose of comedy, a wonderful soundtrack, and is overall an amiable, appealing portrait of "vanner" culture in the 70s. Some of these vans are quite impressive in their designs and art. Legendary custom vehicle creator George Barris designed the title mode of transportation, and also appears in the film as himself. Director Lamar Card ("The Clones") keeps it all reasonably upbeat and never too unpleasant, while still understanding the requirements of an exploitation picture from this era. (There are several loving close-up shots of ladies in wet T-shirts.) Adding a goofy, science fiction element is the fact that this van is equipped with a laser gun (!), allowing for a few cheesy effects.Attractive couple Schneider and Saylor are engaging leads, and Kindle is likewise endearing in his key supporting role. Len "Uncle Leo" Lesser turns up as a cop, and Bruce Kimball ("Drive In Massacre") as Trentons' flunky. But the show is often stolen by excellent veteran character actor Woodward, who seems to be relishing the opportunity to chew on the scenery in some scenes.If you're into vans, or just exploitation cinema in general, you're sure to have a decent time with this one.Seven out of 10.

Way back we had a list of worst movies ever and Supervan was number one that list. It says lots about this movie. True classic and a must for everyone who likes bad movies. I mean what can you expect from a movie about a van. The best part of the movie was a scene where Supervan tried to get over a little hill and couldn't even accomplish that little task. Is there something else to say about this masterpiece? If you ever get a chance of watching it, do it. It's worst movie ever in the history of worst movies ever, which includes almost every movie ever made of course. On the other hand, the minimalism Supervan is offering is somewhat refreshing at the standards of modern flicks. It's like three chord rock n'roll song which includes everything vital and at the same it is plain nothingnes.

For someone outside the realm of vanning I could see how this movie could be confusing or even irritating, however, being a vanner I feel that this movie is a great portrayal of the vanning movement and all that it entails. Vandora, the Supervan, is excessive and borderline ridiculous, but that is what custom vans are all about. The documentation and on-location filming alone make this movie a classic. 2% Vanners Forever!!

Well, maybe not. I don't know because I haven't seen "Smokey..." since I was, I think, ten..? Anyway, this film is a curious document of the '70s, a real time capsule. The best parts (to me) are the semi-verite portions when the camera wanders around the fairgrounds where they're holding the big van 'freak-out' and just records the goings-on of this peculiar gathering. These segments, for me, capture something very essential about the '70s, moreso than just about any other film I've seen in a long time.