Moustroll
Good movie but grossly overrated
Freaktana
A Major Disappointment
Kimball
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
LeonLouisRicci
Elvis Presley must have been secretly wishing that his manager Col. Tom Parker would get lost and He would have the Freedom to dig into some Edgy, Sleazy Stuff like this. That, of course, was never going to happen and Elvis could only Dream (he did manage to get one good Role and He Shined, King Creole (1958).But here His Sun Record Label Contemporary Johnny Cash had no such restrictions and went Hog Wild with this Low-Low-Budget Grindhouse Movie that was Raw and Raunchy. It is a Psychotronic Cult Movie to be sure with its Nastiness and Cheap Charm. Cash vibrates with Glee as He taunts & tortures a Hostage, wrecks Her Home and it is all quite Believably Terrifying.He holds a Guitar with as much Fun as His Gun, and when asked "Are you an entertainer?" He replies..."No, I'm a Killer". That's just one of the many good Lines He growls in this Whacky, Whipped-Up, and thoroughly Crazed Delight. A must see for Fans of Low-Budget Sleaze and Trash Cinema as well as The Man in Black, who gives a Hopped-Up display that is Uneasy and Disturbing.
gordonl56
5 Minutes to LiveThe film opens with Vic Tayback getting the third degree in a police detective's office. He tells the cops, "It all started back in New Jersey were Johnny killed those two cops..." The film cuts away to a warehouse were two men are breaking in. A pair of cops pull up which starts a gun-battle that ends with one of the men, and both cops dead. The survivor is Johnny Cabot, who is played by Johnny Cash. He knows he is now hot, so he grabs his girl, and flees town for the west coast. He cools his heels in a rundown $2.50 a day motel outside of L.A. He starts to grow bored with his dolly and the lack of money.He jumps at the offer of a big payoff for a one day job when contacted by local heavy, Tayback. Tayback has the "perfect" plan. They are going to hit the largest of the local banks for no less than 70 grand. Cash asks as to how only the two of them could pull this off. Tayback lays it all out for him. They will grab the manager's wife as a hostage, and then threaten to kill her if the money is not handed over.Tayback tells Cash he has spent months planning the job and that nothing can go wrong. Cash is to grab the wife while Tayback goes to the bank to pay the manager, Donald Woods, a visit. Next morning they begin the caper. Cash poses as a door to door salesman to gain entry to the banker's house and get a grip on the wife. Tayback calmly enters the bank and asks to see the manager on an urgent matter. He is shown into Woods' office where he quickly fills in Woods on what he must do. Of course it turns out there is a fly in the ointment. It seems Woods has been getting some on the side and had planned to leave for Vegas that night with his new love. Woods sees no reason to pay! Tayback plays it cool and calls the house where Cash is holding the woman. "If you don't hear from me in 5 minutes, kill the woman!" Now the game of chicken starts, will Woods stand his ground or cave? Back at the house, Cash is having a grand old time smacking the wife around and destroying the furniture. Woods meanwhile has agreed to the terms and gets Tayback the money. Tayback tells Woods he will call from outside the bank and have Woods' wife released. Smooth as could be, Tayback heads for the exit. Another fly enters the picture as the guard recognizes Tayback from a poster and jumps him. To Woods horror several bystanders also pile on Tayback. Woods runs for the nearest phone and calls the police. At the house, Cash is enjoying himself so much he loses track of the time. The couples' son, Ronnie Howard, shows up just as the police do. Cash grabs the kid as a shield and runs out the back door. A quick exchange of gunfire and Cash is dispatched.The wife is played by Kay Forester who also wrote the screenplay. The director was Bill Karn. His claim to fame is that fun grade d film, MA BARKER'S KILLER BROOD. Despitethe low origins there are several things that make this film work. First, the cast is all quite good with Cash looking great as a gunman with a screw or two loose.Second is the overall look of the film which was lensed by Carl Guthrie. Guthrie worked on such film noir as, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, FLAXY MARTIN, BACKFIRE, THIS SIDE OF THE LAW, HIGHWAY 301 and CAGED. A neat little low, low, low budget gem. I loved it!
shirley3151-985-726659
This does not make sense. Why would the plot say that these killers went door to door killing whoever answered the door. That is a down right lie. No where in the movie did this ever happen!!!! It had only one motive, one event, no maniacs going door to door. I just wanted to know why it is stated that a band of killers go from door to door killing the people who answer the door. There is no band, just two characters who are involved with this bank robbery. There is basically one hostage and one ransom plea of $70,000. If you are going to rob a bank, you would not use your real name, would you? The manager of the bank discovers a wanted poster with the robber's name and picture. Too obvious.
Signa815
This film is obviously low, low budget from beginning to end. Yet, it has a very interesting story line and some decent acting.You can see why Johnny Cash was more successful as a singer than an actor, but he's not bad here. Although he carries a guitar with him throughout almost the entire film, he really doesn't do much singing. So those looking for a vehicle to showcase Cash's singing talents, might be a little disappointed.Vic Tayback does a good job as the hardened criminal mastermind. Cash does OK with his portrayal of a somewhat deranged killer for hire. Toss in a very young Ron Howard for some lighter moments. The rest of the acting is strictly B movie.The basic elements for a good thriller are here, but the production values are poor. Some parts of the dialogue are outright laughable. The overall effect is uneven, yet the story line does hold your interest. This would be a great movie for a modern remake with a real budget and good actors.
