Mitchell (1975) – Andrew V. McLaglen.

'I'm sorry, the beer got a little bit excited!'

An ornery, roustabout cop Mitchell (JDB) pursues Drug dealers, and a singularly crooked businessman (John Saxon), with the relentless, roundhouse rockin' zeal one expects from iconic Hollywood tough guy Joe Don Baker. I don't believe it's altogether unfair to suggest that many of big bad Don's 70s efforts are formulaic, Don stands tall for the little guy, and usually takes care of business with all the finesse of a phosphorous grenade discharged in a busy shopping mall. Like his brusque acting style, the bruising action herein is crude, yet bloodily effective. I remain a huge fan, while Don's work waned in the 80s, during the halcyon daze of chop socky mayhem, and maverick, drink first, shoot later cops popularized at the Drive-in, and flea pits of 42^nd st., bellicose Baker was a veritable titan! Written by TV heavyweight Ian Kennedy Martin, and capably directed by MacLaglan, Mitchell colourfully provides some enjoyably retrograde, exquisitely 70s no frills blood spills. No punchy crime thriller featuring John Saxon and Martin Balsam is a waste of anyone's time, and Larry Brown/Dean Styner's greazy, chicken fried Cop funk remains pretty darn peppery too! And if y'all can't appreciate the continued righteousness of a daredevil Dune Buggy duel, then all is lost, my friend!