Taking a look at a "Cult Movie" Shout Factory box set that a family friend has recently picked up,I was surprised to find that one of the movies was co-writer's John Milius feature film debut,which led to me getting ready to find out how devilish the 8 could be.The plot:Grabbing 6 convicts just before they are sent for a life behind bars,FBI agent Ray Faulkner takes the gang to a remote countryside location.Finding each of them to be confrontational,Faulkner tells the gang that they each have a choice:they can either spend their lives in jail,or get freedom by helping him to take down ruthless Moonshine maker Burl.Tempted by Faulkner's offer,the gang start going after some Moonshine.View on the film:Despite being the first movie and working on it as a co-writer (along with Larry Gordon/Willard Huyck & James Gordon White) the screenplay is covered in the paw marks of John Milius.Milius uses the outback location to give an outline to some of his later themes,as the gang find themselves in gritty shootouts whilst trying to get a connection with their wild life surroundings for an advantage on Burl. Whilst John Milius builds the foundations for his later work,director Burt Topper guzzles Moonshine down and offers a terrific mix of tough men on a mission crime movie with a thigh- tapping Drive-In slide.Helped by Shout Factory giving the title a very good transfer, Topper covers the film in a golden brown which allows for the fights to spark across the screen,and the mistrust that the rest of the gang have for Faulkner (played by a wonderful Christopher George) to be given a rough, rustic atmosphere,as the gang reveal how devilishly hateful the eight can be.

"Tank Commandos" director Burt Topper's gritty moonshine melodrama "The Devil's Eight" amounts to nothing short of a shameless knock-off of Robert Aldrich's classic "The Dirty Dozen." Nevertheless, Topper has fashioned a solid but predictable crime thriller with a sturdy cast and enough blazing violence to satisfy fans of movies where a lawman recruits a group of criminals to do their dirty work. Interestingly enough, John Milius contributed to the screenplay, and composer Mike Curb has concocted a catchy orchestral theme that he repeats at appropriate intervals. Hard-as-nails Federal agent named Faulkner (Christopher George of "The Train Robbers") breaks seven ruffians out of a prison and trains them as a team of fast-driving, sharp-shooting, grenade-hurling guys. He promises them a pardon if they help him demolish a massive moonshine operation and capture the mastermind behind it, Burl (Ralph Meeker of "Kiss Me Deadly"), alive so he can flush out the politicians behind him. Faulkner sets out to pull off the impossible after he learns that five other Federal agents have bitten the dust in their efforts to arrest Burl. One of the convicts that joins Faulkner menacing misfits is Frank Davis (Ross Hagen of "Speedway") who once took orders from Burl. It seems that Burl had Frank's brother killed before he had Frank sent to prison. Frank's girlfriend Cissy (Leslie Parrish of ") belongs to the evil Burl, but she still loves Frank so she is surprised and gratified when she sees him again. Initially, Faulkner's henchmen cut into Burl's operation, running cars off the road and swapping shots with Burl's men. Eventually, Burl agrees to an impromptu palaver at a place of Faulkner's choosing and he is able to persuade Burl to cut him in for a quarter of the action. Faulkner and his men move in with Burl's men, but trouble erupts because one of Faulkner's misfits is an African American who creates trouble for himself and his friends when he enters a tavern where he isn't welcomed because of the color of his skin. Not sooner has Faulkner and his men entered Burl's camp than the wily moonshiner sends his second-in-command to warn the local authorities. Davis picks off where he left off with Cissy, but he is dismayed when he learns that she like men of color, too. Naturlly, Faulkner's men succeed in carrying out their objective despite several shoot-out scenes.Topper has appropriated a formulaic storyline about pardoned convict and pared it down to its absolute essentials. He spends the first half-hour assembling the men under Faulkner's command. Nothing about this low-budget but exciting thriller is remotely surprising. Several convicts stand out in the crowd, namely Ross Hagen as a dedicated drag racer.. During the final quarter hour, the fireworks really turn loose. Ralph Meeker is perfectly cast as a treacherous moonshine chieftain. Topper doesn't let the pace slacken, and he stages some noisy, bullet-riddled shoot-outs. Incidentally, the girl in the car with Faulkner before he is summoned to his boss's office looks like Christopher George's future wife Linda Day. Clearly, she is making an uncredited cameo. "The Devil's Eight" is worth watching. The Mike Curb theme music is catchy.

a guy in a blue Dodge,and guy out side the car training the guys with a hand grenade. He tells the guy in the car to go to the end,and drop it into the barrel. The guy complains,and the trainer guy "Pulls the pin",and says "Shut-up...you've got 10 seconds"! I remember them raiding the still. Was made in 1969 I thought the movie was older than that.There was a lot of good "Moonshine" movies that are now classics of the film noir "Thunder Road","The Roaring Twenties" with James Cagney,and Hunphry Bogart. I consider this movie a classic.Christopher George went on to do TV shows.Was a good actor. does anyone know if this is on DVD?

the feds are after moonshiners, who are very well organized, and recruit some good 'ol boys to fight fire with fire...lots of action, fair amount of humor, and some killing's to give it a dose of reality, keep this flick rolling along most satisfactorily.terrific cast, especially a sarcastic, mean spirited Ralph Meeker...likable Ross Hagen....charismatic Tom Nardini and very appealing Leslie Parrish....believe it or not, this film has a wonderful soundtrack, including a very catchy theme, several songs that relate to the ongoing action and one that is sort of a spin off of thunder road, but is much better...i had the album on an LP (33rpm) and really enjoyed listening to it.This film seems to have disappeared...i haven't seen it anywhere in many years....