Woodyanders "Jackson County Jail" reigns supreme as one of the all-time great'n'gritty hicksploitation gems from the 70's. This tepid belated entry in the hicksploitation genre starts out awkwardly, but does get slightly better as the story unfolds. Alas, this picture never acquires the powerful harsh edge of the original because of Victoria Muspratt's wildly uneven direction, a pretty sloppy script (the opening scenes that set up the main character's dire predicament are especially clunky and rife with heavy-handed contrivances which strain credibility something fierce), a few ill-advised attempts at goofy humor that don't fit with the generally serious tone, the clumsy use of songs on the soundtrack (the brutal rape in the jail cell would have worked a lot better without a song playing over it), and the fact that the main character's transition from spoiled businesswoman to hardened criminal seems extremely abrupt and hence unconvincing. Fortunately, the action scenes are staged with some competence and the film moves along at a snappy enough pace. Moreover, the three leads do sound and praiseworthy work considering the lackluster material: Ally Sheedy makes for a strong and sympathetic damsel in distress, David Carradine projects a winningly lived-in sense of weary resignation and stoical compassion as a shrewd and resourceful felon who goes on the lam with Sheedy, and always dependable veteran character actor Charles Napier handles the role of a tough no-bull small Southern town sheriff with his customary sturdy professionalism. A strictly so-so flick.

merklekranz "Macon County Jail" has some pretty lame acting. Ally Sheedy appears to be either hysterical or comatose, and David Carradine acts like he would rather be somewhere else. All of this mediocrity allows Charles Napier's performance to stand out, and he is without question the most interesting character in this soggy jailbreak saga. The script seems extremely contrived, and clichés abound, all of which makes the gratuitous car crashes and explosions totally predictable. Sheedy's abrupt change from meek victim to gun toting desperado is anything but believable. Several weak attempts at humor leaves the film with a curious lack of identity, when contrasted with the brutal rape scene. - MERK

Big Movie Fan Ally Sheedy is a brilliant actress who can always be relied on to play a part really well. Every film I have saw this talented actress is has been good.She made a great team with David Carradine as the pair who go on the run and encounter all kinds of mishaps along the way whilst being pursued by the determined Sherrif Dempsey. It's interesting to see Ally Sheedy's change from a relatively easygoing lady to a criminal on the run-and very believable too. The only criticism I have of this film is that it could have been a bit longer but saying that, it was a great film with good performances from everyone.If you're an Ally Sheedy fan like myself, then watch it and enjoy.

thantos Well, I've thought about trepanation, but never so hard as I did after this movie. While its not the worst movie I've ever seen, watching Ally Sheedy as she's aged not-so-gracefully caused my boyhood fantasies to dry up and burn off, and seeing Carradine here, even as compared to, say, _Death Race 2000_ made my head hurt.Give it a pass, if there's anything there's a /chance/ you'll like better on.