Cannonball!

Plot synopsis:
The Trans-America Grand Prix is an illegal race held every year between Los Angeles (Santa Monica Pier) and New York City. Recently released from jail, where he was serving a sentence for killing a girl while driving drunk, racing driver Coy "Cannonball" Buckman (David Carradine) hopes to win the race and get his career back on track. Racing team Modern Motors have promised a contract to either him or his arch-rival Cade Redman (Bill McKinney) who is also in the race – the contract will go to whichever of them wins. Coy is still on probation and when his parole officer, Linda Maxwell (Veronica Hamel), with whom he is having an elaborate affair, discovers he will be crossing state lines in violation of his parole, she attempts to stop him, only to have him force her to accompany him on the race.
Redman also has company in the form of country singer Perman Waters (Gerrit Graham) and his manager Sharma Capri (Judy Canova) who have agreed to pay Redman's race expenses in return for his taking them with him to New York in his Dodge Charger.
Other competitors include teenage surfer sweethearts Jim Crandell (Robert Carradine) and Maryann (Belinda Balaski) driving Maryann's father's Chevrolet Corvette, middle-aged Terry McMillan in a Chevrolet Blazer, three sexy waitresses, Sandy (Mary Woronov), Ginny (Glynn Rubin) and Wendy (Diane Lee Hart) in a souped-up van, arrogant German driver Wolfe Messer (James Keach) in a De Tomaso Pantera, preppy African-American Beutell (Stanley Bennett Clay) in a Lincoln Continental; he has been hired by a wealthy elderly couple to transport to New York for them (unaware that he is using it to enter the race) and Buckman's best friend Zippo (Archie Hahn) in a Pontiac Trans Am identical to Coy's. Unbeknown to Coy, his brother Bennie (Dick Miller) has bet heavily on the race and plans to use underhand methods to ensure Coy wins.
As the race degenerates into a violent demolition derby, Messer is blown up by Bennie, while McMillan attempts to cheat by having his Blazer flown from LAX to New York's LaGuardia Airport where he waits out the race with his mistress Louisa (Louisa Moritz). Beutell's borrowed Lincoln gets progressively more damaged as the race goes on, while Jim and Maryann face engine trouble with a broken fan belt. The rivalry between Coy and the increasingly unstable Redman gets out of control as the two fight and attempt to force each other off the road, with Coy crashing his Trans Am after Redman breaks the headlights. Switching to a 1969 Ford Mustang he borrows from some local hot-rodders, Coy has a last showdown with Redman, who has kicked Perman and Sharma out of his car after arguing with them. A piece of Perman's guitar, which Redman smashed in a rage after getting sick of Perman's singing and on-the-road radio broadcasts, gets lodged behind the car pedals, causing Redman to lose control and crash over the side of an unfinished bridge. He dies when the car explodes.
Bennie meanwhile, has sent a gunman to kill the driver of the "other" red Trans Am as it is beating Coy. He is unaware that the driver is Zippo or that Linda is now riding with him, as Coy thought it safer for her to do so since Redman was after him. While with Zippo, she has found out that it was Zippo who was driving the car in which the girl was killed, not Coy. Coy took the blame because he knew the weaker Zippo would never survive in jail.
Bennie's gunman shoots Zippo dead and the Trans Am crashes and explodes. Linda jumps clear, but is badly injured. Jim and Maryann see the wreck and pick up the comatose Linda, taking her to hospital. Behind them, the presence of the wrecked Trans Am on the freeway causes a multiple-car pileup.
Terry McMillan and Louisa arrive first at the finish line, but Louisa lets slip that the Blazer was flown there and he is disqualified. The girls in the van and Coy are neck-and-neck as they cross into New York City (with Coy driving over the George Washington Bridge and the girls taking the Lincoln Tunnel until Sandy attempts to take a shortcut when the girls get lost and are stuck in traffic and the van crashes. Coy arrives at the finish line and is about to stamp his timecard, making him the official winner, when he is told about Zippo and Linda's accident and realizes Bennie caused it. He tears up his timecard so it can't be stamped and gives the pieces to Bennie, who is taken away by gangster Lester Marks (played by the film's director Paul Bartel) to whom he owes all the money he bet on Coy, presumably to be killed. Assured of his racing contract, Coy is taken to the hospital to be reunited with Linda by the team manager. Having decided to finish the race in spite of believing they cannot win having lost so much time, Jim and Maryann are the next to arrive at the finish line. They are surprised and overjoyed to be told they are the winners of the $100,000 first place prize.
At the hospital, Coy and Linda enjoy their reunion, while Beutell delivers the Lincoln – now completely wrecked – to its horrified owners in front of a hotel in the city.

Tags: violence

Review:
The basic premise of Cannonball has been done several times - a diverse group of drivers compete in a cross-country race where anything goes.
It's too bad that Bartel's movie isn't as well known as Nedham's.
While it will never be confused with Citizen Kane, Cannonball is a thrill-a-minute, cheese-filled good time.Bartel's direction is one of the highlights of the movie.
You would think that a 90+ minute movie of watching cars race might get boring.
Bartel does a great job of mixing race action, comedy, fight scenes, and a little drama to create a well-balanced, enjoyable movie.As far as acting goes, David Carradine naturally stands out.
Carradine is able to add a little authenticity to the movie by doing a lot of his own driving.
There are a couple of spinouts where you can actually see that it's Carradine sitting behind the wheel.My biggest complaint with Cannonball involves the spectacular pile-up at the end of the movie.
One of the best car movies.
Of all the movies about cross country road races (Cannonball 1 and 2, Gumball Rally, et all) I always thought this was easily the best, even though you tend to hear about it the least.
David Carradine is great as the star driver, trying to reclaim some past glory and get another shot at a racing career.
Other New World Pictures stars abound!Lots of great cars, and car action as well, especially the final chase between Carradine and the film's villain, driving a wicked Dodge Charger.
Sure there's some bad acting and some bad direction, but as far as being a 70's car/B-flick, it ranks high.
One interesting note - the very last image shown in New World's "Death Race 2000" was of an incompleted elevated highway road section, just like the kind Carradine jumps his car across during the big chase.
'Cannonball' is one of the least remembered of the short-lived but successful 1970s car race/car crash genre begun by 'The Gumball Rally'.
What really makes this one stand out is that it was directed by the late Paul Bartel (in between his immortal black comedy classics 'Death Race 2000' and 'Eating Raoul'), and features an impressive supporting cast of cult actors and Bartel buddies.
'Death Race 2000's David Carradine once again stars, this time as "Cannonball" Buckman, an ex-con who desperately wants to win the illegal Trans American road race.
His older brother Benny (the legendary Dick Miller) gets him set up with a car, and bets enormous sums of money on him, mainly with the eccentric but ruthless bookie and amateur songwriter Lester Marks (played by Bartel himself).
Cannonball's main competition is the borderline psychotic Redman ('Deliverance's Bill McKinney), but the race also includes Cannonball's sidekick Zippo (Archie Hahn), his parole officer girlfriend (Veronica Hammel), a bus full of babes led by frequent Bartel co-star Mary Woronov, an aspiring country singer (Gerrit Graham), and surfer types Robert Carradine and Belinda Balaski.
1970s exploitation fans will recognize these actors, and several others that make appearances throughout this stupid but fun movie, and buffs will also spot various film makers in cameos including Roger Corman, Martin Scorsese and Joe Dante.
The whole thing is very incestuous and self-indulgent, but the cast looks like they're having a lot of fun.
The story of "Cannonball" is about an illegal coast-to-coast car race in the USA.
Of course, also some saboteurs are on the road to guarantee a not smoothly course of events...Obviously not as great as Paul Bartel´s predecessor "Death Race 2000" "Cannonball" is a trash classic and cheese de luxe: cheesy acting, cheesy stunts, cheesy humour, cheesy dialogues...
take a lot of car chases, explosions and add some campy humour and you´ve got "Cannonball"!
A highly entertaining C-grade movie which is also very interesting for the prominent supporting cast, because Roger Corman, Martin Scorcese, Jonathan Kaplan, Joe Dante or Sly Stallone have small roles in this funny gem!Fasten your seat belts and enjoy!!!.
David Carradine takes part in an illegal anything goes cross-country race from California to New York.
Paul Bartel's second attempt at the race movie, while good isn't as fun as his previous "Death Race 2000".
It's still fun in parts, but lacks the pacing and memorable characters (except for Carradine and the always watchable Dick Miller) My Grade: C+ DVD Extras: Interviews with David Carradine, Mary Woronov, and Roger Corman; Poster and Stills gallery; 3 TV spots; and Theatrical Trailer 1 Easter Egg: Highlight a hidden car in the Extras menu for a Carquake/ the giant spider invasion combo trailer.
Some times ya just need Fast cars, beautiful girls, and quirky characters(some played way over the top).
One of the first two car films based on the real"CANNONBALL SEA-TO-SHINING SEA RACE",(the other being"THE GUMBALL RALLY")it is far better  than Hal Needhams "CANNONBALL RUN" films.
Where they are goofy,and unintresting, "CANNONBALL" and "GUMBALL RALLY" are funny, and entertaining.The acting,and directing while not awe inspiring is consistent.(comon we have seen much worse).
Cannonball.The movie that broke the dam and started a flood of films revolving around illegal coast to coast car races, really isn't half bad.
There are moments during it's one and half hours of engine revving running time that you are could be duped into thinking that the film makers had something higher purpose in mind they fleshed out the script on an empty pizza box to this masterpiece.
It comes complete with a cryptic voice over and a heart beat soundtrack...enthralling.David Carradine plays the titular Cannonball.
There's your token bad guy complete with a black Dodge Charger that is looking to do him (being titular Cannonball) in at any cost.
Because you can't have a movie like this with out a bad guy.
Its like sex with out the wet patch, they come hand in hand.Made in that 70's dirty "we couldn't afford to buy better film" style that is normally reserved for Porn films and early sword and sorcery flicks the film makers have covered off all the stereotypes that we have come to know and love from these kinds of movies.
The a fore mentioned brooding anti-hero good guy type, the maniacal bad guy and a host of token others that matter little to the grand scheme of things, oh and of course more than its fair share of stupid cops.
A showcase of some of the most popular American and a token European muscle car, ever to make their way on to the road.
However there is some really decent action sequences here, that exceed the movie's standing as an the aforementioned 'we couldn't afford to buy better film' and make it memorable even by today's blockbuster standards.
To sum up, Cannonball is a bit of Tuesday night fun and to be enjoyed at its best, watched with a few friends and some strong liquor.
David Carradine who's fresh from "Kung Fu" plays Coy "Cannonball" Buckman, a ex-con who makes this race an important part of his life.
Veronica Hamel(before hitting it big as "Hill Street Blues" character, Joyce Davenport) as parole officer, Linda Maxwell.
Everybody gets to the spot in California in a coast-to-coast race where anything goes.
A friend of Coy emulated him, and Coy's brother Bennie(Dick Miller) placed some explosives under a German driver's car.
The car pileup was sickening, and the young kids help out Linda after Coy's friend was killed.
This movie has got plenty of action, and plenty of laughs, and David Carradine haven't lost his touch in his moves.
"Cannonball!" – although I must say I prefer the much cheesier video title "Carquake" – is brought to us by the same team that made the brilliant and unequaled "Death Race 2000" one year earlier, and it many ways it feels as if writer/director Paul Bartel injected all the silly comedy that he couldn't put in "Death Race" into this film instead.
This film is more of a straightforward comedy whereas "Death Race" was a black comedy (apparently not everybody finds the idea of wiping pedestrians off the road for points funny).
The concept of this film is much simpler: bunch of eccentric people participate in an illegally organized cross-country race from California to New York City.
He dragged his sexy female parole officer along in the race and has a mechanic who idolizes him so much that he literally wants to be Cannonball!
Every contestant in the race is worth mentioning, like the obnoxious German in his canary-yellow sport car and the psychopathic Redman and his country-singing and guitar-playing co-pilot.
Outside the race there's quite a lot going on as well, like Coy's sleazy brother Bennie trying to sabotage the most important rivals because he bet a huge some of money on the winner.
Although the comical ambiance definitely overrules, "Cannonball!" nevertheless remains a bona fide action/spectacle movie with copious crashes, macho showdowns, explosions and violent painful deaths.
The cast is full of pleasingly familiar faces, especially if you know a thing or two about B-movies.
Apart from the brothers Carradine (David and Robert), there's Mary Woronov, Dick Miller, Carl Gottlieb and director Paul Bartel himself (in a hilarious role).
If you love cars, crashes, and cheap humor rent it.
Cross Country Road Race Yawnfest.
CANNONBALL (2 outta 5 stars) Pretty dreary low budget car chase movie starring David Carradine and directed by Paul Bartel who teamed up for the classic "Death Race 2000" the year before.
Carradine plays the title character, the hottest and the coolest driver in the world who is determined to win an illegal cross country car race.
Well, the plot is pretty much the same as "Death Race" and a lot of the same actors show up...
this movie tries to be funny but it's the same kind of cheap, cornball gags you saw in practically *every* car chase flick in the '70s.
And the "crash scene" at the end might be the most stupid thing I've ever seen in a movie.
I was thinking it might have some connection to the Cannonball Run movies when I first saw it come on, but it doesn't.
One of Paul Bartel's more dreadful efforts -- definitely nowhere close to being in the same league with either "Eating Raoul" or "Death Race 2000." Granted it's typical of '70s "realistic"-appearing movies/TV shows, but the acting is by & large mediocre & the violence gratuitous.
About the best one can say for it is that David Carradine's & Veronica Hamel's performances are fairly good, & the explosion/crash FX are first-rate.
Any of the iterations of "Cannonball Run" is superior to this, & that's based just on film merits & not starring casts.
This picture was released on July 6 1976 starring David Carradine as Coy Cannonball Buckman, Bill McKinney as Cade Redman and Veronica Hamel as Linda Maxwell.
A former employee rips off his own Death Race 2000 in this mindless car-crash saga, containing more twisted metal than a bombed-out steel mill.
Coy "Cannonball" Buckman, is the race leader who drags his girlfriend, Linda along for the ride.
Director Paul Baurtel's follow-up to his cult hit "Death Race 2000" was this pretty awful little action picture that has all the amateurishness of the previous film but about half the budget - which wasn't so high to begin with!
It's a crummy-looking, unfunny, unexciting film, but at least it has some beautiful women and some fast cars.....
continuing my plan to watch every Sly Stallone movie in his filmography in order, I come to Cannonball aka CarquakePlot In A Paragraph: Based on an actual event, the Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, organised by Brock Yates to protest the 55 mph speed limit then in effect in the U.S. Does that plus sound familiar??
Of course it does, it's also the plot to "Cannonball Run" the Burt Reynolds movie which was considerably more successful than this one.This must been a frustrating time for Sly, as he had decent parts in "Capone" and "Death Race 2000" before a non speaking part in "Farewell My Lovely" whilst here he has one scene with Martin Scorsese and another character, where they sit eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and he is is uncredited in a movie where 'reporter at finish line gets a credit'.Thankfully this was the last time this happened, as he struck gold with his next movie.
Racing car bedlam.
An unruly cross country road race, some of it's contestants that desperate to attain that big windfall, they will stoop to some dirty play, and even murder, one of the contestant's brother's relying on this jackpot to get him out of a jam.
Cannonball has enough color in it's characters to make it entertaining, some of them engaging to watch.
McKinney is great as Carradine's nemesis, a suicidal driver who doesn't stop, except for beer.
He sabotages Carradine's chances of winning a few times, where in the end, Mckinney meets his deadliest fate.
Check out the black dude driving this old couple's car to New York.
David Carradine acts about as well as a tree stump and most likely got many of his jobs because of his wholly more talented father.
Now, if you are the sort of person who enjoys car races, chases, etc., you may really enjoy this movie.
As far as I am concerned, there have been enough movies made about this underground coast-to-coast race.
I enjoyed the comedy "Cannonball Run" much more than this movie..
'Cannonball' tells the story of a motley crew of determined racers as they battle against each other in a cross country road race with no rules.It doesn't really need a plot.
This film is about one thing and one thing only: cars, and the wondrous ways in which they can be wrecked.
A year after Death Race 2000, Bartel and Carradine team up again here, probably just cashing in on the cult status of their pedestrian chewing masterpiece.
Carradine plays a sort of anti-Frankenstein; Cannonball might be the title role, but he isn't as cool and devious as he was in DR2000.
But the cast in general plays second fiddle to the cars and explosions.Brains aren't required, but that only adds to the fun.
The fact that the cars in this film tend to explode after colliding with something moving at two miles an hour tells you what kind of mindset you need to watch this.
Plus, watch out for the Stallone - Scorsese cameo that lasts literally seconds.If you enjoyed similar road racing classics like Death Race and Grand Theft Auto you should love this.
Everything that is enjoyable about B movies is here, and I will never get bored of films like this..
Classic New World Pictures Seventies Car Flick.
A motley collection of petrolheads compete in an illegal trans-America coast-to-coast car race from Santa Monica in California to downtown New York City.This movie is stupid, completely irresponsible, has no redeeming qualities and is terrific fun.
It's also probably the definitive seventies Roger Corman / New World Pictures cult classic (although Death Race 2000 is more famous), featuring virtually every cult actor and director who ever worked for the great Corman (and later for Joe Dante) in its large cast.
Keach has a hilarious bit as a professional German racer with a Von Richthofen accent, Arkush and Dante are equally funny as a couple of goofs who lend Carradine their car, and Scorsese and an unbilled Stallone have cameos as two mafia hoods.
There really isn't much to say about the movie except that if you like B-movie stars, nutty stunts, fights, bad jokes and girls in nurses' outfits (all of which I do), this is the film for you.
Written by Bartel and Simpson, along with The Gumball Rally it kicked off the spate of big studio road-racer movies (most of which were made by Hal Needham).
Featuring great guerilla-style hand-held photography by Tak Fujimoto, high-octane stuntwork by Alan Gibbs, some very bad songs by David Axelrod, Bartel and Graham, and lots of corvettes, pontiacs, mustangs, lincolns and caddies.
I saw the sequel first, so I expected an entertaining, sometimes funny car race.
What I got was an action movie with a surprising amount of death and even some sex scenes (even though not explicit ones).It had some nice details.
David Carradine did his part and the "evil" drivers played well, but the rest seemed quite forgettable to me.
Still a decent road movie with quite a few twists and turns.
A cross country 70's road race drive-in smash in more ways than one.
First I find it illogical that the movie's genre is listed as action/comedy/drama rather than action/drama because the only humorous moments I recall are when the young surfer couple give a cop the slip when he catches them in the process of stealing a fan-belt, and when the Blazer driver reaches the finish line, calls for champagne and his ditzy blonde playmate comments, "I think I left it on the plane..." Of course, the whole movie defies logic almost as much as it lacks realism, but the thing that made the least sense to me (even the 1st time I saw it at the age of 12 when Home Box Office was an infant) is this: Concerned that his girlfriend is in grave danger by being in his presence, what in the world would make Cannonball Buckman think she'd be one bit safer in an identical car with a guy dressed in identical clothing???
All in all though, it's a pretty good couple hours of entertainment for anyone who likes the idea of a cross-country, no-holds-barred auto race where the only rule is "Whatsa behind me izza naht eemportint!" Quote Raul Julia from the only better movie of this type, "Gumball Rally." "Gumball" was more of a light-hearted bit of comedy, and because a race of this type should be nothing other than fun that, in my opinion, is what makes "Gumball Rally" the better of the 2 in spite of the superior talent involved with "Cannonball"