Mary Ann (Gene Hackman (Narrow Margin)) runs this
operation out of his legit meat plant (where he apparently also manufactures
dope) on the farmlands outside Kansas City.
He stiffed the Chicago Irish mob for half a mill which by itself is a
big no no. But then on top of that he kills
some low level goons who try to collect even turning one poor bastard into
sausage. Yuck! I’d say the message he’s sending is loud and
clear. So now it’s up to enforcer Nick (Lee
Marvin (Emperor of the North)) to set this asshole straight and get the
money.
The whole atmosphere of this movie is strange. The concept of gangsters butting heads is as
old as time but the added angle of human meat production definitely makes
things unsettling. It’s almost like we
took a wrong turn and somehow wound up in a very peculiar corner of the Texas
Chainsaw universe where they do things a little different.
We’re introduced to the meat plant first in the opening credits
that takes you through the whole process, from cattle off the truck to packaging
preformed hamburger patties. They make
sure to let you know this isn’t your ordinary factory by quickly flashing a
human mixed in with the other carcasses going off to the grinder. I could see this part alone making some folks
feel a touch squeamish.
Later on we meet Mary Ann and his boys during what seems
like either an auction or a dinner party (or both). They’re in a barn full of guests with a
banquet laid out and all these streamers and there are girls locked in
enclosures laying on bales of hay naked all drugged up to the point where they
look dead. People gawk at them like
they’re livestock. Maybe they’re bidding
on them or maybe Mary Ann is showing off his inventory but either way the sight
is absolutely fucked up.
Mary Ann’s brother, Weenie (Gregory Walcott (The
Sugarland Express)), is another piece of crap that Nick has to deal
with. He runs the plant, is always
grimy, smirks at everything and is constantly eating some piece of meat,
usually hot dogs (hence his name). He’s
portrayed as a dummy for sure being the muscle of the outfit. And there’s a part where we’re led to think
he likes to wear women’s clothes but maybe that isn’t really the case. Plus the villains names are Mary Ann and
Weenie (both are dudes) which could point to gay undertones. I dunno.
It’s pretty blurry.
Marvin’s badassery is cranked all the way up as usual here
with his take-no-shit attitude, few words spoken, menacing glare and suave way
with the ladies. Marvin telegraphs so
much with his body language, eyes and simple gestures. He’s without a doubt the coolest motherfucker
in the room.
Anyway, what’s kinda funny is Nick doesn’t seem to care
about the meat harvesting or the dope dealing.
He’s there because Mary Ann owes a ton of mullah and offed a few of his
boss’/partner’s guys. Order needs to be restored. And of course he’s up to the task.
Perhaps Nick’s motivations change a bit after he steals a
girl named Poppy (Sissy Spacek (The Ring Two) in her first movie) who’s destined
for the chopping block. She tells him
about the “orphanage” where the girls come from (really just a prison to raise
and keep future victims) and how scared they get. Once Nick’s face to face with the reality of
the situation I think he recognizes he can’t let this shit go on.
This was directed by Michael Ritchie who had a long career doing
mostly comedies like The Bad News Bears and Fletch. Robert Dillon had also been around a while
writing for TV but he would eventually pen The French Connection II and Flight
of the Intruder.
So I mean this isn’t an amazing picture but it’s sort of a
fun time even though the subject matter is dark as hell. The film comes across like a horrible dream set
to an eclectic score by Lalo Shiffrin that includes easy listening, country and
fuzzed out guitar driven jazz.
Ironically I don’t know if I’d call this a prime cut since
everyone involved has done better work, but it’s engaging and well, just kinda
fuckin’ weird.
