Wizard-8 In the 1970s, just about nobody understood the drive-in audience like movie producer Roger Corman. So it should come as no surprise that several times in the 1970s, major Hollywood movie studios hired Corman to make drive-in movies for them. "Moving Violation" was one of those movies, but despite the resources of a major studio at hand, it isn't very successful for the most part. The movie does look slicker and more expensive than Corman's independent movies of the time, but not by much. There's almost no effort in writing a story or characters with depth - we don't even learn the name of one of the lovers before the two of them go on the run! As a result, the actors for the most part aren't able to do much with their characters, though Eddie Albert does shine in his somewhat brief role. As for action sequences, it's mostly car chases done in standard mode, so they lack excitement. If you're desperate, this may help 91 or so minutes to pass by, but even then you might wonder if this is a good way to use your time.

Woodyanders Scruffy, mischievous smartaleck Detroit drifter Eddie (rangily personable beanpole Stephen McHattie) and his sweet, plucky gal pal Cam (a winning performance by the ever pert and appealing Kay Lenz) witness a murder committed by a growly, profane, corrupt, vicious, irritable, just flat-out no-count and reprehensible cracker sheriff (a stand-out scurvy portrayal by Lonny Chapman). The couple go on the lam; Chapman and his hilariously inept deputies give hot pursuit. While the compact script by David R. Osterhout and William Norton offers nothing new and the story never springs any fresh surprises or novel twists, this film nonetheless still sizes up as a really solid and satisfying affair. In other words, the trite narrative gets redeemed by the briskness and vibrancy of the commendably spirited and unpretentious execution. Directed with galvanizing aplomb by Charles S. Dubin, further energized by Donald Peake's exuberant banjo-plucking, pile-driving country swing score and Charles Correll's splendidly agile, mobile, crisply handsome and polished cinematography, jam-packed with more auto-wrecking, metal-smashing, cars smacking into each other and flipping over in glorious slow motion vehicular carnage than you can shake a rusty tire iron at, and topped off with nice acting from the immensely likable leads, plus nifty cameos by Eddie Albert as a friendly, sympathetic lawyer, Will Geer as a crusty, snappish, nasty old oil baron, and the ubiquitous Dick Miller as one of Chapman's pernicious flunkies, "Moving Violation" tears ahead with such speedy breakneck velocity that it ultimately comes through as a giddy slice of dynamically enthusiastic Southern-fried demolition derby cinema.

mpkct While watching "Moving Violation" I wanted to know where this movie was filmed. There wasn't any reference to filming locations on the IMDb web site. In the process of watching the movie Moving Violation, I saw street signs for HIGHWAY 23, POINDEXTER AVE and also some railroad tracks. Going to Google, Highway 23, Poindexter Ave and the railroad tracks for Southern Pacific are all in Moorpark Caifornia. At the end of the movie at the court house scene when they were going to give themselves up, there was a miniature oil well derrick next to the steps to the court house. Moorpark has some oil wells, as were visible in some of the movie scenes. Does anyone know where the fruit grove scenes were filmed ?

G-Man-25 A wildly uneven but watchable combination of violent melodrama and car-chase comedy, about an unassuming young couple who stumble onto a murder and end up on the run, framed by the redneck sheriff who actually committed the crime. This is a 1970's drive-in picture, made to order. The comedy and violence tend to clash and cancel each other out, but the performances are good and the action well-staged for such a low budget film. Worth a peek on a slow night, but nothing to stay up for.