Eddie Macon's Run (1983) - Blu-ray Forum

The Great Owl · 04-10-2020, 11:31 PM

After being sent to prison for minor infractions, Eddie Macon, a devoted family man played by John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard), escapes by hopping aboard a cattle truck. In order to make it to his wife, played by Leah Ayres (Bloodsport) and his young son, both of whom are waiting for him just across the Mexico border, he plans to run 27 miles each night while hiding and sleeping during the daylight hours. His flight from the law quickly hits some speed bumps, in the form of two diabolical ranchers played by Tom Noonan (Manhunter) and Jay O. Sanders (The Day After Tomorrow), and a bored and spunky rich girl played by Lee Purcell (Valley Girl). More importantly, a determined inmate transfer detective, played by Kirk Douglas (Out of the Past), is hot on his trail and will stop at nothing to land him back behind bars.

The 1983 action chase feature, Eddie Macon's Run, directed by Jeff Kanew (Revenge of the Nerds) and based on a 1980 novel by James McLendon, comes across as a 1970s rural-working-man-versus-The-Man story, in the vein of Convoy, that was released a few years too late. Schneider, in his first credited feature film role, is likable enough as an earnest “good ole‘ boy never meaning no harm”, to the extent that his onscreen charisma as a man who entered the legal system under exaggerated charges negates the need for the flashback scenes explaining his dilemma. Most critical reviews state that Kirk Douglas was too old for his role, but I disagree. Douglas's been-there-done-that sensibilities and his haphazard demeanor are perfect for his lawman character, and his dramatic presence is the highlight of this picture.

Be on the lookout for John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), in his first feature film appearance, as an oil company supervisor whose crooked ways result in our titular convict's understandable loss of temper in one of the aforementioned flashback moments.

Schneider himself sings two of the country songs on the soundtrack.

Mill Creek Entertainment has some hits and misses with regard to their Blu-ray releases. This transfer of Eddie Macon's Run, which barely surpasses DVD standards, is a definite miss. Still, I stopped thinking about the presentation and simply enjoyed the story after a couple of minutes in.

04-10-2020, 11:31 PM	#1
The Great Owl Blu-ray Archduke Member since:Dec 2012 Location:Georgia 4K collection:921 Blu-ray collection:6031 DVD collection:28 Blu-ray reviews: 255 Trading Score:6	Eddie Macon's Run (1983) After being sent to prison for minor infractions, Eddie Macon, a devoted family man played by John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard), escapes by hopping aboard a cattle truck. In order to make it to his wife, played by Leah Ayres (Bloodsport) and his young son, both of whom are waiting for him just across the Mexico border, he plans to run 27 miles each night while hiding and sleeping during the daylight hours. His flight from the law quickly hits some speed bumps, in the form of two diabolical ranchers played by Tom Noonan (Manhunter) and Jay O. Sanders (The Day After Tomorrow), and a bored and spunky rich girl played by Lee Purcell (Valley Girl). More importantly, a determined inmate transfer detective, played by Kirk Douglas (Out of the Past), is hot on his trail and will stop at nothing to land him back behind bars. The 1983 action chase feature, Eddie Macon's Run, directed by Jeff Kanew (Revenge of the Nerds) and based on a 1980 novel by James McLendon, comes across as a 1970s rural-working-man-versus-The-Man story, in the vein of Convoy, that was released a few years too late. Schneider, in his first credited feature film role, is likable enough as an earnest “good ole‘ boy never meaning no harm”, to the extent that his onscreen charisma as a man who entered the legal system under exaggerated charges negates the need for the flashback scenes explaining his dilemma. Most critical reviews state that Kirk Douglas was too old for his role, but I disagree. Douglas's been-there-done-that sensibilities and his haphazard demeanor are perfect for his lawman character, and his dramatic presence is the highlight of this picture. Be on the lookout for John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), in his first feature film appearance, as an oil company supervisor whose crooked ways result in our titular convict's understandable loss of temper in one of the aforementioned flashback moments. Schneider himself sings two of the country songs on the soundtrack. Mill Creek Entertainment has some hits and misses with regard to their Blu-ray releases. This transfer of Eddie Macon's Run, which barely surpasses DVD standards, is a definite miss. Still, I stopped thinking about the presentation and simply enjoyed the story after a couple of minutes in.

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