Dixie Dynamite (1976)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The only distinction Dixie Dynamite has is that Steve McQueen appears in a dirt bike racing sequence, but with the riders all wearing helmets I doubt you'll spot him. Spotting Steve is the only thing this film has for it.A pair of curvaceous sisters Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley are naturally upset when their father is raided by some fake revenuers aided in the raid by the sheriff Christopher George. Than later the father Mark Miller is killed when evil, but truly stupid deputy Wes Bishop gets trigger happy.It's a depressed Dixie economy that's allowing bottom feeding entrepreneur Stanley Adams to start foreclosing and throwing people off their property in the best Snidely Whiplash tradition. At one point the girls decide they've had enough and with their friend dirt biker Warren Oates start doing a little payback.What is being tried here is a trial run for Thelma&Louise. Of course to bring that off two far better actresses were hired. Johnstone and McHaley aren't in the league of Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and there's a reason that this is their only screen credit.As for the others I'm sure they were all embarrassed.

"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.

Spoilers This movie is in the mold of Thelma and Louise without male bashing. Two women lose their moon shining father to the thoughtlessness of a self centered sheriff's deputy. The two daughters lose everything and head toward poverty. Then the movie has a very distinct turning point, when the daughter, Dixie, played by beautiful Jane Anne Johnstone promises Patsy, the second daughter, that things are gonna turn around. This was my biggest problem with the movie is that it telegraphs the rest of the plot with that line.What follows is the women begin to exact revenge on all who wronged them and their father. They exact revenge on the Sheriff's Deputy and begin a crime spree and finish by pulling off a big robbery against the bank that set up the killing of their father. They get away with the money and their man friend.I found Dixie believable and likable. Kathy McHaley was also very believable in her part as the second daughter Patsy. Warren Oates played a good part as Mack, who is their male friend mentioned above. At one point there is a memorable scene when Dixie in her own way, lets Mack know that things have changed a little around these parts, sweetheart!

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.