The CIA is tracking a Soviet spy program called Omega as uncovered by the agent Fassett (John Hurt) after some operatives murdered his wife. It’s a professionally made film that recalls much better, earlier Peckinpah films (mostly Straw Dogs) with some interesting moments around paranoia and surveillance that would feel more at home in a Brian de Palma film, but this is ultimately a disappointing, though not entirely unexpected, way for Peckinpah to finish his career in feature films. This is the most purely work-for-hire project in his entire career, including The Deadly Companions, and the script is a mess. He wanted to cast his own way, but the producers refused him. He wanted to rewrite it, but the producers refused him. He did well, and he got a new opportunity to direct again in the adaptation of the Robert Ludlum novel, The Osterman Weekend. Don Siegel, one of Peckinpah’s early mentors, needed some second unit work done on his film Jinxed!, and Peckinpah jumped at the opportunity, purely with the eye towards helping to recover his career from nothing. The disaster that was the production of Convoy (it was financially successful, but not enough to save Peckinpah’s professional reputation) knocked him out of work for several years. #14 in my ranking of Sam Peckinpah’s filmography. He relied heavily on a loyal cadre of crewmembers to push things along.Īnyway, here’s the messy, sometimes glorious, and almost always interesting ranking of all of his films, and do check out the rest of my definitive rankings.

Getting into fights, abusing his crew, and generally losing his ability to maintain any kind of composure on set because of his unyielding need for booze (rumors of him drinking four full bottles of whiskey or vodka a day during filming were common) limited his ability to function as the manager of a film set. He was an out-of-control personality, though. A movie with a title like Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia you expect to be all exploitative nonsense, but when Peckinpah delivers a weird, touching tale of loss at the same time, it’s a surprise and incredibly worthwhile. Peckinpah’s work is filled with really well-written characters, especially the men (there are a couple of well-written women), and strong ideas. However, to call Peckinpah’s work exploitation would be an insult.

He did offer that once with the Steve McQueen vehicle The Getaway, but most of the rest are the sorts of things that take two full steps into the realm of exploitation. Sam Peckinpah’s work is hard-edged and rough, not the sort of thing for mass audiences who go to the movies for a good time.

His worst films are victims of his later, much deeper descents into alcoholism and drug addiction. His best films are uncompromising views at violence, masculinity, and friendship in an uncaring world.

Heinlein citizen of the galaxy