21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Macon County Line a video classic, April 4, 2000
This review is from: Macon County Line (DVD)
Critical acclaim is not exactly the way to describe Macon County Line. This film, with many of the other 70's classic drive-in features, is an absolute classic but didn't rate highly with critics. Alan and Jesse Vint, although not Hollywood royalty, deserve a place in film history for their parts as brothers who become the victims of horrible circumstances. Alan and Jesse popped up in other films through the 70' and 80's (most notably "Centennial"), but "Macon County" is their opus. It's just a shame that their talents were never showcased like this again. They are outstanding actors. The film has impact, and the DVD version is like watching it for the first time. WOW! What a film. If you are like me, a child of the 70's, and using Amazon and e-auctions to build nostalgic movie and music libraries, put this one in your DVD collection. It's outstanding.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Drive-In Classic looks Great on DVD, March 19, 2001
This review is from: Macon County Line (DVD)
If you're a fan of low budget film making, the story behind the making of "Macon County Line" is as fascinating as the film itself, perhaps moreso. You'll learn about that in a short featurette that's included on the DVD that features interviews with Director Richard Compton, Actor-Producer-Writer Max Baer, Jr., star Jesse Vint and others. What I really enjoyed is the film commentary offered by Richard Compton during the film. It's actually more of a conversation with Anchor Bay producer Bill Lustig, a pretty good low budget film maker, himself (Maniac, Vigilante, Maniac Cop), about how the film came to be. Listening to the two directors talking about how to get the most out of a small budget (just over $200,000 for the film) is a real education. Lustig is a very good interviewer/commentator and has shown up on other Anchor Bay releases (his own "Vigilante" comes to mind).
The film, itself, is a much better-than-average story about mistaken identities and the tragic consequences that result. The cast is generally good and the acting is a lot better than what one might typically expect from drive-in fare. Max Baer, Jr., in particular, gives depth to a character that could have been played as "Sheriff Jethro Bodine." Baer wanted to break away from his "Beverly Hillbillies" image and, for the most part, he succeeds. Anchor Bay's widescreen edition looks great. I can't vouch for the sound since I don't have an elaborate audio system, but Anchor Bay generally has a reputation for doing good things with the available source material.
Fans of 70's era drive-in movies will really enjoy "Macon County Line."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The greatest drive-in film of all time finally re-released on DVD!!, May 16, 2008
A great big thank you to Warner Video for re-releasing Macon County Line on DVD. I sorely lamented missing the last DVD release, which resulted in having nothing to choose from but some very expensive even used copies floating around once the title was out-of-print or poor quality bootleg copies. I recommend grabbing this release while you can. Max Baer hit on a goldmine with the totally unexpected smash success of the film in 1974. This was especially amazing when you consider that it mainly played on the drive-in circuit during the initial release. Those who only know Max Baer as Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies will be in for a great surprise at the vast difference from that comical character and the character he portrays in Macon County Line. The theme song was sung by the lovely Bobbie Gentry of Ode to Billy Joe fame. The only thing that could maybe be better than having this classic film available once again on DVD would be to have the chance to watch it under the stars at a drive-in on a warm summer night. Don't miss it!! But a little bit surprised that this DVD release has no extras at all, not even the original trailer. Why??
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