Concrete Cowboys (1979)

Some things I liked some I did not.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

An action-packed slog

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

"Concrete Cowboys" is a rather unusual mix of buddy comedy, country musical (with several real-life singers appearing as themselves) and murder mystery. It does fairly well in all departments: Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed (who also sings the amusing theme song) have a comfortable chemistry, and the mystery plot has one or two good surprises (and even lying flashbacks!). The problem with the film is that it's too laid-back for its own good - a tighter script would have helped. Apparently this was followed by a short-lived TV series, where Selleck was replaced by another actor - which is probably why the series failed. **1/2 out of 4.

The movie was worth watching just to see Jerry Reed and Tom Selleck ham it up with such a great supporting cast of characters, many of whom are no longer with us. The plot was contrived, but who cares! Jerry Reed, as usual, stole the show! Now that he has passed on, Concrete Cowboys is a tribute to the fact Reed's appearance rescued the movie. The plot includes the usual car bomb, shoot-out, cop-car chase, and bad guy fight scenes that keeps the action moving, but just to see so many great artists in their prime is worth watching the film. Also interesting is the set decor, costumes, vintage cars, and those tame nightclub dance moves. Best of all: there was no filthy language, sleazy sex scenes, or female meat-market pandering! This is a good movie to watch with your kids and not have to censor the kind of disgusting garbage vomited out of Hollywood today. Although "Hollywood" has long been morally bankrupt, we can thank God we still have some old and timeless classics, and some B movies worth watching like this one.

I loved the illustrations for each chapter of the flick, I was just annoyed it never listed who did them...This hokey country & mystery was really Jerry Reed's show, he had a Top 5 hit in the 70's "When You're Hot, You're Hot (When You're Not, You're Not)" that even became a popular catchphrase T-shirt, Tom Selleck either pre-Magnum or same time and hedging his bets played the studious and mostly quiet itinerant rancher.The plot had some pinholes but not really obvious as Jerry Reed wove his spell of brash down-home-isms and Tom Selleck playing the puller of butts from frying pans & fires.The pilot-debut pulled out a good set of stops to hit the ground running; invite Roy Acuff, Barbra Mandrell and Ray Stevens to do cameos as themselves.There were chase-scenes and there were sex, lies & Nashville but Selleck's character summed up Jerry Reed the best in two quotes from the film, "You'll either be rich or in jail," along with "J. D. Reed, I swear, you start with a toothpick and end up with a lumber yard." Selleck's character provided the know-how in not knowing how city slickers do their dirty deeds and helped in his slow, quiet manner to not only use his love of encyclopaedias to avoid arrest, but to tie up loose ends in an alleged murder.Claude "Movin' On/Sheriff Lobo" Akins also plays a mover and shaker in the Nashville music scene, I believe this picture was meant to have a sort of Lite commentary on the other Nashville, as in that film which Keith Carradine played in back in 1975 - but (A) considering it's supposed to be a comedy, this was hardly the time and place for that, and (B) there was not enough time to do such type of editorialising justice, so the amateur sleuthing won out, thank God!http://tinyurl.com/3464k

Tom Selleck and Jerry Reed are utterly engaging as rascally, penniless, down-on-their-luck cowboy drifters Will and J.D., who find themselves stuck in Nashville, Tennesse. A lovely young woman (the gorgeous Morgan Fairchild) mistakes the pair for private detectives and hires the affable duo to find her missing sister. Pretty soon both Will and J.D. are neck deep in all kinds of trouble. Briskly directed by Burt Kennedy, with a slight, inane cookie cutter script by Jimmy Sangster, crude cinematography by Victor Salzis and Alan Stensvold, a jaunty hillbilly bluegrass country score by Reed (who also sings the rousing theme song "Breakin' Loose") and the expected copious slapstick fist fights and wacky car chases, this totally inconsequential piece of made-for-TV piffle makes for a perfectly enjoyable diversion. The loose'n'wiggy chemistry between Selleck and Reed is a treat to watch. Solid supporting turns by Claude Akins as a famous country singer/songwriter, Gene Evans as a gruff police lieutenant, Lucille Benson as a stern, but friendly whorehouse madam, and Grace Zabriskie as a wax museum worker are likewise delightful. Special guest appearances by country stars Roy Acuff, Ray Stevens and Barbara Mandrell as themselves further add to the goofy fun. A likably silly timewaster.