Popular reviews

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  Review by BeardofTsu ★★★★ 2

  Jan-Michael Vincent is Carrol Jo Hummer a man who after securing a bank loan buys his own rig called "The Blue Mule". A man who just wants to make an honest living transporting avocados, and what's wrong with that? Unfortunately for him, the trucking company is as corrupt as hell and an honest living isn't easy to come by as transporting illegal contraband across state lines is more their business. And those who don't agree are severely beaten by the many thugs that operate this particular business venture. Shit goes too far when they frame him for murder, burn his house down and cause his wife to have a miscarriage! Carrol Jo says enough is enough and sets out to…

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  Review by Allan Arkush ★★★½ 5

  Directed by my old friend Jonathan Kaplan. he was the first of the 60's NYU gang to get paid for making movies. This was his big chance at a studio action movie. It's packed with action alright. Great stunts as well. I know everyone in the cast cause I worked with them too.

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  Review by Jeremy Milks ★★★★

  I thought I didn't like Jan-Michael Vincent until I saw this movie. I don't know what it was but I really got involved in this one. Great country soundtrack, some strong action scenes and that certain 70's redneck vibe that doesn't exist in movies anymore. And lots of Schlitz beer and denim. This is a classic.

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  Review by AD917 ★★★½ 2

  One thing you should know about me, Letterboxd friends and potential readers, is that I love me some 1970’s hicksploitation. Give me an honest blue collar Joe (or Carrol Jo, as it were) pushed too far by the corruption around him, throw in some good old fashioned shotgun action, make sure Slim Pickens and LQ Jones are lurking around somewhere, and I’m in Shit Kicker Heaven. If, by any chance, you can mix all this in with the similar but very distinct trucksploitation subgenre then you’re gettin’ the ol’ 10-4 from this cowboy for the rest of my days, good buddy. 

  White Line Fever has the makings of an Elmore Leonard story, with Dixie Mafia types harassing an everyman protagonist…

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  Review by Mondo Cinema ★★★ 1

  Jan Michael Vincent is dead serious about hauling avocados and kicking ass.

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  Review by Speeg ★★★½ 11

  The print on Prime for this redneck trucker movie looks sharp as a tack, and the movie itself is pretty satisfying, although I think they went a couple steps too far with what ol’ Carrol Jo has to overcome versus the evil trucking co. execs. Still, I need all 1970’s movies to look this good now. 
  “All you mothertruckers, honk your horn for Hummer!”

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  Review by HKFanatic ★★★★

  Pure populist cinema. The late Jan-Michael Vincent plays an army pilot who returns to his small Arizona town to start a life as an independent truck driver only to find that, you guessed it, the real battlefield is at home, thanks to a shady shipping company foisting contraband on their drivers. Effectively generates some white-knuckle suspense—it looks like Vincent did much of his own stuntwork as well—but what this captures most effectively is the idea of a corrupt but inescapable System tightening a vice grip around a good-intentioned individual until said individual has no choice but to retaliate with violence. I would not be surprised if S. Craig Zahler digs this movie.

  I question some of the plot turns during…

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  Review by The Great Owl ★★★★ 2

  Carrol Jo Hummer, a veteran played by Jan-Michael Vincent, just wants to make an honest living and start a family with his new bride, played by Kay Lenz. After securing a bank loan, purchasing a rig, and setting out to find gainful employment as an independent trucker, though, he finds that the trucking industry is run by an underworld conglomerate that employs brutal enforcers to exact beatdowns on anyone who refuses to participate in the illegal shipping of tobacco and gambling devices across state lines. When these crooks beat Carrol within an inch of his life, burn his house down, cause his wife to have a miscarriage, and put a live rattlesnake in the cab of his truck, he decides…

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  Review by Justin Decloux ★★★½

  Way more socially motivated and complex than I expected, and because of that, it's a little more muddled than I would have liked. It follows the WALKING TALL formula, but this time on a union bent, and only unleashes righteous fury in its last reel. Director Jonathan Kaplan is one hell filmmaker and it's a shame he's never gotten the due of his pals Jonathan Demme, Allan Arkush and Joe Dante (who gets a shout out here)

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  Review by Barry Daulton ★★★½

  Enjoyable yet a bit paint by numbers typical 70s action flick in the vein of a Billy Jack or Walking Tall type. I'm not going to call it a classic or a hidden gem to be sought out, but if you like these type of films, you can do a lot worse. With Slim Picken, Dick Miller, Sam Laws, and Martin Kove, ot has a really good supporting cast. One of those films I'd want to give a 3.75. It's not quite good enough gor me to call it a good movie, but I liked it a lot and feel 3.5 is a tad too low.

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  Review by HalloweenHenry ★★½

  Ever since hearing Deadbolt's incredible, trucker themed, Voodoo Trucker album (trust me, give it a listen. It's fantastic) I've been fascinated by the Trucker subculture. I can't be the only one, cause there are hundreds of "Trucker" albums from the 70's and 80's.

  As for this film, I wanted to like it more. It does have an unbelievable cast of classic character actors. Slim Pickens, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Sam Laws, Martin Kove, and the legend himself, Dick Miller!
  I'm looking forward to watching more Trucker-Ploitation films!
  A mild recommendation

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  Review by Adrian 🥐☕ ★★★½

  J. Kaplan #2 --- Reminded me a bit of Rolling Thunder, but much tamer and with truck drivers. A man refuses to participate in the cigarette smuggling business which gets him blacklisted and on the search for work. The fight against the evil redneck town folk begins. White Line Fever has some very solid stunt work, good acting, and emotionally effective scenes. The only problems come with the script. There are more than a few plot holes and the sense of space is not well communicated visually. Still, a fun time. I think this is rated PG. So don't expect bloody stuff. It works anyway because what you do get is very effective.