Mr. Majestyk (1974)

When a Colorado melon farmer (Charles Bronson) runs a punk (Paul Koslo) off his farm for trying to force him to use unskilled workers provided by his protection racket, the punk retaliates by having Bronson arrested for attacking him. It's in jail, where he meets a hit man (Al Lettieri) and when Bronson crosses him, Hell hath no fury and then it becomes a cat and mouse game to see who will be the last man standing. Written by Elmore Leonard (GET SHORTY), it's got too many loopholes to be taken seriously. As a Bronson action vehicle, he's done better but he's done worse too (I'll be kind and not name them). But a lot of it struck me as pretty silly, like a machine gun attack by some thugs on a pile of watermelons. And both Bronson's and Lettieri's characters are the brightest bulbs on the marquee and they're actions are often so rash and ill conceived that you can't help roll your eyes. But if you can push it out of your mind, it's mindless entertainment. Directed by Richard Fleischer. The obnoxious 70s synthesizer score is by Charles Bernstein. With Linda Cristal (THE ALAMO), Lee Purcell and Alejandro Rey.