By Melissa Antoinette Garza
CORVETTE SUMMER (1978) is one of those movies that I love introducing people to. It’s a classic that every cult film fan should be aware of. Fans of STAR WARS (1977) and BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES (1992) are always happy to see Mark Hamill and fans of GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) and PRETTY IN PINK (1986) adore Annie Potts. Most of my friends and acquaintances fall under at least one of those categories. They always seem shocked that they don’t know about CORVETTE SUMMER (1978) and then immediately seek it out.
Hamill portrays Kenneth Dantley Jr. Kenny feels a connection to a gorgeous red corvette with gold trim, a great body, and killer chrome customization. It belongs to the school, but he built it. It is his dream car and he puts all of his focus into it. When the car is stolen and the police are unable to track it down, Kenny takes matters into his own hands. He hits the road to track it down after a tip that it was in Vegas.
Kenny hitches a ride with Vanessa (Annie Potts). She’s a cute, quirky and a bit of a crazy girl. She confides that she’s an amateur prostitute which both mystifies and shocks virgin Kenny. She offers herself to him for fifty dollars, but he jumps out of the van instead. It’s rather adorable.
Now in Vegas, he finds the car he was told was his, but it’s the wrong car. Worse, he gets robbed. He runs into a nice guy who gives him some solid advice, buys him food and hands him a $2.00 bill. He’s about to hitch home, when he spots his car. The car gets away, but boy does Kenny give it a go on his feet. He is relentless about that baby.
He takes refuge in a UHaul until Vanessa shows up one night to use the rest rooms. She’s crying, her clothes are tattered and her make-up is a mess. Kenny is a genuinely concerned, kind gent who helps her. He guards the men’s bathroom as she cleans herself up. Appreciative, she insists he come back in the van rather than crash in the trailer another night.
She flirts with him and near demands sex. She finds out he’s never been with a woman before and takes joy in the idea of deflowering him. It’s a marvelous scene showing a level of female dominance that isn’t often seen in such a movie. Poor Kenny gets scared and jumps to the floor which Vanessa sadly takes as a personal insult. They get into a blowout and Kenny is kicked to the curb once again. He gets a job pumping gas for a unscrupulous mechanic. In an amazing scene, Vanessa tells off the mechanic on Kenny’s behalf. She’s just a fearless little badass with a tough veneer but a soft spot for Kenny. I love it and I love her.
Reunited, Vanessa jumps in full-force to help him get it back. When she disrobes in front of him in preparation for bed and he gets wrapped up in talking about his car, he becomes turned on. He kisses her, but when she callously talks about sex, he gets put off. She takes a slower approach which he falls into and the two make love. Vanessa after-all has a little more vamp than some colorful fiberglass. Once the deed is done, Kenny’s afterglow reaction is hilarious!
Vanessa drops the hooking gig and gets a job at a diner. She’s a ride-or-die type of gal and though tough as nails, stops at nothing to help Kenny.
This is one of my favorite underrated gems. It’s something I constantly suggest and am constantly thanked for suggesting.
Mark Hamill is amazing in this. Then again, Mark Hamill is amazing in everything he does. Luke Skywalker is a brilliant character, but nothing beats his performance as The Joker. There have been so many interpretations and great versions of The Joker, but Hamill is miles above them all. He stands supreme in a list of greats.
Annie Potts steals the show! Vanessa’s hardcore, take-no-prisoners attitude combined with the tenderness she shows to Henry is only made believable by the way in which Potts portrayed her. Vanessa’s a bad girl with a good soul and it’s wonderful.
You can buy this off of AMAZON or VUDU and I suggest you do. It’s optimal amounts of cuteness.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
