SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

ofumalow This TV movie borders thematically on rank sensationalism, but in fact it remains disturbing and effective. Deborah Raffin and Lynne Moody are very good as privileged middle-class California college girls who make the mistake of taking a driving vacation through the South, and a much worse mistake in ticking off corrupt smalltown sheriff Chuck Conners. They end up basically on a chain gang, with no chance to alert friends or family to their plight. The cast is starry but they really disappear into their roles--as a cruel prison wardress Tina Louise is so completely de-glammed, I didn't recognize her, while as a pederast politician "Mr. Brady Bunch" Robert Reed is convincingly sleazy. It's a notably grim, well-crafted TVM for the era that doesn't cop out. It was interesting to catch on YouTube the theatrical version that was shown abroad--it definitely has language and full-frontal nudity that wasn't in the American TV version, notably a crudely pasted-in lesbian scene between characters we haven't seen before or since. (But otherwise the film avoids a sleazy sexploitation feel.) While this is hardly a "ripped from headlines" movie, the issue of (mostly black) people being abducted and convicted of imaginary crimes in order to generate virtual "slave labor" really existed for many long decades to fill in the South's free-labor gap after the Emancipation Proclamation rendered official slavery illegal.

Scott LeBrun 'Nightmare in Badham County' is quite serious stuff that exposes abuses in a Southern prison system. By the very nature of the television medium, it's never as exploitative as some trash lovers would like (although there IS a more explicit international version out there). Still, it's pleasingly sleazy, played for drama with little to nothing in the way of humour. Deborah Raffin and Lynne Moody star as Cathy and Diane, who lovely young UCLA co-oeds driving through the country who make the acquaintance of a smarmy, bigoted sheriff named Danen (Chuck Connors). When Diane spurs his advances, he gets his revenge by having them thrown in jail on trumped up charges. From then on, it becomes a fairly typical Women In Prison story, with Cathy and Diane having to adjust to the harsh reality of being forced to become slave labour. An all star main cast is no less than convincing. Tina Louise and Lana Wood are among the trustees (veteran prisoners who've been given some degree of authority) and look quite delectable; also playing a trustee is the wonderful Fionnula Flanagan as Dulcie, the one woman in the bunch who treats Cathy with anything approaching sympathy or dignity. Della Reese is Sarah, the habitual jailbird who's grown cynical and who takes Diane under her wing. Ralph Bellamy is the judge who refuses to believe the girls' story. And Robert Reed may colour your future viewings of his Mike Brady performances with a vivid turn as a monumentally creepy superintendent. Exploitation aficionados will note the presence of Denise Dillaway from "The Cheerleaders" (1973). With an effective country style music score by Charles Bernstein, this features such staples of the genre as violence (a girl is whipped, although if you're watching the edited-for-TV version, there's a cut to commercials before it really gets started) and lesbian overtures (although as you can imagine, this is done pretty subtly. Overall, this is a reasonably compelling and consistently entertaining story that gets most of its juice from Moodys' endearing portrayal; Raffin is okay but Moody has more natural appeal and presence on screen. If you enjoy this genre or any of the actors involved, you may find this agreeable enough. The ending is a truly bittersweet one, but at least the film offers some hope that things can get better. Eight out of 10.

The_Void 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!

sasser-michael Whatever happened to Kim Wilson who played "Emiline?" She was the first victim of the evil Robert Reed. (Sorry for putting this in the review section, but there is no message board.) Want a review? Two cosmopolitan coeds from UCLA get arrested on trumped up charges in Mississippi. They can either put out for the sheriff, or risk a stint in the county work farm. These girls opt for the work farm, where they encounter sexual exploitation, physical violence, and even murder. Of course, every town in the south at this time was ruled over by corrupt law enforcement and had a county work farm to oppress women, African Americans, and other minorities. Unsuspecting, virtuous northerners were regularly imprisoned in such towns. Everyone knows this, right? Television icons Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch) and Tina Louise (Gilligan's Island) play villains in a departure from type casting. Despite the clichés this movie can be fun to watch so long as your expectations remain check.But, the real question is, where is the lovely and talented Kim Wilson?