Truck Movies! Is Moonfire the One of the Best WORST Truck Movies? (Movie Review)

One Sheet movie poster advertises ‘Moonfire’ (Hollywood Continental), a drama starring Charles Napier, Richard Egan, Sonny Liston and music by Marty Robbins, 1970. (Photo by John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)

Oh man, Moonfire is crazy-sauce!

Yes, it’s time again for a TFLtruck best WORST truck movie and this week’s awesomeness is – 1970’s Moonfire! Rockets, Nazis, truckers, banditos, bikers, former boxing champions and more! Okay, it’s a lot to swallow and the 1970 production looks like a 1970 production. The films is grainy, editing is uneven and the sound is terrible – and it’s kind of slow too.

Still, when you have so many elements at play, why be nitpicky about how good the production is – right?

Story…

Truck drivers are unsung heroes all over the world. While modern films rarely talk about their hard lives and community service, the 1970s often did. This film, despite its bizarre storyline, does show some of the harshness of the truck-driver’s life.

A private aerospace company loses a manned reentry capsule somewhere in Mexico. It actually landed on the property of a former SS Nazi in-hiding, who’s a murdours, extorting psychopath. He and his murderous bandito henchmen capture the astronaut and extort the aerospace company to get him and the capsule back. One additional plot point: the capsule is set for self destruct!

Enter the trucker(s) – and former World Heavyweight Champion boxer Sonny Liston! After brawls with bikers, long treks on dirt roads and a forklift vs. pistol battle – our heroes save the day. Yep, it’s that bizarre.

Moonfire is written, produced, and directed by Michael Parkhurst who obviously had a vision of something chaotic and cathartic in mind. It stars Richard Egan, Charles Napier, Sonny Liston, Dayton Lummis and Joaquín Martínez.

This is not a politically correct film by any means. It’s not that bloody and there’s no gratuitous sex – but it isn’t appropriate for kids. Not that they would sit through it anyway. Moonfire is kind of slow and disjointed (among other things), but it’s so odd-ball that you won’t forget it.

Let us know if you have any odd or rarely seen truck movie suggestions that are available on the net. We would love to see them!

Here’s a taste of what we’re seeing this week!

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.