Switchback (1997)

Another movie that flies under the radar...with a stub of a wikipage, a complete lack of interesting trivia, and a surprisingly A- list cast, Switchback certainly deserves (at least a little) recognition. I guess when there are like 100,000 big studio serial killer movies, it's easy for one to fall to the wayside. I certainly had never heard of this movie before running into it at a local discard-VHS retailer (Rasputin?), but I knew immediately that I would buy it and watch it and then probably post about it. Why? you ask. Well...the action-drama features Dennis Quaid, Danny Glover, and Jared Leto for a start. It also has some succulent sidekicks, including, but not limited to, R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket) and Ted Levine (Death Train! oh and Monk). There are tons of outdoor scenes, murder, blood and guts, car crashes, train crashes, suspense, confusion, and a cadillac filled with pornographic photo clippings. Sound familiar? That's because this bewildering beauty was written and directed by legend (at least in my head) Jeb Stuart! Now, while Jebbie-webbie has written the screenplays for some of the greatest 80's-90's action films (Leviathon, Die Hard, Another 48 Hours, and The Fugitive), his directing is about as titillating as his hick name. I mean, why did this movie need to be 2 hours long? Can anyone tell me? I actually had to watch it over 2 days because it was just 2 fucking long. And for what purpose? Why couldn't they just make every shot less than 2 seconds like any 2-bit, trusty action film? Or at least kill a lot more people? These are questions that I ask myself every day, or at least every day that I remember that I own this movie. There's not too (aren't you glad I stopped with those douchey numbers?) much more to say about it. It cost only $34 million and still couldn't manage to recoupe half of that. There weren't enough female characters, and no naked ones at all. Also, what happens afterwards? Why do they just end after so much invested time without letting us know any of the cursory consequences? And am I supposed to feel a little suspicious and offended when the only black character is the bad guy? I certainly feel uncomfortable when I watch Live and Let Die (ps. this clip has everything I love: Olympia shout-outs and awesome music!).

I deem it: "A sexless hick parade meets a killing-time-until-the-kids-come-home-from-soccer passion for mothers everywhere."

I'm sorry to say that I couldn't find pictures of that awesome cadillac anywhere. Trust me I looked.