curtanddeb This is one of my favorite movies from the '70's. Peter Boyle steals the show, he is just over-the-top hilarious. Sutherland shows signs that he is becoming a famous actor, even though he doesn't seem to be trying very hard, but then that's Donald. Fonda seems like she is still trying to learn how to act. Then again, maybe it was just because they all may have been stoned during the entire film (although that subject does not come up in this movie). The scene at the demolition derby is one of my favorite scenes ever, even though I'm a car guy and it kills me to see the '50 Stude destroyed. This is probably more of a guy film even though Fonda brings out the "new woman".

screaminmimi Not a great movie, but the scene between Sutherland's character and his brother in the brother's office is worthy of the best Marx Brothers material. Unlike the other commentators here, I found Peter Boyle's work in this movie annoying and overwrought, and that's why I gave it an 8. But everything Sutherland did in this movie was comedy magic and totally unexpected, given his reputation as a serious actor. Fonda, on the other hand, seemed to be phoning it in, doing a watered down caricature of her Bree Daniels persona in "Klute." Too bad, there was a lot of talent in this picture.

j12997967 "I dunno nothing about climbing... except onto broads and motorcycles." --Peter Boyle replies to Donald Sutherland in a Brando voice when asked to climb into someplace to steal something."A '50 Studie!" --Donald Sutherland exclaims when he sees a 1950 Studebaker at a demolition derby, the only model he had yet to crash into in his derby driving days before prison.Most, if not all, of the members of the comedy group The Committee appear in the movie and there's a great bit that defies description involving Hessman, his henchman, a sort of movie-prop housefront with someone pretending to be an out-of-control guard dog barking at the window while one of the others tries to hold him back.I think Sutherland said in a Playboy interview that it was during the filming of this movie that Jane Fonda raised his consciousness.Sigh, I never would have seen most of my favorite movies if it weren't for revival houses that brought this and other classic or off-beat movies back from time to time. Sadly, most of those theaters are long gone too these days.

WILL my favorite line(s), while eagle is climbing up the hangar wall."how does he do that?" "Have you ever worked in a circus?" "No." "I can't tell you."The story is Cain and Abel. Abel, supported by his friends and Cain, supported by his societal structure are at odds when the Abel brother, Jesse, gets out of jail and tries to avoid thievery, which he had used to support his "habit" of driving demolition derby cars. Frank, the Cain character, happens to be running for public office and doesn't want to be embarrassed by Jesse. Jesse and his friends meld into one wacky , seemingly improv group. Many of the support cast has Second City credit as well as the San Francisco Committee. Alan Myerson was the Committee's director. And Peter Boyle extends his talents beyond even those he later displayed on SNL opposite John Belushi. Jane Fonda unobtrusively adds the new woman movement of the 70's when asked what she could contribute to the group's project of rebuilding a plane for escape to freedom. "I could help with the welding," she says, totally out of the character she has become while Jesse was in jailHoward Hesseman is the perfectly suave villain, Garry Goodrow the perfectly wacky techie.There is so much to say about the music. Bloomfield, maria muldaur, nick gravenites, on and on. just a great uplifting soundtrack, very bluesy and toe tapping.