The
Warner Archive has released a new edition of Corvette Summer and the movie,
while not a major hit, looks great on this Blu-ray disc.
Mark
Hamill, fresh from the incredible success of 1977’s Star Wars, stars as a
Southern California high school senior who is quite the auto mechanic and
restoration expert. He plays Kenny, a teenage car aficionado with a special
place in his heart for Corvettes. His passions lead him to fix up a 1973
Corvette Stingray in his auto shop class with the help of his classmates, and
together they create one spectacular ride. Candy apple red and featuring
incredible modifications including the steering wheel being moved to the right
side, it is a sweet ride. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before the
car is stolen, so Kenny, distraught over losing the only thing in the world
that meant something to him, puts out all his efforts in getting the vehicle
back. A tip leads him to Las Vegas, where he connects up with a fledgling
hooker, Vanessa, who helps him track down the Stingray before it gets away for
good.
The
plot is paper-thin and none of the characters are able to maintain any
consistent qualities.The real star is
that very cherry Corvette that endures two paint jobs, rough handling on the
road and a general lack of respect by the thieves.
If
you watch carefully during Mark Hamill’s close-ups it is possible to see
evidence of his January 1977 near-fatal car accident.As a result, he suffered a fractured
cheekbone and a broken nose while crossing several lanes of traffic in his
BMW.Doctors were able to correct the
damage by removing cartilage from his ear to repair his nose.Despite the surgeons’ best efforts, Hamill
was left with some minor scarring.Make-up hid most of the effects of the crash, but you are able to see
evidence of it in brightly lit scenes.The next year, while filming The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas
explained the scars by adding Luke Skywalker’s encounter with the Wampa monster
in the ice cave on Planet Hoth.
Corvette
Summer includes the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold played by a young
Annie Potts in her first movie role.She
is the most likeable member of the cast.Potts actually attempts several jobs along the way including fast food
worker, casino dealer and soft-core porn actress.None of these scenes are too graphic as this
is a PG-rated film.At one point a
scantly dressed Vanessa asks Kenny to spend the night in her trailer.After learning he is a virgin, she lays back
on the waterbed and tells him “Forget kissing, let’s screw.â€That line would certainly not pass muster
with the PG rating today. Before PG-13 came along in 1984, the old PG
classification allowed for some fairly strong violence, language and adult
themes.I remember seeing the comedy
Silver Streak at the theater back in 1976.While traveling on a train, Gene Wilder and Jill Clayburgh share a love
scene in their coach and included was a fairly racy shot implying Wilder
enjoying a bit of oral sex.There was a
young mother with her family sitting in the row directly behind me.Her little boy loudly asked “What’s she doing
now, Mommy?â€The quick thinking parent
answered back “She’s just tickling his tummy.â€Nearby audience members just roared as it was the funniest line we heard
all evening.
A
plethora of terrific character actors make appearances including Dick Miller,
Danny Bonaduce, Philip Bruns, Eugene Roche, Wendie Jo Sperber, T.K. Carter and
Brion James.James is best remembered as
the nasty replicant, Leon, who kills the first test administrator in Blade
Runner.Dick Miller is his usual
memorable self as a lucky gambler who helps Hamill out of a jam.Eugene Roche plays the kind of high school
teacher who always looks out for his students.There is a plot twist involving Roche near the end, though, that you
don’t see coming.
Corvette
Summer was scripted by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, who also wrote or
directed popular films such as Dragonslayer, Warning Sign, MacArthur,
*batteries not included and The Sugarland Express.Corvette Summer doesn’t offer much backstory
or motivation for Hamill or Potts.There
is more needed in the way of plot developments and better characterizations.It’s basically boy restores car, boy loses
car and boy attempts to get car back.
The
sharp Technicolor cinematography was the work of Frank Stanley and his efforts
are especially apparent during the scenes in Las Vegas.This was the older Strip from the 70s and the
bold neon signs looked spectacular.I
was reminded of the Vegas shots from the 007 film Diamonds Are Forever.
Craig
Safan, a lesser known but very talented film composer, provided a spirited
score that added energy to the stunt driving scenes.This film was prior to his best known work in
The Last Starfighter and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.
The
fights and car chase sequences were staged by veteran stunt coordinator Buddy
Joe Hooker who also served as second unit director.He took care to make sure the Corvette was
not damaged during shooting.
I
always find it interesting that no one seems to drive on the Interstate in road
or chase movies.No matter how fast they
need to travel, the characters in these films always take the two-lane
secondary roads. Some directors find ways to rationalize this aspect of a film.
In Rain Man, for example, director Barry
Levinson explains this by revealing Raymond Babbitt’s (Dustin Hoffman) fear of
large highways.The reason for smaller
roads is most likely the difficulty in shutting down major expressways for
filming.
Corvette
Summer enjoyed moderate success for MGM during the summer of 1978 as it played
in most of the finer drive-ins and second-run houses across the country.It served as a stepping stone for director
Robbins, screenwriter Barwood and actress Potts as they all enjoyed successful
careers in Hollywood.
The
Blu-ray from Warner Archive features the usual excellent video quality, crisp
mono sound and clean, clear dialogue.There is moderate grain, typical for the era that, for me at least, aids
in the focus of my outdoor video projector.Subtitles and a theatrical trailer are the only extras, but one should
be grateful that distributers are willing to restore and release lesser-known
films in such beautiful editions.Corvette Summer is a great little film for a rainy day when one is
nostalgic for 70s car movies.