This extremely compelling and illuminating retrospective documentary offers a revealing glimpse at the troubled production of Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy." Among those interviewed are an amiable Kris Kristofferson, a remarkably candid Ali MacGraw, producer Michael Deeley, the ever-jolly Ernest Borgnine, Peckinpah biographer Garner Simmons, and Peckinpah assistant Katherine Haber. Since Peckinpah was ill, breaking down, and paranoid from doing cocaine (he even bugged Haber's motel room!), the film fell behind schedule early in the shooting when Peckinpah took forever to shoot a simple fight set piece that originally was going to be done in a mere one and a half days. MacGraw openly admits that she gives a poor performance and considers the movie to be "horrendous" as well as notes that she got a fever blister during the making of the film. Borgnine reveals he came up with the gag concerning Dirty Lyle being handcuffed to a barstool with a removable seat and reminisces about playing poker with his stunt double with all of excess downtime on the set. Deeley talks about threatening to sack Peckinpah during the shooting of the movie and firing Peckinpah in post-production so he could have someone else recut the picture. Kristofferson comes across as one supremely likable and easygoing guy; he admits "Convoy" had a meaningless script and even sings a few songs during his interview. Perhaps the most enjoyable portion of the documentary centers on German fan and truck driver Gerd Albrect, who owns a funky replica of the Rubber Duck's rig. In addition, we learn that James Coburn directed third unit and Steve McQueen at one point visited the set. Recommended viewing for fans of the film.
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