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Redneck Miller (1976)

DJ Miller is a Schlitz-swilling, hard-living early morning country music disc jockey in the Southern U.S. His motorcycle, a one-of-a-kind “chopper,” is stolen by someone and used to steal a shipment of drugs from Supermac, a blaxploitation refugee usually aided by a hapless duo of criminals, including Preacher. Supermac sends his thugs to follow Miller, and Miller has a few run-ins with Preacher and his nameless sidekick. At first, Miller doesn’t seem to take the threat seriously, although Miller’s aggravation grows and he refuses to talk about what is happening with his live-in girlfriend (to her chagrin). While Miller enjoys a post-coital moment with Rachel, the wife of one of Miller’s good friends, Supermac and his thugs burst in and take Rachel hostage. They threaten to rape Rachel as payback for Miller having sex with Supermac’s girlfriend Pearl (Miller had sex with Pearl as “trade” for helping her fix a flat tire). Miller reveals that Rachel is not his girlfriend, and Supermac releases her when a struggle ensues. But he manages to take Miller’s prized pick-up and chopper. Rachel demands to know whether Miller would have let them rape her, and Miller shrugs that he probably would have if it meant saving his own life. Miller confronts Supermac, and Supermac acknowledges the possibility that someone else may have stolen Miller’s chopper to steal the drugs. But Supermac refuses to return the truck and chopper until Miller has gone out on the streets to find the person that has the shipment. Miller is suddenly intimidated by Supermac, so Miller borrows another DJ’s car, and scours the streets. Meanwhile, Miller’s girlfriend, who ostensibly has left the relationship with Miller because he doesn’t tell her what is going on, has been investigating on her own based on her discovery of a zodiac medallion. She quickly suspects it belongs to Miller’s chief rival, and her belief is confirmed. On the other side of town, Supermac is back in bed with Pearl, showing some vulnerability and insecurity in asking whether Pearl has any feelings for Miller since they had sex in trade for fixing a tire. Pearl reassures Supermac, and they make love. Still on the streets, and a little drunk from all the Schlitz, Miller soon learns that Preacher was involved in stealing the shipment, and he forces Preacher to reveal that Miller’s rival was behind the whole thing. At the same time, Miller’s rival is apparently raping Miller’s (ex?-)girlfriend. He leaves just as Miller shows up. Miller chases the rival, and they have a knock-down, drag-out fight in a junkyard – even having a pocketknife fight at one point. Miller triumphs, and the rival confesses. Miller locks him in a trunk. During the fight, the rival insinuates that he has killed the girlfriend (saying, “Nothing can bring her back.”). After the fight, Miller looks for the girlfriend, but she isn’t to be found. He gets on the phone to Supermac and tells him where to find the shipment – demanding that his truck and chopper be returned “un-mo-lested!” Miller returns home, opens a Schlitz, and sinks into his couch. Suddenly, the girlfriend’s arm reaches down from off-screen, and she looks completely unharmed and ready to renew life with Miller. A horn honks, and Miller looks outside to see Supermac waving and leaving the truck and chopper behind.