I sat down and turned on the tube as this TV movie was about to begin. I knew nothing about this film but as the first few scenes went by it was clear that there was a talented filmmaker at work. I know nothing what so ever about Mr. Armstrong, the director, but that is bound to change. The film kind of reminded me of Roberto Rodriguez's work, in its love of old rock'n roll, car chases and cool characters that talk cool. But by saying that I am not taking anything away from Mr. Armstrong's highly stylised originality. It would be and probably will be interesting to see what Mr. Armstrong could do if given a higher budget and a bigger platform on which he can display his considerable talent.
8 Reviews
Molsen Tennessee Beer?
terryj-413 August 2006
I'm from Michigan and I can tell in a flash when one of my own are trying to talk like a southerner. So I wasn't too surprised to find that only one actor in this flick is really southern (Randy Quaid). It was filmed in Canada with mostly a Canadian cast. Anyone from the south watching this is going to choke.
Even so, I still love it for the flow of the story, the cars, the sound track. It's as cool as Bullitt. If you want to see it, you might find it hard to find because it was made for TV. I saw it on the Hallmark Movie Channel.
Also this was Andy Armstrong's one and only movie so it's like a one-of-a-kind. See it if you can.
Even so, I still love it for the flow of the story, the cars, the sound track. It's as cool as Bullitt. If you want to see it, you might find it hard to find because it was made for TV. I saw it on the Hallmark Movie Channel.
Also this was Andy Armstrong's one and only movie so it's like a one-of-a-kind. See it if you can.
Have not seen a good movie with in awhile. This one was great entertainment !
Rwwood486 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Caught this movie on free movie on Netflix. I liked "Thunder Road " by Robert Mitcham wasn't disappointed in this one ! You've see Randy Quaid in comedy movies, but this one will show his other talents. He is the "Crooked cop" here. The other actors also add a lot to the storyline as well. I also like stories with unsuspected endings you don't see coming. I won't reveal it here, but you'll just have to see the film's ending. I wish DVD movies were still on a full screen widescreen movies I pass on. I'd like to have this one on full screen .and more in full screen. It's like being right there.
Better than expected
lanechaffin-964-6319028 March 2021
True Piece of Crap
Terry-6331 May 2000
Saw this flick and thought it was the worst waste of celluloid I have seen in years. I live in Tennessee and believe me, this Canadian flick (yes, CANADIAN) has little bearing on the state of moonshining in the 1950's. Avoid it like a case of the clap.
Small Cast, Small Budget, BIG Entertainment.
dan_still15 March 2023
Set in mid 50s somewhere in Tennessee. As it seems, A Hot Rod Lincoln is setting the pace. Custom built for hauling moonshine, and avoiding the revenue department representatives, Car Chases abound. Pay attention here as the cars run like there on rails. No body roll in the curves, no one wheelie peeler when they blast off. Adult scenes as Sheriff's ex-wife struggles against Randy Quaid giving it all he has. I really admire films like these where a small budget means only a motivated cast working hard on rather plain sets can shine. Looks like the money was spent in the right places. Were it to show. The biggest point of why moonshine exists would have been lost to flash and dazzle that just could not exist in that place in that time. Some reviews seem to take issue that films are made by well to do yankees who can't possibly act well enough to be convincing and I just don't know how to address that because it is true. Most films require a little suspension of belief to get the most out of them. Even if they don't happen a long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away.
No major revelation, but perfectly solid and enjoyable
I_Ailurophile23 February 2024
Modern production values and storytelling sensibilities, 50s flavors: 'Moonshine Highway' may have been made in the 90s, but thirty years later it looks just about as sharp as if it were put out yesterday. There's more violence, sensuality, and profanity than we might have seen in contemporary fare, some of Steve Dorff's score gives us present-day ambience, and the overall tone is more dour. Make no mistake, though, that in many others ways this looks and sounds like something of another few decades' past. In the 50s and 60s there were plenty of titles that explored fast cars, risky business, and dangerous living, and for all the ways in which this can be dated as a Showtime TV movie, filmmaker Andy Armstrong was clearly fixing to revisit classics like 'Thunder Road' and 'Thunder Alley.' We get tastes of music we would have heard in the such latter fare, aesthetics plucked right from a trip through time, and classic plot elements of honest people butting heads with The Law and each other while living the way they always have. All told it's nothing so special as to particularly demand viewership, but if you do have a chance to watch, it's quite worthwhile on its own merits.
The one indisputable issue I think this picture faces is that it's too soft and restrained for its own good. Even with autos speeding, guns firing, fists flying, and the occasional explosion, and even down to the late culmination of the course of events in the third act, the proceedings generally advance with about all the vigor of a couple of good ol' boys downing some home-brewed liquor on the porch of a remote cabin in the woods, a stone's throw from a spring-fed creek. Where 'Moonshine Highway' rips, it absolutely rips, and it also gets decidedly dark in some ways - but mostly that vitality is restricted not just to the last third, but to the last ten minutes or so. Be that as it may, even if the sum total leaves a bit to be desired, when all is said and done the picture is just swell. The stunts and effects we get throughout are terrific, above all at the climax, and the cast is terrific. Hot off the success of 'Twin Peaks' a few years earlier it's a pleasure to see Kyle MacLachlan do something a bit different; Maria del Mar is all so charming as beleaguered Ethyl; Gary Farmer is a treasure as friendly Hooch; and so on, and so on. The production design, art direction, and on-site filming locations are a minor delight, and in all other ways the feature is superbly well made: costume design, hair, makeup, sound, cinematography, and so on.
Armstrong is breaking no ground with his screenplay or his direction, but nor is he trying to. 'Moonshine Highway' is no revelation, but is perfectly enjoyable exactly as it is. While it may not make a major impression, there's no rule that says every viewing experience needs to. This is likely best suggested for those who are fans of MacLachlan or someone else involved, yet one way or another, if you do have the opportunity to watch, I don't think there's any going wrong here. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
The one indisputable issue I think this picture faces is that it's too soft and restrained for its own good. Even with autos speeding, guns firing, fists flying, and the occasional explosion, and even down to the late culmination of the course of events in the third act, the proceedings generally advance with about all the vigor of a couple of good ol' boys downing some home-brewed liquor on the porch of a remote cabin in the woods, a stone's throw from a spring-fed creek. Where 'Moonshine Highway' rips, it absolutely rips, and it also gets decidedly dark in some ways - but mostly that vitality is restricted not just to the last third, but to the last ten minutes or so. Be that as it may, even if the sum total leaves a bit to be desired, when all is said and done the picture is just swell. The stunts and effects we get throughout are terrific, above all at the climax, and the cast is terrific. Hot off the success of 'Twin Peaks' a few years earlier it's a pleasure to see Kyle MacLachlan do something a bit different; Maria del Mar is all so charming as beleaguered Ethyl; Gary Farmer is a treasure as friendly Hooch; and so on, and so on. The production design, art direction, and on-site filming locations are a minor delight, and in all other ways the feature is superbly well made: costume design, hair, makeup, sound, cinematography, and so on.
Armstrong is breaking no ground with his screenplay or his direction, but nor is he trying to. 'Moonshine Highway' is no revelation, but is perfectly enjoyable exactly as it is. While it may not make a major impression, there's no rule that says every viewing experience needs to. This is likely best suggested for those who are fans of MacLachlan or someone else involved, yet one way or another, if you do have the opportunity to watch, I don't think there's any going wrong here. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
See also
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