When considering Sam Peckinpah’s resume, Convoy is an odd entry. Known for his innovative and explicit approach to violence, particularly in the Western genre, Convoy deals with a group of struggling truckers. However, by the time 1977 rolled around, Peckinpah was struggling as much as anyone. He had such a reputation as a troublemaker and addict that many felt that his once great talent had been laid to waste. Many in the cast had worked with Peckinpah before and wanted to help their director for ‘one last go-round, doing it right.’
Based on the country song of same name by C.W. McCall, the film follows Martin ‘Rubber Duck’ Penwald (Kris Kristofferson) and his fellow truckers “Pig Pen” (Burt Young) and “Spider Mike” (Franklyn Ajaye), as they find themselves on the run across much of the United States from a corrupt police officer known as Dirty Lyle (Ernest Borgnine) Wallace. Rubber Duck, who owns his own business and needs to bring in a haul from across the southwest from Arizona down on into Texas, still manages to get involved with a young photographer named Melissa (Ali MacGraw) who had just wanted a ride to the airport.
As they traverse the highways, Rubber Duck and the others use their CB radio skills to communicate with each other and keep Lyle from cornering them. As news of their exploits spread across the CB airwaves, other truckers join their convoy as a show of support. Dirty Lyle is forced to bring in reinforcements throughout the southwest, to stop Rubber Duck and his convoy. Eventually, the governor of New Mexico (Seymour Cassel) is forced to get involved and agree to meet Duck. Politician that he is, the governor hopes that his meeting with Duck and endorsing his cause (whatever that is), will secure his reelection. But when Duck refuses to play along and Spider Mike gets beaten in a Texas jailhouse, all hell breaks loose.
The cinematography by Harry Stradling, Jr. (The Way We Were) is the film’s high point. Each chase is beautifully staged, huge trucks crossing endless desert landscapes, police cars crashing through billboards. Kristofferson is watchable as the charming, if reluctant hero and looks as though he’s shifting those gears; Ali MacGraw looks good, but her dialogue is ridiculous. Sadly, the rest of the cast is given next to nothing to do.
All that said, Convoy is nostalgic fun. Having grown up at the time when CBs were everywhere and C.W. McCall’s song was a huge hit, watching Convoy brought back some nice memories. As a movie, it’s pure cheese and should be thought of as such. Sadly, by the time the film hit theaters, it had gone wildly over budget, effectively ending Peckinpah’s career. Peckinpah would direct one more film, The Osterman Weekend (1983), before dying at age 59, on December 28, 1984.
A brand new HDR/Dolby Vision master by StudioCanal, from a 4K Scan of the 35mm original camera negative, the results are impressive. Presented in the movie’s theatrical 2.39:1 aspect ratio, detail is excellent throughout. The yellows and green throughout the landscape are particularly voluminous. Blacks are inky and full. There’s no evidence of DNR or edge enhancement. The image has no apparent flaws. An upgrade from the 2015 Blu-ray, the occasional small, white specks have been eliminated.
The DTS-HD Mono track is solid for what it is. The clarity is striking, whether it be the dialogue, or a scene featuring roaring trucks. Background noises are also clear throughout. Levels are well balanced and there are no distortions to speak of.
There is also a 5.1 Surround track that odds more heft to the proceedings. The surrounds open things up a bit, offering up realistic truck sounds, and clear dialogue.
English subtitles are included.
Most of the extras have previously been released:
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- NEW! Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell
- Audio Commentary by Sam Peckinpah Historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and Nick Redman
- Audio Commentary by Peckinpah Scholar Mike Siegel
DISC 3 (BLU-RAY):
- Sam’s Trucker Movie: 2013 Documentary – Revised in 2024 (70:44)
- The Lost Convoy: 2024 Video Essay by Mike Siegel
- Three Lost Scenes: Deleted Scenes Illustrated with Rare Photos (5:53)
- Injokes, Friends & Cameos: 2013 Featurette (6:05)
- Trucker Notes from Norway: 2013 Interview with Norwegian Trucker Expert Anders Loefaldli (3:19)
- The Duck Trucks: 2024 Featurette (8:34)
- Promoting Convoy: International Posters & Lobby Cards (9:49)
- Convoy in Color: A Selection of 125 Color Stills (11:03)
- Filming Convoy 1: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (10:32)
- Filming Convoy 2: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (11:06)
- Filming Convoy 3: A Rare Selection of 360 Production Stills (11:18)
- Theatrical Trailer Widescreen (3:47)
- TV Spot (1:07)
- 4 Radio Spots (3:32)