Buster and Billie

1974! But 45 years later I still remember it & how it affected me..It was a great story, and literally broke my heart..My concept of a great movie is one that has an impact you remember for a long time..And I think 45 years should qualify..

If you are at all sensitive or a person who cries at movies, do not watch this unless you have prepared yourself with a box of kleenex and only the closest of friends who you know will not make fun of you. (or watch it alone.)

I first watched this movie at a time when I was having "boy troubles" and the object of my desire happened to look exactly like Jan Michael Vincent, the star of this movie (yeah, he was hot). This just added to the pain.... I bawled my eyes out for about 10-15 whole minutes AFTER the movie had already ended and was turned off. I wept so loudly and couldn't control my crying eyes whatsoever. My housemates laughed at me, but it was an affectionate laugh. They had also been affected by the movie, but not to my extent. The story is SO SAD. SO SAD!!! The saddest story EVER!

As much as I loved the movie, I will never watch it again, even though I taped it. It is just too sad and I don't want to go through all that bawling and crying again.

This is most emotionally draining, saddest movie I have ever seen. Be prepared to cry your eyes out with this one.

I got lucky you might say and saw this on ABC TV (No Ads) late at night in the late 80's while living in a very small country town. Luckily I taped it on VHS and watched it quite a few times before the tape gave out.

This is one of those movies that you will either love or hate and if you loved it like I did it will stay with you forever.

Getting a good copy of it now is very difficult and I have had to make do with a really crappy copy. Even the DVD copy that was released is not all that good to watch.

One of the very best Jan-Micheal Vincent movies I have seen, and the one movie that I remember him for most even though he made quite a few good movies in the 70's.

Also Robert Englund's very first movie before he went onto bigger and perhaps better things and one of Pamela Sue Martin's early movies before her best known role in Dynasty.

A very sad movie that I have had the pleasure of watching more than once.

While doing a search on your website to find out what other movies Robert Englund was in besides A Nightmare on Elm Street I came across a movie that I haven't thought of in years, Buster and Billie. I immediately felt this wave of emotion. I was 20 when this movie was released and although I couldn't remember right away the whole plot of the movie I remembered it as one of my favourites. After reading some of the story line and talking to my husband who has a much better memory than I do I realized why my feeling at the mere mention of the title was so extreme. It was wonderful albeit very, very tragic. My husband also remembers it as being one of his favourites. I don't know if I want to ever watch it again or just keep the memory of a film that touched me deeply years ago.

For all his faults, JAN MICHAEL VINCENT certainly made some great movies in the seventies (be it, THE BIG Wednesday, HOOPER, THE MECHANIC, VIGILANTE FORCE) including this (little seen) gem. VINCENT plays Buster, a tough, high-school loner, who against the wishes of his (childish, rather ugly) friends, dates the local good-time girl (of whom, most of busters friends have been casually 'involved' with) But these two opposites find love, but as in all classic love tales, their romance is doomed. To give anything else away, would ruin this highly original period piece(set in 1948.) Needless to say, it does continue the ever growing trend of seventies movies, and features a downbeat ending. Long after the viewer shakes off initial images of sexist, drunken teens, several scenes of true beauty, shine through this great movie. The period details are spot-on, and there's not one bad performance (look out for a young ROBERT ENGLUND) but as with most other JMV movies, Hollywood soon moved onto bigger (although, not always better) actors, and he soon became a tragic casualty of cinema. He certainly had the 'look' (predating the 'tom cruise' boyish-good looks) but unfortunately ended up, in bad TV movies or low budget dreck (ENEMY TERRITORY aside) Too bad, because he had the makings of another JAMES DEAN (and gives a similar performance in this movie) Hunt this movie out (if you can, it's quite rare) but you'll be glad you did. Another notable aspect, is the fine (and rather haunting) musical score, including the main theme (sung by HOYT AXTON) which never fails to bring a lump in my throat, and made all the more lyrical, by the movies tragic (yet strangely, touching) ending.

A fine unseen gem, and well worth hunting down piece of 70's obscure 10 out of 10