An amazing poster but I’m not so bought on the likeness of Jan-Michael!
Way before Stringfellow Hawke was blowing the shit out of stuff as a renegade pilot in his battle helicopter Airwolf and not long after trying his hand at being a mechanic called Steve Mckenna working for a certain Mr Charles Bronson. Jan-Michael Vincent alterego went under the guise of Carrol Jo Hummer, a no nonsense son of a trucker, a long haul driver with a rig called Blue Mule.
Tagline – Carrol Jo Hummer–A working man who’s had enough!
Now the problem is our hero CJ Hummer and his wife Jerri Kane (Kay Lenz) have taken out a pretty hefty loan to purchase the truck but all will be cool if he can get the jobs to pay for it. What they were not expecting was corruption and trafficking within the haulage industry.
So now enters Duane (the marvelous Slim Pickens aka the loveliest BiO-sanitation Battalion you could imagine) and the bad boy with the swagger, Buck (L Q Jones) to throw a spanner in the works of our CJ’s dreams. But hey man this mother trucker ain’t taking no sheet from anyone and takes a few beatings and gives a few beatings. He is not going down lightly and with help from some old friends, Pops (Sam Laws) and Birdie (Dick Miller) and a few other workers. They all come together to fight the corrupt bosses.
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan who made the other “truck” related action thriller starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, the mighty Truck Turner (1974).
Now the film is pretty great fun until the end when it starts to take a dark turn, what was a light hearted romp with guys smashing each other up and some good old fashioned brinkmanship. It could of kept it a little more comedic, boisterous and fun like it started but it decided to go all serious. Still a great truckers action movie to drink beer too whilst miming blowing your trucker horn.
Film Fact – The title comes from when you’ve been driving the black top for way too long, just staring concentrating on the lines on the road, tired beyond all recognition and everything becomes one and ridiculously dangerous when you drift in and out of consciousness. You got a case of “White Line Fever” or “Highway Hypnosis”
Further Reading Links
Wolfmans Cult Film 
I love the music in this one as well. Great soundtrack to accompany that truck duel. All it needs is Strother Martin to join L.Q. and Slim in here. Another film that makes me shake my head when realizing what happened to Vincent’s career in the end. He could have had it all as the saying goes.
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It’s such a shame isn’t it. He had the good looks, strong and likable image but it all went tits up.
Saying that though I had a gander on his film list and I had no idea he had made so many. Definitely didn’t know he was in “Buffalo 66” and I’ve watched that a few times. “Big Wednesday” looks great and it has Gary Busey surfing. “Shadow of the Hawk” sounds absolutely ridiculous and “Defiance” sounds like it could be a goodie.
Yes that funky soundtrack really got you going when the action kicked in, and there was a lot of times it did.
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I have a copy of Wednesday and yet to watch it…..hmmmm, His is one of those classic stories that makes for a rise and fall story of epic proportions. Defiance a tame Death Wish 3
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Also forgot, Vigilante Force a whole lot of exploitation fun.
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The title “Vigilante Force” has “oh yes I’m having this” written all over it. With Kris Kristofferson and Victoria Principal, I’m on the case buddy, cheers.:)
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