Customer Reviews

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase

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If anyone out there besides me watched "Thelma and Louise" and wondered why they had to drive off that stupid cliff at the end, and how exactly that denoted a "happy" and "satisfying" ending, you're gonna love this movie. Funny enough, "the Great Texas Dynamite Chase" got it just right about 15 or so years earlier.

Yes, yes - the title is quite ridiculous, but do not (I repeat, DO NOT) let this scare you away. Women robbing banks with nothing but dynamite? Genius. It's filled with the kind of... female empowerment that was strangely only tolerated in the context of a cheapie exploitation film. It's loaded with what I've dubbed "Charlie's Angels" feminism -- that is to say, the women may appear to be tantalizing packages, but try to unwrap them on anything less than their terms and KA-POW! Duck and cover baby! Besides, in this day of sexual taboos, it's pleasantly refreshing to see a movie that treats sex as fun and inconsequential. (Ahhh, those were the days, eh?) Plus, it stars underrated drive-in superstar Claudia Jennings, who gives a typically fever-pitched, ballsy performance despite suffering a back injury midway through filming.

It's high time this film was re-released after long being unavailable. Hey, Corman - how about following suit with "Unholy Rollers"?

Ever since my dogs ate my VHS copy, i have been looking for The Great Texas Dynamige Chase to be reissued on DVD. I was not disappointed. The picture is clear. GTDC is just a great cheesey movie. Yet it is totally enjoyable. Great action an nudity for a low budget Roger Corman flick. Suspend disbelief and enjoy.

Seems many of the women who appear in a certain men's magazine have the same aspiration, to make it big as an actress in the movies...some have made the transition (to some degree), but for most, their dreams remain unfulfilled, most likely due to an actual lack of talent. As I said, some did manage to cross over, one in particular being Miss Claudia Jennings, Playmate of the year for 1970. She had a great many qualities, including and easygoing naturalness is front of the camera, attractive features, and a willingness to shed her clothes, this last one particularly handy given the roles offered to her in such exploitive B films like Deathsport (1978), Moonshine County Express (1977), 'Gator Bait (1974), Truck Stop Women (1974), Unholy Rollers (1972), and this film titled The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976) aka Dynamite Women. Sad thing is, right about the time when she seemed to be rising above her exploitive beginnings (and getting her life back under control from substance abuse issues), her career was cut short after she fell asleep behind the wheel of her car and an accident ensued. Directed by Michael Pressman (The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Doctor Detroit), the film stars, as I've mentioned, Claudia Jennings, along with Jocelyn Jones (The Other Side of the Mountain, Tourist Trap). Also appearing is former Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford ("The Rifleman", Village of the Giants), Christopher Pennock ("Dark Shadows", "General Hospital"), Tara Strohmeier (The Student Teachers, Candy Stripe Nurses), and Oliver Clark (A Star Is Born, Doctor Detroit, Ernest Saves Christmas).

Jennings is Candy Morgan, a recent escapee from a Texas federal women's penitentiary, whose first act upon self parole is to rob a local bank by threatening to blow the place up with some dynamite (seems Candy learned how to use dynamite in a prison work/reform program, and subsequently used it to aide in her `early' release). After successfully liberating some funds, she passes the dough on to her family who were in peril of losing their dirt farm, and then takes it on the lam. Soon she runs into Ellie-Jo Turner (Jones), recently fired bank teller (the manager didn't like her modern i.e. loose lifestyle), the two become friends, and decide to team up and pull off more jobs together. After a botched robbery attempt and a brief stop at a nearby mining operation to get more boom boom sticks (giving Candy a chance to get her groove on with a strapping, shirtless workman), the girls take their show on the road. The begin hitting podunk banks all throughout southern Texas, eventually picking up a hostage named Slim (Crawford) who ends up throwing in the girls and the threesome continue on their merry way. By now their antics are widely known (they're labeled by the media as the `dynamite women'), and the authorities are mounting a full scale manhunt (or womanhunt, whichever you prefer), taking a `shoot first, shoot again, ask question later' attitude, so what does our thieving trio do? They get themselves a fancy white Rolls Royce...romance blooms between Ellie-Jo and Slim, the latter beginning to worry about the very likely possibility of getting shot dead, but the girls want to make one, last giant haul before heading south, that is if the Candy and Ellie-Jo can only manage to keep it in their pants long enough...

Originally released through Roger Corman's New Concorde company, the film has all his signature markings in that it's cheap, fast, and slightly sleazy. But that's not to say it isn't any fun, because it is...hey, any movie where I get to see two sets of bazooms in the first three minutes ain't all bad (one should set their expectations accordingly to the material). Corman may not have won any Oscars for his films, but few directors/producers knew their audiences better than he, and were able to give them what they wanted so consistently. The film is pure drive-in hokum, released at a time when there was no such thing as a home video market...there's a seemingly female empowerment quality to the story, but it was really just `faux' feminism perpetrated by the filmmakers to allow for the ladies to run around braless, pop their tops, and bed male characters at any given opportunity, as also seen in other films of the time like The Student Teachers (1973) and Candy Stripe Nurses (1974). The women audience members were supposed to identify with the strong female characters, while the male audience members got to gawk at jooblies...something for everyone. The story moves along at a pretty good clip and features some decent, but not stellar, car chase sequences, along with silly hi-jinks and what not...the movie's listed as a drama/thriller, but there's a comedic undertone throughout much of the story, a breezy attitude highlighted by a whole lot of twangy, good old boy music, whose repetitiveness got old as the movie progressed. Picture the Dukes of Hazzard with nekkidness and a bit more violence, with the main characters being women instead of men. It did seem very odd that the girls should go out and purchase a big, old, white Rolls with their ill gotten booty, as it was conspicuous as hell, but whatever...if you're looking for some slick, high quality action, stick to the recommended releases on the shelves of the local video store, but if you're looking for some cheap thrills, the kind produced exclusively for indiscriminate drive-in audiences, then you're in the right place.

The picture, presented in fullscreen, is decent, but does feature quite a few noticeable flaws. The DVD case claims to present a `digitally remastered' print, but I'm guessing that means using whatever copy they utilized in the past for VHS releases for the DVD release. It is watchable, and after awhile I tuned out all the little imperfections on the picture and enjoyed the film. I'm unsure what format the audio is in, but it does sound good and come through clearly. Special features include an original trailer, along with various bios. Also included are previews for other DVD releases like Caged Heat (1974), The Big Doll House (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972), and The Arena (1974).

Cookieman108

What a great movie! Others have summed up the plot here already. Claudia Jennings, a beautiful Playboy Playmate, played in this movie. She was tragically killed in a automobile accident back in the late 70's. Johnny Crawford who played a little boy in the TV show "The Rifleman" is here for a romp. He wasn't too bad, but his love scene in the movie with that horrible song in the background didn't help matters much. All in all this is a great movie, with good music and some great scenes like when the dynamite wouldn't work when lit and it made like a light raspberry sound. I saw this flick many years ago at a theater in San Francisco called the Pix, a little place where you had to keep your feet off the floor for the rats that were crawling about. The audience was cheering and catcalling throughout the whole thing. It was great!

The Great Texas Dynamite chase, is a classic, 70s drive-in B movie. The beautiful, late Claudia Jennings, stars as prison escapee, Candy Morgan. She blasts her way out of the slammer, using sticks of dynamite. Candy learned her explosives skills through a training program for inmates, while she was incarcerated. Guess the clueless prison administration, never figured that inmates would use their training to break out.
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Right after escaping, Candy decides to rob a bank. It's the same bank that Ellie Jo, a young attractive woman, works at as a Teller. Ellie Jo's fascist boss, decides to fire her, for repeated tardiness. On the same day that Ellie Jo is fired, Candy bursts into the bank, holding lit sticks of dynamite. Candy threatens to blow-up the bank with the dynamite, unless they hand-over the dough. Ellie Jo, outraged at just being fired, enthusiastically helps Candy fill her bags with the bank's cash.

Candy quickly flees in an old 50s Buick, to her father's farm. She meets-up with her family, and gives them the stolen money. Candy's family is deeply impoverished. But now, thanks to Candy's larcenous ways, her father is now able to keep his farm. Reluctantly, Candy quickly leaves her family behind. She knows that she has to, realizing that the law will be hot on her trail.

Meanwhile, Ellie Jo feels cast adrift, after losing her Teller job. She feels stifled by living in her small, dull town. Ellie Jo wants out, and so she takes off, hitch-hiking to parts unknown, even to her. As luck would have it, Ellie Jo is given a ride, by none other than Candy.

Ellie Jo is overjoyed that it's Candy at the wheel. Candy's brazen robbery at the bank, has Ellie Jo brimming-over with admiration for Candy. Craving adventure, and with nothing better to do with her life, Ellie Jo begs Candy to let her join her, as Candy's bank-robbing partner. Candy quickly agrees.

Soon, the two foxy ladies are robbing banks with dynamite, rather than the typical firearms. Ellie Jo talks Candy into the dynamite method, after witnessing how easily Candy did it during the initial bank robbery. Candy and Ellie Jo, make their way across Texas, robbing banks and evading capture. They both become known by the public, as the legendary 'dynamite women', because of their use of dynamite, as their weapons of choice.

While robbing a convenience store, Candy and Ellie Jo take a young cowboy hostage. Ellie Jo soon falls for the hunky young stud. He suggests posing as a professional hostage. The women think it's a great idea, to help expedite their bank-robberies.

The three get richer and richer, from their thievery. They buy a Rolls Royce, stay in posh hotels, and enjoy a decadent, extravagant lifestyle. But as the law closes-in on the criminal trio, they realize that they need to get serious about hatching a permanent, fool-proof get-a-way plan.

In the 70s, Claudia Jennings was the undisputed queen of drive-in B movies. She'd acquired fame, as a former Playboy Playmate of the Year. Claudia wasn't just another gorgeous babe though. She had brains, genuine acting talent, and a graceful athletic ability. Most of all, she had a blazing-hot, on-screen charisma.

Claudia's spell-binding charismatic quality, was the engine that kept this film running fast-and-furious. As Candy Morgan, Claudia was a real scene-stealer. Jocelyn Jones as Ellie Jo, did a good job as Candy's partner-in-crime. But Jocelyn's performance was over-shadowed, by Claudia Jennings's commanding presence as Candy.

When this film was made, women were just beginning to appear in films as strong, competent characters. With it's two strong female leading characters, this movie was the template for future films in the same vein, such as Thelma and Louise.

I was a only a budding teen feminist, when The Great Dynamite Chase was made. This, and other films like it, were what my contemporaries and I looked forward to then . These films, were the essential drive-in B movie experience, in the 70s. Films starring Claudia Jennings, always fed our hunger to see female characters, who take control of their lives.

I highly recommend The Great Texas Dynamite Chase, for fans of the late Claudia Jennings. It's a tribute to her talent, and honors her as the queen of 70s B movies.

For those of us who love these old drive-in movie classics, you won't want to leave this one off your list. The opening scene is Candy(Claudia Jennings) running through a field having escaped prison. She meets with her sister(Tara Strohmeier) who gives her a change of clothes (first nude scene). The movie then switches to Ellie-Jo Turner (Jocelyn Jones) waking up (second nude scene). She is a bank teller who shows up late for work. Her boss cans her at the same time Candy enters the bank with dynamite performing a bank robbery. Ellie-Jo prevents a teller from using the silent alarm, an early version of "take this job and shove it" attitude. Later Candy picks up Ellie-Jo while hitch hiking. Ellie-Jo wants to rob banks with Candy. Candy is able to swap sex for dynamite. The girls want to make one good haul and escape across the border.

Great things that date this movie: Sound track- it was hokey in 1976 too. The huge rebel flag on the bank wall. Posting a real telephone number and not a 555- number. The cops are too stupid to check the former home for an escaped criminal. See-through pink top worn by Ellie-Jo. Soft drinks in glass bottles. Gold painted Super-Beetle. Daisy Duke shorts with knot tied blouse. Rotor dial phones. Smoking permitted in public buildings. No silicon or razor.

Sex and nudity.

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase is a title that doesn't lie. This movie is great, it's set in Texas, it's dynamite, and there's a chase. It's also the second best movie ever made that is set in Texas, with the first being The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There is a lot of nudity in this thing, with boobies, butts, and pubic hair making many random appearances. Fun for the whole family!

This movie was just great. I've tried to purchase this movie for years. Thanks so much for being there, Amazon.

For some unknown reason I was expecting this to be SMOKEY & THE BANDIT with hot naked broads and lots of explosions. Instead I ended up with a forgettable low budget stinker about two sickly looking women who rob banks in semi deserted towns and then, much to my horror, take off their clothes! Agguh! Please. Nobody wants to see that.

Candy escapes (off-screen) from jail then robs a bank to pay off her pa's farm. Like nobody's gonna be curious as to how a broke dirt farmer was suddenly able to pay off his debts in cash. Anyway, Candy's now on the run and picks up Ellie-Jo hitchhiking. They quickly hit it off and next thing you know they're robbing every small town bank in Texas with nothing but a few sticks of dynamite. Why nobody doesn't just punch them in the face and extinguish the dynamite I have no idea.

Soon they have enough money to buy a white Rolls Royce (!) and kidnap a handsome young stud to act as their hostage over and over and over again. Yawn.

I'd be willing to suspend reality a little bit and even overlook the lame script if the action scenes were good enough, but with only 10 - 15 explosions total and nothing but cheap cars bumping into each other it's inexcusable. This movie is a dud on all levels.

The DVD is bare bones all the way. The only special feature is a trailer. Watch UNHOLY ROLLERS or SWITCHBLADE SISTERS instead.

D: Michael Pressman (TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE; DOCTOR DETROIT)

Candy Morgan - Claudia Jennings (UNHOLLY ROLLERS; GATOR BAIT)
Ellie-Jo Turner - Jocelyn Jones (TOURIST TRAP; NOWHERE TO RUN)

Claudia was so hot and had real star power. Most might remember her as the agent who wanted to sign Greg Brady as "johnny bravo". She was up for the role of Kate Jacksons replacement on Charlies Angels (the real one, not that lame movie). With this film you see how she might have become a real star but sadly she was killed before her time.