Country Blue

If you are in the mood for a 1970s southern drive-in movie, you might want to give "Country Blue" a try. To be sure, it's not a perfect movie. It has a number of slow spots, the level of acting is variable, and the boom mike is visible in several shots. Still, I had a reasonable amount of fun with the movie. It's always welcome to see Dub Taylor, who adds spark to his scenes. The production values, while not excellent, don't look too shabby. There are some pleasant songs on the soundtrack. The best things about the movie are the writing and the direction. There are several spots in the story that took me by surprise, coming out of nowhere and making me wonder just what was coming next. I couldn't predict what the ending would be. The direction really captures the feeling of the rural south; you can feel the heat and general poverty. Also, the direction adds some flourishes here and there that are novel and keep you watching. There are also some novel post-production edits here and there that get your attention. This movie won't ever win any awards, but it's good entertainment for those nostalgic for drive-in movies of this kind.

I was fairly surprised with this film. It's actually better than I expected it to be. It's a pretty good story - no not great - but decent. I liked it to a degree. It's not a film I would watch over and over but one that I might watch again sometime.

Stereo-typical redneck movie... not all Southerners are like some of the people in the film but some are. You can expect to see car chasing, bank robberies and love story in this movie. It's sorta a Bonnie and Clyde type of film.

This movie is OK if you like to watch B crime-dramas - you aren't missing anything if you pass this film up but if you do decide to watch it just know it's just an "ok" film but not all that bad either.

4/10

Some interesting scenes with character actor legends Dub Taylor and David Huddleston. Shot in and around Tallahassee, Fla. the locations and local bit players are fun to watch. Opening aerial and local dirt track raceway footage is full of locals and red clay dust. The robbery at a small country grocery store, and a small town bank, the jail scene and state trooper action are totally authentic. This is probably Dub Taylor's (Bonnie & Clyde, The Getaway, You Can't Take It With You) longest screen role. The original music soundtrack is written and performed by several of L.A.'s top session artists. A strong first effort by twenty-somethings just out of USC Film School.

The budget for this film may have been $10,000. But I don't care. It was set in South Georgia / North Florida, which is close to my heart since I grew up a middle Georgia. Was set in the early to mid-70s, which is near and dear to my heart since I was born in 1966. And it has some very redeeming elements and charming aspects, even though it's an extremely low budget movie with no name brand actors or anybody involved in this production. The 15 mph stop sign in Valdosta was funny as was the mega size Schlitz beer bottle in an early bar scene. And there were several scenes that had high production values, like the primary couple being affectionate in the water, and some of the chase scenes, very well done. I'm not sure that Smokey and the Bandit was much better than this movie.

A man on parole, in love with his bosses married daughter, robs a bank and then runs off to Mexico with the daughter in tow.

If you've ever wondered what Southern drive-in fare was like in the early 1970's, look no farther. This is the sort of low budget movie that played all along the South during the boom days of the drive-in movie theater. My guess this would have been the second or third feature of a multi feature program.

While this is not the best movie in the world (an understatement) it does have a certain nostalgic charm, at least for me. I like the fact that Dub Taylor, a character actor who's work goes all the way back to the Frank Capra movies of the 1930's is allowed to play something close to a lead. The movie itself is just okay, but its clearly a film that never could stand on its own except as a filler on a multi feature program.

Is it worth seeing? As a stand alone feature probably not, but if you're going to have a night of movies you might want to throw this one into the mix, especially if you're doing an evening of country themed drive-in movies.