Before seeing Once upon a time in Hollywood, look at Smokey and the bandit

Nowadays, streaming options and contradictory recommendations are so numerous that it's hard to see through all the bullshit that you could watch. Every Friday, The edgeThe Cut the Crap column simplifies the choice by sorting out a multitude of movies and TV shows on subscription services and recommending just one thing to watch this weekend.

What to watch

Smokey and the bandit, a running comedy starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason, which became the second most popular film of 1977 (after a short film titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope). Reynolds plays Darville, a casual trucker who agrees to propose to two eccentric brothers bagged in their bag to carry a shipment of Coors beer to Atlanta, knowing it is forbidden to carry it to the east. of Texas.

After experiencing early success on television, especially in the popular western series GunsmokeBurt Reynolds hit harder professional waters as the '60s turned into the' 70s. Anyone betting on being one of the biggest box-office hits of the '70s could have made a lot of money betting on Reynolds in the very long run. But his appearance in the thriller 1972 stark deliverance started a comeback for Reynolds in the years that followed. He played in fried action films like Gator in which he played wisecracking of good old boys who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Meanwhile, Hal Needham, one of the industry's most sought-after stunt coordinators, was a good friend and sometimes a double stuntman, by his side, often serving as a stunt coordinator for Reynolds's own films. he was not credited.

Smokey and the bandit It would prove to be a big leap forward for both men. Needham was sitting for the first time in the director's chair and Reynolds was bringing the confidence and relaxed charm of an established movie star, smiling and chewing gum on the road. Jackie Gleason, who plays the role of an incompetent and tiny southern sheriff, is a funny antagonist. With Sally Field (his off-screen partner at the time), Reynolds discovered a romantic chemistry, sometimes absent from his previous action comedies. Meanwhile, Needham opted for even bigger and more ambitious gags than usual, stunts that seemed even more impressive compared to the CGI-dominated action scenes of today. .

A first moment is also a litmus test: driving a Trans Am (with an unfortunate license plate emblem but adapted at the time), Bandit escapes a police car by zipping a side street. He looks directly at the camera and smiles. In most movies, it would be unbearable. But here it works. This is the kind of ridiculous and fun movie that makes driving easier.

Why look now?

As usual, Quentin Tarantino relies on a plethora of sources for his new film Once upon a time in Hollywoodbut the central relationship has more than one parallel with Reynolds and Needham's friendship.

Like Reynolds, Rick Dalton of Leonardo DiCaprio speaks with a pinch of origin and comes from Missouri (one of the many states in which Reynolds lived during a shifting childhood). Like Reynolds, Dalton's has seen its title fall over the years after being the star of a popular television series. Reynolds worked with Western spaghetti director Sergio Corbucci on the movie Navajo Joe. A lot of Once upon a time in Hollywood finds Dalton considering a similar movement. Dalton's best friend is Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), a talented stuntman who, unlike Needham, earns most of his money playing the role of gofer and Dalton driver while living in a caravan behind a movie theater. (Needham never had a hard time finding stunt people and he lived in Reynolds' hospitality business.)

While Reynolds and Needham were more successful in the 1970s than in the 1960s, they continued to work together. Reynolds was particularly fond of Needham's gifts, and his approach was perfectly in line with his approach to the cinematic celebrity, especially when this approach was worth it, at least for a while. (In retrospect, lowering Terms of affection appear in Needham Stroker Ace Maybe it was not such a good idea.)

Photo of Michael Ochs Archive / Getty Images

Smokey and the bandit is not the quintessential Reynolds / Needham collaboration – this title probably belongs to the semi-autobiographical group Hoopersadly unavailable via streaming services – but it's certainly one of the most entertaining. It now serves as an unusual coda for Once upon a time in Hollywood, in which Dalton is at the edge of the depression by the rocky twists of his career. The film ends well before 1977, but if Reynolds' career proves anything, it's that you can plan, worry, and try to find a way to outsmart Hollywood to its own game, and you will still not know what is waiting for you at the corner of the street. it dark or a large platform carrying crates of beer and staying a few steps ahead of the star of Honeymooners.

For whom is this?

There is a reason why Smokey and the bandit has become a huge hit that has inspired two sequels: it's an easy-to-love movie, as long as you're not allergic to wide comedy, red humor, stoned cars and chewing gum. If you fit this description, look elsewhere. Everyone: Take a Coors (or, preferably, a better beer) and grab a chair.

Where to see it

Smokey and the bandit is available for rent on all major streaming services, and being broadcast on Starz.