Nightmare in Badham County (1976)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A Disappointing Continuation

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Women's prison films are a dime a dozen. Hollywood has been churning them out for years...and they continue to get made, proving there's a built-in audience for this low-brow genre, which inevitably includes catfights, rape behind bars, lesbian guards, women used for sex and that old standby, prisoner inspection time! Two mouthy-but-innocent college girls from UCLA, joyriding across America, get railroaded into a prison work farm in the south by a sadistic sheriff. TV-made potboiler (spiced up with nudity, an extra touch of sadism and clumsily dubbed-in foul language for its overseas release) benefits from a surprisingly decent cast, including Chuck Connors, Robert Reed, Tina Louise, Della Reese, as well as Deborah Raffin and Lynne Moody as the central twosome who eventually plot their escape after being pawed at endlessly. Raffin is especially good begging a frightened waitress for help, but this is ungainly, unpleasant material, exploitation at its most sleazy.

This television exploitation movie is certainly entertaining, but relentlessly downbeat. Exploring, how two college coeds are thrown in a Southern prison farm on trumped up charges, the film has many fine qualities. The acting by a largely recognizable cast is solid and character development is totally acceptable, but there are problems relating to the film's resolution. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no payoff for the audience. "Nightmare in Badham County" is loaded with reprehensible characters, along with two heroines who elicit tremendous sympathy. With that setup, a more upbeat conclusion might have been better. - MERK

Nightmare in Badham County is a 'women in prison' film, but I wouldn't recommend going into it expecting something along the same lines as the sleazy Jess Franco women in prison films as you're liable to be disappointed. That being said, this is still an excellent seventies made for TV movie and while it may be lacking in the sleaze factor; it makes up for that in other areas and John Llewellyn Moxey's film is still well worth a look. Naturally, considering that the film is a TV movie; it's not too violent, but influence was still obviously taken from the 'hicksploitation' genre and we focus on a small town where the legal system doesn't exactly adhere to the national standard. Two young college girls are driving through Badham County when they get a flat tire. After finding someone to help them, they run across the local sheriff and come a cropper when he doesn't take too kindly to them brushing off his advances and making a fool out of him. He then sets up his revenge; by having the girls thrown in a backwater prison for a minor offence.This film will no doubt get plaudits for the acting, and it's certainly above average considering the type of film. Deborah Raffin and Lynne Moody give good turns in the lead roles, and really do manage to draw you into their characters. Lynne Moody is the standout for me for giving the more realistic performance; Deborah Raffin overacts to quite a large and noticeable extent on several occasions. The film draws in themes of the racial divide as the prison at the centre of the film separates the blacks from the whites. This is probably the most shocking element considering the lack of sleaze. The prison itself doesn't seem as imposing as some of the prisons shown in other films, and it actually never seemed all that difficult to escape from. However, John Llewellyn Moxey creates a great atmosphere of hopelessness that stems from the inmates and surrounds the central location, which ensures the film has the right feel to it. It all boils down to a well worked and memorable ending and while this film may not be one of the best in its field; it's very good and well worth seeing!

Reminiscent of the Roger Corman cycle of "babes-behind-bars" flicks from the late '60s and early '70s, this is an enjoyable little exploitation item. Maybe some think it has pretensions to mask as "social commentary," but don't believe it, and just enjoy it for what it is--a made-for-TV version of those great Corman Filipino "prison-chicks" flicks. Apparently the video version is a lot more explicit than the TV version, but I haven't seen that one yet, so I can't say. Deborah Raffin and Lynne Moody are the two poor souls who get shanghaied into a Southern hellhole, and while Raffin is her usual bland, whitebread self, Moody steals the show from her. She's a much better actress than Raffin, is (IMHO) prettier and far sexier, and has a fresh, approachable, open appeal that Raffin lacks. Robert Reed does a nice turn as the corrupt prison superintendent, and it's fun to watch Tina Louise playing the sadistic prison matron--and Lana Wood is a blast as a lesbian (ahh, where would women-in-prison movies be without them?) prison guard.All in all, it's a fun watch if you don't take it too seriously--or seriously at all. Check it out.