Strong and Moving!

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

"Dixie Dynamite" may win no prizes for originality, and isn't among the best of its kind, but is not bad, getting a lot of mileage out of the appeal of its cast. Foxy, foxy leading ladies Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley play Dixie and Patsy, two good ol' gals who tire of all the garbage that other people throw in their faces. Their moonshiner daddy Tom (Mark Miller) is accidentally killed by the crooked local law enforcement while a greedy rich jerk (played to the hilt by corpulent Stanley Adams) is determined to get his hands on as much land, including Tom's farm, as possible. Well, the bank president (R.G. Armstrong) reneges on his deal to cut the girls some slack, having known it would be hard for them to make ends meet, preferring to keep the jerk, his principal client, happy. The gals go on a crime spree, partly to get revenge, but also to act as a couple of 'modern day Robin Hoods', as the 'Dukes of Hazzard' theme song would put it, stealing from the rich in order to help out local farmers. There's something to be said here for how greed can motivate people, as our "heroines" realize their potential gains, as well as loyal family friend Mack (Warren Oates), a motocross racer, who's initially disgusted by their criminal activities but changes his tune when they quote him his substantial share of their potential take. There is a certain delight in seeing these gals start raising hell, and they show a fair amount of smarts as well as spunk. It would be hard not to feel sympathy for them, especially as one montage shows their inability to land legitimate jobs is just one motivator. While some of the cast admittedly have been better showcased in other vehicles, they're still quite engaging, from the ever likable Oates to Christopher George as the reluctantly corrupt yet not unreasonable sheriff to Wes Bishop (also co-writer and producer) as the cowardly, bumbling, creepy deputy to Miller as the briefly seen Tom Eldridge to the amusing Adams as the bad guy. Director / co-writer Lee Frost has a cameo near the end as a pathologist, and none other than the legendary Steve McQueen does some uncredited work as a motocross racer in the big racing sequence. Now, "Dixie Dynamite" is never as blatantly exploitative as some fans of this genre will like, and in fact is sometimes downright goofy (it IS rated PG). But an undemanding fan, such as myself, can still have a good enough time watching it, as it's fairly well paced and refrains from ever getting really dull. Seven out of 10.

Since being disappointed by the Tarantino film Death Proof,I have been looking for a movie that would server as a perfect re-introduction to a film genre called Gridhouse.Around a week or so ago,a friend of mine began talking about an actor who they had recently become a fan of called Warren Oates.As he started to finish talking about the westerns that Oates had appeared in,he mentioned the he had gotten hold of a "great" Grindhouse film featuring Oates called Dixie Dynamite.By the time he had finished talking about how much fun the film was,I decided that this movie would be my first "official" Grindhouse film viewing.The plot:Finishing the making of his latest batch of Moonshine,Tom gets an unexpected visit from the local police force,who tell him the he is going to be arrested for having illegal made Moonshine for the last few years ,even though all of the cops have known (and been perfectly fine) that he's been making it for ages.Feeling betrayed by his "friends" ,Tom decides to make a run for it.Sadly,his attempt to runaway ends in tragedy,when one of the cops "accidentally" shoots Tom's car,and causes it to blow up.Shortly after Tom's death,one of the cops the was involved in the "accidental" death goes to visit a ruthless land develop called Dean,who pays him off,and tells him the he will receive more cash,if he can arrange for the ownership of Tom's seven- acre land to go to him. Reluctunly,the cop agrees to Dean's demands,and then decides that he should go and pay a visit to Tom's daughters Dixie and Patsy,so they at last have a chance to hear the terrible news.Almost from the moment that they are told about their fathers death,Dean starts circling around Dixie and Patsy with his plans to get hold of their fathers land by any means necessary.Luckally,the girls have a friend called Mack,who shows them the wild side of life with his extreme motorbike racing.Seeing the determined nature of Mack to succeed in the races,Dixie becomes very inspired by Mack's attitude,and decides that she can not let the men who killed her father succeed with their plans.This leads to Dixie and Patsy deciding,that instead of letting everyone walk over them,and get hold of their fathers land,they are instead going to get some "special training from Mack,and fight back against the men that killed their father... View on the film: For the films pace,director and co-screenwriter (along with Wes Bishop) Lee Frost throws something new into the film every ten minutes,so as to make sure that the film is always on track and never dull.Whilst there are quite a few signs of the films low budget, (such as California standing in for Georgia!) it actually helps to give the film some extra "southern" charm,with the extremely risky looking practical chase/fight scenes always keeping you on the edge of your seat,due to Fost putting the camera right in the centre of the hard-hitting action,which includes an amazingly brutal motorbike rally section,which also features an uncredited Steve McQueen!.Looking at the very good cast,I was left feeling a bit disappointed that Warren Oates was only given a supporting role (instead of having a bigger role,such as the land developer.)Thankfully,Oates still plays his supporting role in the film (and his singing on the films score!) very well,with the scenes of him trying to help out would-be rebels Dixie and Patsy, (played by the beautiful,sassy actresses Jane Ann Johnston and Kathy McHaley)allowing the cast to show a very natural,entertaining playfulness,which makes each scene that features all of them to be ones that,along with the gripping stunts,a joy to watch. Final view on the film: An excellent Grindhouse film,with jaw-dropping stunts,a fun story and a very entertaining cast.

After their moonshiner pappy (Mark Millner) gets bumped off by big, nasty bossman Dade (a splendidly smarmy'n'slippery turn by unsung fat guy thesp Stanley Adams), Millner's two spitfire daughters Patsy and Dixie decide to get revenge by stealing Dade's tremendous amounts of money and redistributing the cash back to the poor country people Dade's been bilking bread from. Directed with customary zippy élan by former 60's soft-core sex picture filmmaker turned 70's drive-in feature auteur Lee Frost (who also co-wrote the cheekily effective script with longtime collaborator Wes Bishop, who also pops up in a sizable co-starring role as the sleazy, trigger happy, dangerously blundering Deputy Frank), this Southern-fried ozoner revenge potboiler offers a pleasingly ramshackle and richly colorful evocation of the South, what with jubilant bluegrass music on the soundtrack, solid themes concerning family ties and loyalty, an odious Yankee villain trying to buy up everyone's land, cops and crooks mingling with each other just like buddies, poverty and unemployment keeping honest folks down, the occasional lively car chase, a token rowdy bar fight, and two sassy good old gal protagonists who use everything they got to get ahead in life. Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley are wonderfully breezy and appealing as the sexy, pretty, very spunky and supremely self-sufficient distaff leads, with sturdy supporting performances by the always dependable Warren Oates as Mack, an amiably scraggly motorcross bike champ who the girls confide in (an uncredited Steve McQueen doubles for Oates in the motorcross race sequences); Christopher George as a nice guy sheriff on the take, and R.G. Armstrong as a venal bank president with feet of clay. Spirited and entertaining, "Dixie Dynamite" serves up a considerable heap of punchy'n'rollicking kick up the dirt animated fun.

Two Georgia girls get fed up with it all after their moonshiner father is killed by a local deputy. This is the most light hearted revenge film I think I've ever seen. Warren Oates keeps the movie from sinking, but one has to wonder why he's even in the movie. His character could be left out and it wouldn't really change the story at all. One of the major flaws of this film is that appears to be filmed in California, while it is set in rural Georgia. Anyone who enjoys southern literature knows that the South itself is a character, and it is hard to duplicate that "character" in California. During the car chases, we see sand flying around, as opposed to red mud, and the "small town" looks more like urban LA. I often forgot I was watching a movie set in the deep south. Lee Frost is a great B-movie director. He realizes he's not making epics and is able to keep his movies moving at a reasonable pace, while avoiding such b-movie cliches such as excessive exposition. It's just too bad he couldn't shoot the movie on location in the south. The funniest part of the movie are the "No Help Wanted" signs hanging in all of the shops of the small town. I don't think I've ever seen a "No Help Wanted" sign, but I thought they were a great idea in this movie. If you want to see a better Lee Frost movie, then watch "The Thing with Two Heads." If you want to see a great Warren Oates film, watch "Cockfighter," also set in Georgia, and filmed in Georgia. "Dixie Dynamite" is a good example of a women's revenge movie, but a poor example of a Southern women's revenge movie.