• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

DVD Review – The Last American Hero (1973)

September 3, 2011 by admin

The Last American Hero, 1973.

Directed by Lamont Johnson.
Starring Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Gary Busey and Geraldine Fitzgerald.

SYNOPSIS:

Elroy ‘Junior’ Jackson helps his bootlegger father transport moonshine. After accidentally getting his father arrested, Junior looks at raising money through demolition derby and NASCAR racing to raise the cash needed to free his father.

I find it hard to look at Jeff Bridges in his pre-beard days. There is this haunting vacuum of space on his chin when he pops up clean shaven. It almost comes to the point where I have to draw a beard on my screen to address this problem. Even his voice suggests he needs a beard. Ironically, in The Last American Hero, a beard would have really suited his character, what with him being a hillbilly and all.

Jeff Bridges plays Elroy ‘Junior’ Jackson, a son of a bootlegger who can drive a car through just about anything. Unfortunately, after driving a car through a police blockade, they arrest his father and send him in for a year in prison. But Junior doesn’t give up there, oh no! Exploiting his knack for the clutch, he enters himself into the demolition derby circuit to raise enough money to free his father. A stock car promoter (Ned Beatty looking about as trucker as you can get) helps him move up to the NASCAR circuit.

So far, a typical underdog set up. The carrot is dangling in front of Junior’s face with little else to distract him. Well, apart from a (sort of) crush and a (sort of) antagonist. Hickory, as Junior describes, is “a place where the cars are fast and the women are faster”. The fast woman in question is Marge (Valerie Perrine looking modestly attractive) and seems to jump from one bed to the other when the camera turns away. There isn’t a clear antagonist throughout the entire film, so Junior feels like he hasn’t got anything going against him.

Going for the movie, however, are the car scenes. Obviously, these are the bread and butter of the flick, but they are genuinely hair-raising to watch. Think of The French Connection crossed with Dukes of Hazzard. At times, I was checking myself to see if I was buckled in. Director Lamont Johnson didn’t seem to be afraid of strapping a camera to the front of the car during the demolition derby scene. The man is either insane or blessed with a bigger budget than expected.

Whilst it’s hardly an all time classic, The Last American Hero is an enjoyable Southern yarn for fans of NASCAR and muscle cars in general. Fresh faced Jeff Bridges comes across as quaint and charming, but the rest of the cast seem to feel a bit two-dimensional at times. A typical underdog movie that doesn’t race far away from the formula.

The Last American Hero is released on DVD on September 12th.

Will Preston is a freelance writer from Portsmouth. He writes for various blogs (including his own website) and makes short films.

Movie Review Archive

Filed Under: Uncategorized

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

10 Great Cult 80s Movies You Need To See

Action Movies Blessed with Stunning Cinematography

Ten Great 80s Movie Stars Who Disappeared

10 Essential Will Smith Movies

PM Entertainment and the Art of Rip-offs With Razzmatazz

The Queens of the B-Movie

7 Underrated Ridley Scott Movies

Ten Essential Korean Cinema Gems

The Best 90s and 00s Horror Movies That Rotten Tomatoes Hate!

10 Great Forgotten Gems of the 1980s

Top Stories:

Great TV Shows That Were Cancelled Too Soon

Harry Potter TV series begins production, shares first look at Harry and Hagrid

Movie Review – Eddington (2025)

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Red Shirts #1

Movie Review – Saint Clare (2025)

18 Incredible 21st Century Films You May Have Missed

Feel the Heat: 10 Uncomfortably Hot and Sweaty Films

10 Great 1980s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Essential Horror-Comedy Movies of the 21st Century

14 Incredible Sci-Fi Movie Scores

Great Mob Movies You Might Have Missed

What If? Five Marvel Movies That Were Almost Made

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket