Long before television pioneering genius, Jerry London directed such classics as THE BARBARA MANDRELL STORY and TAKE ME HOME: THE JOHN DENVER STORY and soon after his groundbreaking work on THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW and HOGAN'S HEROES, he made his homage to the "monster movie" KILLDOZER!

Armed with a stellar cast of (ahem) men, Clint Walker (NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY, SNOWBEAST), Neville Brand (EATEN ALIVE), Bob Urich (SPENCER FOR HIRE), Carl Betz (THE DONNA REED SHOW) and at least 2 more, as well as, a dog eared copy of Theodore Sturgeon's (LAND OF THE LOST, STAR TREK) short story about machines who become "possessed" by an electromagnetic occurrence of alien origin turn on their operators, KILLDOZER WAS BORN! Well, the made for TV movie was going into production. With a subplot of alcoholism and anti-war sentiment, this groundbreaking indictment of technology and the dangers of heavy machinery featured high-tech special effects and mechanical mayhem that still has not been rivaled. Just ask Stan Lee, Marvel comics even captalized on the superhit which KILLDOZER became and the comic will now set the collector back some $3.75 or so, if you can find it.

I don't want to indulge you with too much plot because there isn't much to go around, but it goes a little like this. A bluish, glowing meteorite lands on a isolated island somewhere on a plastic globe suspended on fishing line. It is no coincidence that WARCO (do I have to explain the obvious implication here) has a crew of rugged, hardworking men clearing the land for an oil refinery on this abandoned air strip from WWII. You see, in 1974 when KILLDOZER was produced for television, oil was quite a topic for discussion, gas prices soared upwards of 70 cents a gallon and it was "OPEC this" and "CRUDE OIL that." Americans were looking for ways to tap into any source other than them damned AAA-RAABS for our guzzaline. Lloyd Kelly (Clint Walker) was there to get this job done and bring it in under cost for WARCO. After all, WARCO was giving Lloyd an opportunity, what with his "problem" and all with the sauce. Unfortunately, not all of Lloyd's men shared his enthusiasm for hard work and it usually took a rousting to get his crew moving. Was this Jerry London's personal take on us "lazy 'mericans?" Probably, lest we forget his expose' of Anglo sexuality "Love American Style" remembered less as social commentary on our sexuality and more for the "Dorito Guy" Avery Schreiber. Excuse my digression. Lloyd gets a couple of these dipsticks back to work and it is not long before Dutch and Mack (obviously, the single syllabic names have relevance) through total incompetence, hit the meteor which has been lying dormant with their D-9 (denying, as in denying freedom, life, exploitation of the land) Bulldozer. The rock won't move and after more incompetent bickering and grab-dicking Lloyd takes over, charging the rock until a strange blue electrical discharge runs through the D-9 (denying) blade sending Mack tumbling. Mack, played by a young Bob Urich, ultimately dies, Bob Urich later is diagnosed with cancer in his real life. Coincidence? Lloyd chalks the death off as a "freak accident" and our men continue working.

We are introduced to the whole gang, Chud, Dutch, Al and finally Dennis, who due to the extra syllable in his name, is smarter than the rest and thusly we expect him to save the crew from the D-9 (denying) Bulldozer. As the D-9 (denying) has now been transformed into a KILLDOZER, it begins stalking our crew, separating them from the pack, killing them off, deliberating, slowing and painfully methodically until, in a scene reminiscent of Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY, there is a stand off. Killdozer and Dennis's Power Shovel. Supernatural machine vs. man-controled earth mover. But the power shovel has an Ace in the hole with Lloyd, he didn't complete a 12 step program to have some goddamned hunk of rusted steel and yellow paint stop him from coming through for WARCO and ultimately himself, Lloyd becomes "human bait" while Dennis (the smart one with 2 syllables in his name) rigs a electrical snare to disable the intense KILLDOZER. As if Jerry London somehow knew that he would forever work in television, with great signature Made For Television films like THE BAMBI BEMBENEK STORY and DR. QUINN MEDICINE WOMAN: THE HEART WITHIN he puts his stamp on the ending of KILLDOZER that will forever stand as one of the most lack luster pieces of shit endings EVER in a supposed monster flick. The goddamned bulldozer "dies." The slowest most agonizing death, no, not for the bulldozer but for us, it drives onto a tarp, sits there, some sparklers go off, smoke bombs, its 3 lights flash, Lloyd and Dennis, wince, guffaw and finally walk up and put their ears to the blade to make sure KILLDOZER is done. A fucking bulldozer was the star of a movie, on television, financed by network executives. Fucking A, and now a "television event" is Brad Pitt appearing on "Friends." Thank you, Jerry, I will never be young again.

KILLDOZER can be had. Whether or not it should be remains a matter of contoversy. Are you man enough? Rumor has it there is an Argentian print which includes the Dennis character mating with KILLDOZER to set-up the sequel in which a super-smart offspring is created...KILLBOBCAT!

FOOTNOTE: KILLDOZER is, and should be, remembered more as the incredible noise rock trio from Madison, Wisconsin, who had the balls to cover great songs from the 70s, speak up for the Proletariat and growl their way into indy rock history by screaming "Go ahead and hate your neighbor!" Part of the original "pig fucker" movement who took the credo "louder, slower!" and ran with it, they never got the credit they so desparately deserve. In another musical reference to the film, while Ted Bundy's Volkswagon was recording at AmRep stuidos we caught KILLDOZER, the movie, on the tube, I think that the intensity of our live studio work probably was given a boost after watching Carl Betz's performance, or it could have been the Minneapolis version of Mexican cuisine.

Alcoholism...a subplot.

Almost some action.

Lloyd gives KILLDOZER the old "fuck you!"