Is This Classic a Lemon? 'Used Cars' (1980) Movie Review

Barkey reviews a classic comedy from Robert Zemeckis, "Used Cars" (1980). This one stars Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Gerrit Graham, and several faces that would later appear in another Zemeckis film... "Back to the Future" (1985).

00:00 "Used Cars" (1980)
01:10 What is "Used Cars" (1980) about?
03:03 The cast of "Used Cars" (1980)
06:24 The origin of "Used Cars" (1980)
07:20 Why "Used Cars" (1980) tanked at the box office
08:03 Steakley Chevrolet
09:09 Barkey's score and final thoughts

Barkey reviews more movies from the 1980's here:

[leesimmons]

Gerrit Graham was the glam rocker in Phantom of the Paradise. What a movie.

[louismendoza-yl]

If you have not seen this film, find it and watch it. Gerrit Graham has his dog play dead to sell a car, it's so funny (sorry Barkey). They don't make comedies like this anymore, in fact Hollwood doesn't make comedies at all anymore.

[JetScreamer_YT]

Don't forget Gary Graham was in Terrorvision. The most '80s '80s movie.

[lmboh]

I just recently re-watched Back to the Future, looks like I have another Bob Zemeckis film to rewatch Thanks for the review Barkley!

[blaxter]

Great review Barkey! This is one of my favourite comedies. Great period jokes, funny cast, stunts and car chases as well as Kurt Russel and Gerrit Graham! Glad this Zemeckis film is still making people laugh.

[stillaboveground]

Great movie! Saw this at the drive-in theater, along with "Meatballs".

[JohnMartin-yskn]

Hey dog! I bought a lemon from these guys back in !980. Kurt Russell owns me a car. Wish I had owned this dog back then. Thanks BRM.

[JetScreamer_YT]

DUDE! This is my shiznit! I think I was 11 when I saw this. I quote it all the time! I'm writing this before watching your review.

The dark humor in this one. Unbelievable. Lenny and squiggy? Am I right?

I can't think of the actor's name offhand, but he was brilliant in his dual role! He went from sweet old man to dirty bas...so well.

Damn, Kurt Russell back then. There's one better looking person in Hollywood, and she is his life partner.

How about that Toby though? Great canine actor! Good boy!

Okay I'll shut up and watch your review now...

[ThomasGidley-kvuj]

The days when comedy and horror ruled. Great times.

[RosieTime_]

I saw Used Cars back in the day, at the theater.

[rsler]

I remember just seeing the tale end of this movie and liking it. However, I never got around to seeing the end of it. I know you can't mention every actor in the film, but I just want to give a shout out to Woodrow Parfrey who played a driving instructor in it. Great character actor in his day.

[chloeforman]

Deborah Harmon is best remembered playing the Mom on Just TheTen of Us. She could also be seen in the 1980's revival of the Twilight Zone "But Can She Type" with Pam Dawber and Jonathan Frakes, and in a scene with Betty Thomas in Chesty Anderson, U.S.N..

[JimPack-jyrr]

There was a TV series in 1966 called "The Wackiest Ship in the Army". It aired for only one season. There was also a movie released years earlier with the same title.

Anyway, Jack Warden co-stared as Major Simon Butcher in the television series. My middled aged mother loved that show and thought that Jack Warden was extremely sexy in that part. Since then, it has always amazed me as to what some women will actually find attractive in men. Warden, good actor he was, was no Adonis.

[RosieTime_]

Barkey, have you done a review on Breaking Away? That's an underrated classic. Thanks for your good work.

[ianengland]

I think you should review Disney pictures the Love bug 1969.

[wouterl]

I don't think I have ever seen this one either.

[michaelbeacom]

Fantastic review! Barkey, you never saw this?! Holy Heck dude I should have gotten it for you long ago if I knew that was the case. To David, thanks for taking care of Barkey! He definitely deserved a look at this one! (I need to get the blue ray but I could spend whole paychecks just buying the same DVD movies again in Blue ray let alone 4k!)
I have been a fan of Bob Gale and Bob Zemekis from the start-- have you reviewed I Wanna Hold Your Hand? That was their first (originally titled Beatlemania)-- Again, featuring some of their early actors troupe including Wendy Jo Sperber, Marc McClure, Dick Miller, Eddie Deezen, Nancy Allen, Bobby DiCicco and a host of others. Much of the same crew that showed up in their next venture, 1941 (A genuine Comedy epic and I don't care what ANYONE else says). Back in the day it was easier to get the rights to the Beatles early tunes and they used them to the max. If you don't have it or haven't seen it put it on your wish list.

Thanks to my film historian buddy Bruce I got to meet Bob Gale at a Back to the Future film tribute event we did- great guy. And proof, along with Warren Buffet (who also comes to some of Bruce's events) that when you're a VERY well-off you don't have to dress to impress. Sneakers sweatshirt and baseball cap. (Gale is involved with lots of silicone valley stuff as well as movie writing so yeah, from humble beginnings to very well off but never forgot his beginnings). So I got to thank Bob in person for his contributions to Used Cars and all the others which had given me such pleasure starting in 1978 ongoing. Actually, since 1975 since Gale and Zemekis's first job was a script for Kolchak: The Night Stalker (admittedly a bad episode but hey, they were learning.)

Magnificent review of a magnificent film. To this day I cannot watch the heart-attack scene with Jack Warden without laughing for minutes straight: "When My boss sees this he's gonna have a stroke!" "Fifty bucks never killed anybody" - Cue Warden staggering in, frothing at the mouth and clutching his chest. Hell I'm starting to laugh just writing about it. Show me ANYONE making comedy that good these days? ! Anyone else reading this if y ou have not seen this film I wish Barkey (and I) hadn't told you about it because it's best when you see this with no expectations for the full impact. I just knew I liked Kurt Russel and went to see that and had no idea what I was in for. I had seen and loved I Wanna Hold Your Hand earlier but did not connect the names yet.

One last bit of trivia-- roll it back to where they are doing the promotion at the good brother's lot with the strippers. Look carefully at the tall blonde wearing the pasties-- yes, that is Betty Thomas, soon to be of Hill Street Blues fame, making an early (and very nice) appearance.

[PrimeRibb]

They actually tried to make a TV series based on this movie but of course it flopped hard.