Finding out that a poll was being held on IMDb's Classic Film board for the best movies of 1975,I started to search round for DVDs that I could watch for the poll.With having picked up the title a few years ago,after reading up about its connection to The Dukes of Hazzard TV series,I decided that it was finally time to pour a shot of Moonshine.The plot:Spending their time racing fast cars & fast girls,Bobby Lee and Grady Hagg decide the it is time for them to grow up,and that they are going to help their uncle Jesse Hagg sell his latest batch of moonshine.Being taught by Jesse about how to treat his pure moonshine with respect,the gang soon find themselves hitting a fork in the road,when fellow moonshine maker Jake Rainey announces that he and a group of gangsters are going to control production of moonshine in the area.Holding their own against Rainey & the mobs ruthless attacks,Jesse,Bobby and Grady decide that they must fight back,in order to protect the purity of Jesse's moonshine.View on the film:Spinning a running time of just under 2 hours (!) the screenplay by writer/director Gy Waldron initially makes the movie (which was produced by director Bob Clark) look like it is going to offer galloping hi-jinx and gallons of southern sass.Waldron avoids picking the light Comedy touch ripened in the film,and instead makes the title dry by not allowing the comedic charm of the characters to shine,but to instead make each of them stern and serious.Backed by a thigh- tapping narration from Waylon Jennings,Waldon brilliantly soaks up the movies dusty location atmosphere,thanks to Waldon and cinematographer Brian W. Roy using wide shots to fully display the dirt roads and mud-soaked farms that Grady & Bobby Lee Hagg (played with a real charm by Kiel Martin and James Mitchum) drive down,as they become the dukes of Hazzard.

This ain't no watered down Dukes of TV series. Moonrunners is full taste action with more cars, cursing, sex, fights, and real life. Although I will admit that the Dukes of Hazzard is more "fun" you just have to give Moonrunners a chance, it really is a good movie. I seen it yesterday for the first time and even though it is low budget it did keep me entertained, laughing several times, and the car chases/crashes were more pumped up and real as compared to the Dukes. What I mean is that in the Dukes when a car does a stunt and it is obvious that the fender was smashed but in the next frame or scene the car is all shiny and new; well that's doesn't happen in this movie, when they dent a car it stays dented. I also found Beth Ann more attractive than Daisy but that is a whole 'nother story. It is a good show that you should see if you like older car movies like Stroker Ace and keep in mind that it's very indicative of being an early 1970's movie as far as the production goes. The good ole boys are a little more rougher and tougher than the politically correct cousins that aired on television but the Uncle Jesse character is about the same and Jake (Boss Hogg) again is more real in this version, even pimping girls out of the back of the Boar's Nest.It looks like to me if you were to take Moonrunners and re-cut it with a bit more music production, slightly better editing, and lose a few of the slower parts then it would be a hot fast-paced show... Oh wait, they did do that to Moonrunners, it's called "The Dukes Of Hazzard".

I've wanted to see this movie ever since I discovered it was the foundation for the Dukes of Hazzard TV show. I was not a die hard fan of the TV show, but I liked it, primarily for the Waylon Jennings narration. This movie has the same goofy, rollicking charm as the show. You know you're in B-movie land with low production values and no big name stars, but the movie works anyway for at least the first two-thirds anyway, then it sort of gets lost in itself. The three leads--James Mitchum, Kiel Martin, Anthum Hunnicut--easily fit into their roles, especially Hunnicut. The pretty girl they introduce early in the film is pretty much irrelevant for the remainder of the film. The TV show corrected this oversight by making Daisy Dukes a stronger presence. The gangsters from up north are another missed opportunity. They could have added a lot more danger and excitement to the latter half. But the Waylon Jennings soundtrack is divine; he gets to sing a lot and his fans will recognize most of the songs. Even with its shortcomings, Moonrunners is worth taking a look at. I've watched movies with far better reviews and enjoyed them far less.

A nice representation of the type of life during the days of running moonshine. This movie is the precursor to the television series the "Dukes Of Hazzard". The main characters aren't named Duke and there is no General Lee. There is however an Uncle Jesse, A sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane and the Balladeer(Waylon Jennings). Ben Jones(Cooter) has a large role as a revenue agent. There are many similarities to the television series. There are plenty of car chases. It's a fun movie to watch, but may be slow in some parts of the dialog. People who watch it can see the direct relationship that it has with the "Dukes of Hazard". Definitely worth a look of given the opportunity.