Junkman and movie-maker Harlan Hollis struggles to stay alive when a jealous partner in his company hires goons to kill him. Full of amazing car chases, fantastic crashes, and edge-of-your-seat action. "Gone in 60 Seconds" mastermind H.B. "Toby" Halicki basically plays himself in this ass kicking tale guaranteed to please car enthusiasts and action movie junkies everywhere. Harlan Hollis is a junkman who's made good with a drive-in car chase classic and who is now set to attend a festival honouring film legend James Dean. However, the trip there proves to be an extremely eventful one as somebody has decided that it would be a very good idea to bump off Harlan. So he has to dodge assassins left, right, and centre while pretty much every vehicle in sight is destroyed in extravagant fashion. When Harlan is thought to be dead, he realizes it's good cover while he hightails it to L.A. to find out the brains behind the operation.<br/><br/>Halicki delivers plenty of good, straightforward, unpretentious nonsense that's very easy to watch. The acting won't win any Oscars but it's just right for this sort of thing. Halicki is reasonably engaging in the lead, receiving fine support from Christopher Stone ("The Howling", "Cujo") as P.R. man Michael Fox, Susan Shaw as newswoman Susan Clark, who does some sleuthing of her own, Lang Jeffries ('Rescue 8') as Arthur, and Dan Grimaldi ("Don't Go in the House") as flustered news producer Larry Bergleman. Cameos include Freddy Cannon and the Belmonts, Lynda Day George ("Pieces") as a reporter, car customizer George Barris, and Hoyt Axton ("Gremlins") as both himself and a character in a film-within-the-film.<br/><br/>The non-stop assortment of eye popping vehicular stunts is simply spectacular. "The Junkman" set a record for over 150 vehicles destroyed in one way or another. Best of all is the memorable gag of jumping a car *over* a plane. Halicki even works the use of the Goodyear Blimp into the proceedings!<br/><br/>This is pulse-pounding visceral entertainment that really hits the spot.<br/><br/>Seven out of 10. H.B. Halicki, who thrilled many with some of the most exciting crashes in GONE IN 60 SECONDS, had this follow-up a few years later called THE JUNKMAN. This time, it's more amusing and hilarious than the previous film, and you will expect both more and the same with the almost nonstop car chase action. New in Halicki's film are big explosions, gunslinging, and a femme fatale out to catch Harlan B. Hollis' butt (he also acted). Don't be perturbed, though. It isn't the original movie, but given the notorious stuntwork and a sense of humor, it still has its credentials. You'll be amazed by some camera work on the low-flying planes and a never-before-seen idea of autos driving over the front hoods! As films like this go, it doesn't hang onto any new innovations, and many of the car crashes are nothing to get nutty about. Sometimes, the cars crash directly on purpose, which is lame. Halicki's talent in making movies shouldn't be denied, as logos of GONE IN 60 SECONDS appear almost every time. That includes a familiar prop, the beaten-up yellow '73 Mustang he named "Eleanor"! This one's different, but it won't leave you disappointed. If nobody can agree with Leonard Maltin over THE JUNKMAN, who will?
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