Movie Review: The Junkman

The Junkman a.k.a Gone in Sixty Seconds 2: The Junkman a.k.a Gone in 60 Seconds II a.k.a Firebird Tornado

H.B. Halicki Mercantile Co., USA, 1982.

This one is included in Mill Creek Entertainment's Fast as Hell 3 Movie Collection.

Harlan B. Hollis 'The Junkman' (H.B. 'Toby' Halicki) is wealthy junkyard owner and a movie auteur. His hit movies including forthcoming "Gone in 60 Seconds" (talk about meta-levels!) has caused much jealousy. His public relations manager Michael Fox (Christopher Stone) hires hitman Frank Spyros (Koti Sotiropulos) to kill him. Michael tries to boost the public interest in the film by killing Harlan

Harlan B. Hollis

Michael Fox and Susan Clark

Kelly Hollis

Filming the final scenes of the film, Harlan also plans for his daughter Kelly's (Kelly Busia) birthday party and PR-gig at James Dean Festival. Harlan goes driving leisurely to the festival in his Cadillac Eldorado. Spyros gathers a team of assassins. Spyros, Magnum (Dave Logue), Blackbird (Rita Rickard) and Cover Two (Tony Ostermeier) start chasing Harlan with cars and biplanes. The cops go after the assassins with poor results and lots of crashes ensue. It seems that no one can keep their cars on the road.

Magnum

Blackbird

Cover Two

Frank Spyros

There is also a side plot about reporter Susan Clark (Susan Shaw) and her crew who get lost on the country roads. Harlan frames his own death and gets saved by Susan's team. The middle-part of the film slows a bit when Harlan tries to find out who wants him dead.

Leggy officer

Susan, Jack (Jack Vacek) and Bruce (Bruce (Bruce Cameron)

Now that is a badass gun

The story is kind of H.B. Halicki's semi-autobiography to the point that is often feels like a big inside joke. The car collection, ranch and the offices were Halicki's real properties as the car repair business and success of "Gone in 60 Seconds" made him a millionaire. All of the vehicles and toys in the film were Halicki's own, even the police cars. He sure had lots of cool stuff. Again Halicki's relatives, real cops and film crew members are used as extras. Basically he cast everyone he knew. Sheriff George Whiting and country singer Hoyt Axton appear as themselves. Firemen got some real practice putting out the burning cars. Jack Vacek (known for "Double Nickels" ) has a small role as member of Susan Clark's crew.

Part of Halicki's toy collection

The production values are better than in "Gone in 60 Seconds" (there is even a Goodyear blimp!) but some of the grindhouse charm has been lost. Cool stunts include lots of car crashes, explosions and car jumping over airplane. In addition to good stunts and action scenes there is very little plot and it is not a "good" movie in artistic sense. Watch it for big cars, early 1980s atmosphere and stunt show thrills. There is also lots of good old lowbrow comedy and a hillbilly (Ronald Halicki) who is taking his prize pig Farah to the country fair. And an old lady (Emily Fladland) whose new car is trashed. The end credits are weird and cool with pretty model girls and highlights from the movie.

Pig farmer (Ronald Halicki)

Chevrolet Citation Lady (Emily Fladland)

These ladies should have appeared more in the film

This movie held the Guinness Record for most wrecked vehicles (over 250) in a movie for over twenty years before being topped by "Matrix Revolutions" and later "Transformers 3". The wrecked Ford Mustang from "Gone in 60 Seconds" appears also in this film.

Unfortunately also this film has been butchered in DVD-editions, bad words and some humour is toned down and Country music is replaced with generic synthesizer score. Especially the new music in the ending party scene is atrocious.

Rating: Good (as a stunt show style fun)

Starring: H.B. Halicki, Christopher Stone, Susan Shaw, Lang Jeffries, Bruce Cameron, Jack Vacek, Dan Grimaldi, Kelly Busia, Richard L. Muse, Freddy Cannon, Sharon McCreedy, Lynda Day George, Dennis Stouffer, Judi Gibbs, Brian LaBonge, Hoyt Axton, George Barris, The Belmonts, Phil Boroff, Donald Cadoo, Lilyan Chauvin, Maureen Coddington, Roger Etienne, Aubrey Finn, Emily Fladland, Gayle Gannes, Ed Gomez, John Halicki, Ronald Halicki, Gerson Horn, Tracy Hutchinson, Gary Jensen, Warner E. Leighton, Morgan Lofting, Dave Logue, Vern Mathison, Tom McMullen, Nick Nickolary, Tony Ostermeier, Rita Rickard, Bernie Schwartz, Jewel Shepard, Kopi Sotiropulos, E. Tripke, Bob Urhausen, George Whiting, Lewis Wilson, Ronn Wright, Debra Zullo
Director: H.B. Halicki