Whiskey Mountain (1977)

Directed by William Grefé [Other horror films: Sting of Death (1966), Death Curse of Tartu (1966), Stanley (1972), Impulse (1974), Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)]

Aside from some nice scenery and a rather disturbing rape sequence, Whiskey Mountain doesn’t really have a lot to offer. It’s an okay backwoods exploitation movie, but it’s rather short on the horror aspects, and I don’t know if the action during the end is really enough to boost this movie up.

It does look nice, though. Apparently filmed in North Carolina (at least according to IMDb, and who knows how accurate that is), the scenery is quite beautiful. We got a lot of shots of the mountain and the forests, lakes and rivers, and it looks quite peaceful, aside from the murdering and raping pot dealers and corrupt police force, but that’s just how it’s done in south, apparently.

If Whiskey Mountain tells you anything, it’s that we should just go ahead and legalize marijauna nationwide. We should have done it back in the 1950’s. If we did, then there would be no need for the marijuana growers in this film to take four people captive, as it could just legally be grown and sold. That’s what anti-marijuana laws get you, alas.

Seriously, though, Whiskey Mountain is a movie that I wish I liked more, and in fact, I did like more when I first saw it. It’s quite possible, though, that I was just so stoked to see it way back when I did (I’m pretty sure when I first saw this, Whiskey Mountain had under 60 votes on IMDb – now it has 265 and is widely available on Tubi), and didn’t pay attention to the actual movie. It’s even more likely that was in October, a month when I watch so many movies, it’s not always easy to get an honest and accurate reading on them in the moment.

The problem here is two-fold: for one, it’s a bit slow throughout, and when things to start going in a more action-oriented direction, I can’t say it’s the most exciting stuff (save for the motorcycle jump – that was pretty cool), and two, while I have no problem calling Whiskey Mountain horror, the horror elements are quite scarce. They pop up in a scene or two, but it’s by no means a strong part of the film.

Of course, it is always nice to see Christopher George (Grizzly, Day of the Animals, City of the Living Dead, Graduation Day, Pieces, and Mortuary), and he does well here, as do the other three central stars, being Preston Pierce, Linda Borgeson, and Roberta Collins. John Davis Chandler (Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and Mako: The Jaws of Death) made for a solid antagonist, though I wish he had a better resolution.

They’re not the only stars, though. Y’all know Charlie Daniels, I’m betting. Well, the Charlie Daniels Band did the theme for this film, surprisingly titled “Whiskey Mountain.” It pops up during one of the scenic portions at the beginning, and again during the credits, and it’s not a bad song. Not as catchy as “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” or “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” but then again, what is?

If there’s one thing that people are apt to remember about Whiskey Mountain, it would be the rape sequence. Mercifully, we don’t actually see anything, but what we do see is haunting in it’s own way. Pictures are being taken of the two women – polaroids that we see darken – and as the screams continue in the background, we see more pictures – forced kissing, then the women in their underwear, and then just a face in pain. The morning after the rapes is haunting too, and this whole sequence is probably the most striking in a movie that’s otherwise quite tame.

Whiskey Mountain is a movie that I wish I got more out of, but life doesn’t always give us those gifts. It’s not a bad movie for seeing motorcycles, mountains, and men with guns, but if you want some really good southern hospitality, check out Hunter’s Blood.

5.5/10