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The Junkman

The Junkman

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $13.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A mixed bag, but fast cars!
Review: **NOTE** This review was for The Junkman, not Deadline Auto Theft/Gone in 60 Seconds 2. I have no idea how it got under this other DVD title.

This movie has some great stunts and it is a bit more believable than the original Gone in 60 Seconds. It's a better quality production too. I would have liked this film way better if the Junkman hadn't driven the same car all the way thru the film---it wasn't even a sports car. I think it could've been way better than it was. Numerous stunts don't make a fast car film. The stunts are real and awesome, but I would've opted for less explosions and collisions, and more high speed chases. All in all, it was enjoyable and didn't have as cheesy acting as the first film. My only other complaint: The music was butchered in the film and replaced with cheesy porno-style music. I wish they could've kept the original soundtrack. But I digress, it's a nice addition to the fast car movie DVD collection.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Where's the original score to this film???!!
Review: All in all, a better film than Halicki's first, the original "Gone in 60 Seconds".

No-one is ever going to accuse the late H.B.Halicki of being a great writer, director or actor. But he sure could wreck cars. And airplanes. And buildings.

The story in this film is more coherent and comprehensible than "60 Seconds", and the overall production values (sound especially) are higher.

Plotwise, it's a sort of thriller -- junkman H.B.Hollis (Halicki) has made a car-crash film called "Gone in 60 Seconds" and someone wants to kill him before the film opens. So they sic assassins in cars and airplanes on him as he drives cross-country to a James Dean tribute festival.

And we're off to the races.

Despite the violence implicit in the plot, this is, overall, a pretty light-hearted comedy serving mostly as an excuse to xrash even more cars than in the previous film in even more inventive ways. Nicely absurd touches include the row of sunglasses on Hollis's dashboard that never move no matter how violent the maneuver, and the RFD mailboxes he hits partway through the chase.

The level of seriousness with which Halicki and crew approached this film can be seen from the fact that the sign on "Hollis's" junkyard is not changed and still reads "H.B.Halicki Mercantile Emporium and Junk Yard"; the collections of classic cars and of toys contained therein, by the way, are wonderful.

The late Hoyt Axton plays himself, and has a wonderful time doing so, by all indications.

Particularly noteworthy are the stunts involving aerobatic planes, including one in which a car jumps over an airplane -- but there are some purely automotive eye-poppers, too. (Nothing to match "The Jump" from "60 Seconds" for pure "How did anyone have the guts to do THAT?" bravura, but the jump over the stage and the parking-lot escape, for instances, are pretty good.)

Given the degree of improvements Halicki exhibits in technique and story between "60 Seconds" and this film, it's particularly disappointing that Halicki was killed in a freak accident on the set of his third production, "Gone in 60 Seconds II", and we never got to see if he would have been even better on it.

(This review refers to the VHS version -- i understand that there is/was a DVD version on which themusic has largely been replaced with generic music cues due to licensing problems. That would rate half a star less.)

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: While Metal is Crumpling, Five Stars. But They Talk, Too.
Review: All in all, a better film than Halicki's first, the original "Gone in 60 Seconds".

No-one is ever going to accuse the late H.B.Halicki of being a great writer, director or actor. But he sure could wreck cars. And airplanes. And buildings.

The story in this film is more coherent and comprehensible than "60 Seconds", and the overall production values (sound especially) are higher.

Plotwise, it's a sort of thriller -- junkman H.B.Hollis (Halicki) has made a car-crash film called "Gone in 60 Seconds" and someone wants to kill him before the film opens. So they sic assassins in cars and airplanes on him as he drives cross-country to a James Dean tribute festival.

And we're off to the races.

Despite the violence implicit in the plot, this is, overall, a pretty light-hearted comedy serving mostly as an excuse to xrash even more cars than in the previous film in even more inventive ways. Nicely absurd touches include the row of sunglasses on Hollis's dashboard that never move no matter how violent the maneuver, and the RFD mailboxes he hits partway through the chase.

The level of seriousness with which Halicki and crew approached this film can be seen from the fact that the sign on "Hollis's" junkyard is not changed and still reads "H.B.Halicki Mercantile Emporium and Junk Yard"; the collections of classic cars and of toys contained therein, by the way, are wonderful.

The late Hoyt Axton plays himself, and has a wonderful time doing so, by all indications.

Particularly noteworthy are the stunts involving aerobatic planes, including one in which a car jumps over an airplane -- but there are some purely automotive eye-poppers, too. (Nothing to match "The Jump" from "60 Seconds" for pure "How did anyone have the guts to do THAT?" bravura, but the jump over the stage and the parking-lot escape, for instances, are pretty good.)

Given the degree of improvements Halicki exhibits in technique and story between "60 Seconds" and this film, it's particularly disappointing that Halicki was killed in a freak accident on the set of his third production, "Gone in 60 Seconds II", and we never got to see if he would have been even better on it.

(This review refers to the VHS version -- i understand that there is/was a DVD version on which themusic has largely been replaced with generic music cues due to licensing problems. That would rate half a star less.)

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Where's the original score to this film???!!
Review: Caveat Emptor: This DVD release does NOT have the original soundtrack. Instead it has been replaced with generic synthesizer music. I feel like my money has been wasted.

"The American Dream", "Shake It Sally", "James Dean and the Junkman", and the rest of the great songs - missing!

The great car crashes are still here, at least they didn't tamper with that.

Please let me know when the original version of The Junkman is released, with the original soundtrack restored. Until that time, I will have to settle for my second-hand VHS copy.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Deadline Auto Theft = Gone in 60 Seconds redone
Review: I bought this at a local video store because I thought it was going to be something different than the original Gone in 60 Seconds. I mean, why wouldn't I with a different title, right? Wrong. Deadline Auto Theft is basically Gone in 60 Seconds with the footage it should've contained. I kept feeling dejavu when I watched it and I realized why when it started looking real familiar. If that wasn't enough of a let-down, the "Gone in 60 Seconds 2" is basically a semi crashing through a bunch of cars and the "slicer", a triangular shaped vehicle that goes under cars. 38 minutes of the "slicer" and cuts to the same police department dispatch footage from the first film (many of which the lips didn't match what was being said). The film quality is excellent, but there just isn't enough content here unless you're a die-hard Halicki fan. The only saving grace of this DVD is that it has a documentary and the picture quality is just better than the "Original Gone in 60 Seconds" DVD. Deadline Auto Theft is a more polished version and makes this the better DVD to own. As for me, I purchased the other version first and was duped into buying this one with the different name. I feel cheated. Two stars for deceiving the consumer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: more than just a movie
Review: I gave this movie 5 stars because it's more than just a movie.It's really H.B. Halicki's attempt at makeing a film about stunts.the effort in makeing this film alone deserves credit. H.B.Halicki's love of cars was the real issue here. H.B.Halicki we miss you dearly!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Junkman H.B. Halicki
Review: I give the movie five stars for effort. The plot is thinner than pond scum, but the fact that, like the original "Gone In 60 Seconds", Toby Halicki was an amateur film maker and, for the most part the actors were either amateurs or unknowns(then) it really comes off great. The stunts are absolutely fantastic for a low budget movie. I was hooked after seeing the original "Gone In 60 Seconds" and just had to see the other Halicki originals. The remake is, at best a three star, considering it was made by pros with a big budget. Yes, I digressed and evaluated them all together, but, how can you separate them... .
I highly recommend them all for the action movie car freaks like me.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ripped Off......in 60 seconds!
Review: I need to start by saying that this is a "2 Film" DVD. The first film is called "Deadline:Auto Theft", which is marketed as the final film in the Trilogy of Halicki movies. The packaging and cover art depict a Gullwinged sportscar being chased by the cops, led by chief Hoyt Axton. Being an avid fan of the Halicki films, Gone in 60 seconds and Junkman, I was very excited to see the big finale.
What a major letdown. The first 10 minutes of the film have a great car chase and some shots of Hoyt Axton doing police work. Then, the film transitions into "the original Gone in 60 seconds"? The last 80 minutes of this movie are the original film? How can this be the third in the Trilogy, if it is the same as the first movie. I felt completely ripped off!!!!!!!
What is up with this deception by Halicki Studios?
The second film is the unfinished Gone in 60 second 2, which is where Halicki ultimately met his death. It's nothing compared to the original, but I was just pleased at that point, that it wasn't a redub of the Junkman.
For completionists like myself, Buy the DVD, but just don't expect anything out of the first movie.
I still would have bought this DVD, if it was packaged The original Gone w/added footage and Gone 2. I just can't figure out why all the deceit?
Oh well!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ripped Off......in 60 seconds!
Review: I need to start by saying that this is a "2 Film" DVD. The first film is called "Deadline:Auto Theft", which is marketed as the final film in the Trilogy of Halicki movies. The packaging and cover art depict a Gullwinged sportscar being chased by the cops, led by chief Hoyt Axton. Being an avid fan of the Halicki films, Gone in 60 seconds and Junkman, I was very excited to see the big finale.
What a major letdown. The first 10 minutes of the film have a great car chase and some shots of Hoyt Axton doing police work. Then, the film transitions into "the original Gone in 60 seconds"? The last 80 minutes of this movie are the original film? How can this be the third in the Trilogy, if it is the same as the first movie. I felt completely ripped off!!!!!!!
What is up with this deception by Halicki Studios?
The second film is the unfinished Gone in 60 second 2, which is where Halicki ultimately met his death. It's nothing compared to the original, but I was just pleased at that point, that it wasn't a redub of the Junkman.
For completionists like myself, Buy the DVD, but just don't expect anything out of the first movie.
I still would have bought this DVD, if it was packaged The original Gone w/added footage and Gone 2. I just can't figure out why all the deceit?
Oh well!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Worthy Finaly To The Halicki Trilogy
Review: I want to start this by saying ignore all the other reviews.What you have to understand about Deadline Auto Theft is yeah it is 90% footge from Gone In 60 Seconds and The Junkman his second film but he was not trying to rip people off as some reviewers think Deadline Auto Theft was intended as a little pet project of his own.By the time he wanted to do a 3rd picture he had been in the buisness a while now and had learned the tricks so hewanted to take the best of Gone and The Junkman and put them togeher for people who may not have seen either of the origionals kind of "you missed it the first time well here is the best of what you missed" I do think it was misleading to call it the 3rd in the trilodgy as its not really a new film but that doesn't matter.As for Gone 2 its a tragidy that it was never finished its great with sooooooo many crashes and The Slicer wedge stunt car if this had been finished I suspect this would be my favorite anyway if you new to Haliki films don't get this first you'll be confused get the origional Gone In 60 Seconds but for anybody who knows his work and is waery of getting this due to the other reviews I sugested you get it its definatly worth it

We Won't Forget You Toby


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