More American Graffiti (1979)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Bill L. Norton

Writers:

Bill L. Norton (written by)
George Lucas (characters) ...

Release Date:

3 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

More laughs. More music.

Plot:

College graduates deal with Vietnam and other issues of the late '60s. |

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Box Office Flop | Sequel | National Guard | Faked Death

Cast

Candy Clark	...	Debbie Dunham
Bo Hopkins	...	Little Joe
Ron Howard	...	Steve Bolander
Paul Le Mat	...	John Milner
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Carol / Rainbow
Charles Martin Smith	...	Terry the Toad
Cindy Williams	...	Laurie Bolander
Anna Bjorn	...	Eva
Richard Bradford	...	Major Creech
John Brent	...	Ralph
Country Joe McDonald	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Barry Melton	...	Country Joe and the Fish (as Barry 'the Fish' Melton)
Robert Hogins	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Robert Flurie	...	Country Joe and the Fish
Peter Albin	...	Country Joe and the Fish

Also Known As:

Purple Haze

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Icelandic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (re-rating) (1992) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-12 | UK:12 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Baylands Raceway Park - 44333 Christy Lane, Fremont, California, USA

Company:

Lucasfilm

Trivia:

An uncredited Marcia Lucas edited the split-screen scenes for the 1966 sequence (many of which were incorporated to cover up the story defects). George Lucas, also uncredited, edited the Vietnam scenes for the 1965 sequence, making footage of just two helicopters seem like a dozen.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Toad brings the cake to Major Creech, the major is not wearing a cap. After Toad blows up the latrine and the Major is covered in waste, he has a cap on.

Quotes:

Lance: Aw, come on, man, you got nothing better to do than hassle long-hairs?
Officer Bob Falfa: That's my life, friend. I love my work.

Movie Connections:

References "MisteRogers' Neighborhood" (1968)

Soundtrack:

Respect

Unnecessary, Nearly Unwatchable Sequel

The final frames of the original "American Graffiti" provide one-line summaries of the fates of the film's four central male characters. While somewhat sexist in omitting the female characters, the ending of the original film provided all the information about those people that even the most ardent fan of the movie would want. However, someone felt that mega-bucks could be made by detailing the dreary lives of these characters after the original film ended. Bad move. Making an insurance salesman and his wife, a nerdy private in Vietnam, a drag race driver, and a overgrown hippie into interesting characters in interesting situations was far beyond the talents of those who wrote this nearly unwatchable movie. While most of the original cast is back, with only Richard Dreyfuss having the good sense to stay away, "More American Graffiti" is a mess of silly situations that involve protests, car races, country singers, and the Vietnam war. The use of split screens, once thought innovative and daring, is overused here to the point of distraction and adds confusion to the already confused goings one. This is a sequel that demonstrates nearly everything that can go wrong with a sequel. Perhaps it should be screened in film schools as a lesson. Even the use of period music, which was a delight in the original, is poorly done here. If you want more "American Graffiti," see the original twice.