An evil corporation tries to pressure a bunch of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to sell their land so they can strip-mine it for coal. The fiercely proud and stubborn Hunter family refuse to give in. This leads to a bitter conflict that results in several casualties. Eventually the take-charge no-nonsense Tom Hunter exacts a harsh revenge on the villains with the help of his bow and arrow.
Peter Fonda
Tom Hunter
Gino Franco
Dylan Hunter
Harry Northup
Sherrif Len Skerritt
Philip Carey
Pierce Crabtree
Noble Willingham
Senator Hingle
John Doucette
Jeff Hunter
Scott Glenn
Charlie Hunter
Lynn Lowry
Lorene Maddox
Kathleen Miller
Carolee Hunter
Ted Markland
Hal Fraser
Laura Weatherford
Fraser Child
Gerry Weatherford
Fraser Child
Peter Fain
Gillette
Al Wyatt Sr.
Judge O'Connor
George Armitage
Man playing tennis (uncredited)
Maurice Jones
Lorene Maddox's mother (uncredited)
Director, Writer
Jonathan Demme
November 21, 2024
6
**_Land developers vs. rural property owners in Arkansas_**
A man returns from the big city to his traditional family ranch in northwest Arkansas (Peter Fonda), only to discover that a determined land developer (Philip Carey) is buying up land nearby for strip mining and, of course, wants his dad’s ranch. When beloved citizens turn-up dead, the kid gloves are off.
“Fighting Mad” (1976) comes in the tradition of “Walking Tall” and would influence “First Blood” six years later. Car crash movies from the 70s are also comparable, like Fonda’s own “Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.” This is the least of ’em, however, because the dramatics are curiously boring and needed a rewrite to flush out the potential, but it’s still worth catching if you like Peter and these types of flicks. The best parts are the vehicular mayhem and the closing confrontation at the castle-like manor of the tycoon.
It runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Washington County, Arkansas, and the corresponding town of Springdale, which are in the northwest corner of the state. The jail scenes were shot in the studio in Los Angeles.
GRADE: B-
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$600,000.00
Revenue:
$0.00