Lust, Leather, and Lawlessness

Read Time:4 Minute, 55 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (Blu-ray)
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Genre: Drama, Crime
Year Released: 1975, Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 29m
Director(s): Mark L. Lester
Writer(s): Vernon Zimmerman
Cast: Lynda Carter, Marjoe Gortner, Jesse Vint, Gerrit Graham
Where to Watch: Available now. Order here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: The mid-70s fascination with anti-establishment adrenaline hit another checkpoint with Mark L. Lester’s BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW. Equal parts road trip mayhem and outlaw-fantasy fever dream speeds past the usual character arcs and lands squarely in the corner of genre cinema. While the storytelling never quite hits the brakes for nuance, it delivers enough havoc to make the ride memorable.

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW doesn’t waste time on setup. Lyle Wheeler, brought to life by the uniquely charismatic Marjoe Gortner, swaps out his broken-down car for a flashier set of wheels and doesn’t look back. His impulsive path leads him to Bobbie Jo, a drive-in waitress played by Lynda Carter, who wastes no time jumping into the chaos. From their first encounter, their bond feels less like romance and more like rebellion—fast, messy, and destined for trouble.

The film leans hard into style over substance, recycling familiar themes from the outlaw and road movie playbook. But it has energy, and at times, that’s enough. Carter and Gortner make an intriguing, if implausible, pair. She’s got presence, the kind you can’t teach, and the film leans into it—her every move tracked by a camera that knows she’s the main draw. On the other hand, he takes his evangelist background and channels it into something wild and unpredictable, preaching crime like it’s salvation.

Lester uses New Mexico’s arid landscape, turning empty roads and sun-soaked horizons into a dusty playground for mischief and mayhem. The visuals capture a sense of lawless freedom, even if the story fails to give that freedom much weight. One shootout at a gas station—filmed in slow motion and soundtracked by Barry De Vorzon’s score—hints at something more resonant.

The supporting cast pads out the chaos. Belinda Balaski adds a charm to the misfit ensemble, while Merrie Lynn Ross and Jesse Vint chew through their scenes with flair. Chuck Russell even appears in a brief role, long before stepping behind the camera himself. These characters exist more to amplify the atmosphere than move the story forward, and they succeed—though it’s a stretch to say they elevate the material.

Narratively, the movie feels like a highlight reel of outlaw behavior: stealing cars, dodging cops, tripping on hallucinogens, robbing banks. Still, Lester doesn’t hide what he’s doing. This is exploitation cinema with its intentions front and center, operating by the well-known ARKOFF checklist—Action, Revolution, Killing, Oratory, Fantasy, and Fornication. All bases are covered, with the film more interested in crossing off genre requirements than subverting them. If anything, there’s a strange sincerity in how openly the movie wears its chaos.

A brief scene near the ruins of Abo Pueblo offers a quiet reflection point, suggesting that the film might have aspired to say something about longing or loss. But that’s short-lived. In no time, we’re back to high-speed chases and gunfire, leaving any introspection in the rearview mirror. This tension—between spectacle and depth—defines the movie’s strange appeal.

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW lets its characters be swept along by circumstance. It doesn’t ask us to understand them, just to follow. That’s part of its grindhouse DNA—substance is optional if the action doesn’t slow down. And to its credit, the movie rarely does. Whether it’s a mushroom-induced vision quest, a runaway shootout, or Carter firing rounds like she’s been waiting her whole career for it, the film delivers on kinetic turmoil.

For all its shortcomings, the film doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It knows what audience it’s after—those in it for the spectacle, the oddball characters, the outlaw fantasy. It might not stick with you because of its storytelling, but it leaves an impression. Call it brash, call it uneven—but boring it is not.

BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW ends somewhere between chaotic homage and escapism. It might lack polish or purpose, but it has spirit. If you’re in the mood for dusty roads, reckless decisions, and a film that lives entirely on impulse, this might be the bumpy ride worth taking.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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