‘Smokey And The Bandit’ Returns To AMC Theatres As A Burt Reynolds Homage

Bruce Haring

Updated Sat, September 8, 2018 at 12:34 AM UTC

Add AMC Theatres to the list of entertainment outlets that are honoring actor Burt Reynolds, who died on Thursday at age 82.

The chain will screen Reynolds’s classic Smokey and the Bandit at 240 AMC locations from Wednesday, Sept. 12 through Thursday, Sept. 20. Ticket prices will be $5 or lower, depending on the location, in honor of the 40-year-old film. Tickets should be on sale at participating locations by the end of the weekend.

Smokey and the Bandit was a 1977 comedy starring an all-star cast of the era, including Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams and Mike Henry, and marked the directorial debut of Reynolds close friend Hal Needham. It went on to inspire two film sequels and several television films. The original movie was the second highest-grossing film of 1977.

The film centers on a plan to bring an illegal shipment of Coors Beer into Georgia. At the time, it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Rockies, but a thirsty millionaire was willing to risk it and searches for a trucker equally game.

Maverick driver Reynolds is tapped, and enlists a trucker friend to make the haul while he drives “the blocker,” a black Trans Am that will draw attention from the illegal beer load.

Along the way, they encounter Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice, who has an Inspector Javert-like fixation on bringing down the Reynolds scheme. From that, car chases ensued, much to the delight of the era’s audiences.

Entertainment News

‘Smokey And The Bandit’ Returns To AMC Theatres As A Burt Reynolds Homage

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