Ride the Hot Wind (1971)

• Year: 1971
• Released: N/A
• Country: United States
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362089/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ride_the_hot_wind
• Available in: 720p, 1080p, 720p
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Action, Drama
• Runtime: 76 min
• Writer: Duke Kelly, Robert Linder, Rand Porter
• Director: Duke Kelly
• Cast: Tommy Kirk, Duke Kelly, Cheryl Waters

5.4/10

Ride the Hot Wind Storyline

Captain Shank is an outcast officer and gets dishonorably discharged. He tries to get back on his feet, but his reputation keeps following him around ruining everything. When he meets some bikers he gets caught up in the life he tries desperately to escape.

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Ride the Hot Wind Movie Reviews

The best film of its kind

Tommy Kirk gave an incredible performance as a charcater who was obviously based on Lieutenant William Calley, a man who was probably unfairly convicted for the My Lai massacre in a deliberate cover up by the US army. Kirk’s facial expressions are excellent and he seems genuinely angry at times. It is such a shame he did not continue acting after the mid-1970s, although I don’t blame him for changing careers after he was almost killed making a western. This exciting and thought-provoking film is one of the best I have ever seen, what a pity it is so little known.

Unlike the previous reviwer I did not think it was far-fetched when Gregory was invited to join the gang, as several members had intended to leave anyway and they were pleased when he successfully stood up to their unpopular leader.

Attempts to be a thriller, but misfires at every turn

RIDE THE HOT WIND is another low budget exploitation film, made in America and put out recently by Vinegar Syndrome. After watching it, you’ll wonder why they bothered, because this is the kind of film that has very few redeeming features and indeed not much reason to tune in.

The main character is played by the youthful Tommy Kirk in a remarkable bit of non-acting. Kirk is dishonourably discharged from the army after opening fire on some peaceful protesters and finds his life unravelling afterwards. Each time he gets a job, his employer finds out about his murky history and has him fired. That doesn’t stop Kirk from romancing a string of women, most of whom he ends up in bed with in some padded-out sex scenes.

The latter part of the film sees Kirk somewhat unbelievably becoming the leader of a motorbike gang and giving the police some trouble. There’s a twist ending of sorts with some heavy-handed moralising, but the main character is such a plank of wood that you care nothing for his fate anyway.