Guide Home • A History of Film in East Tennessee • A Love Letter to the UT Film Committee • A Deep Dive into Movies made in East Tennessee
In recent years, Knoxville has become a hotspot for movie and TV production. Knoxville-based production companies are keeping cable channels stoked with true-crime, documentaries and other TV fare while Knoxville-based feature filmmakers are getting more and more ambitious with indie projects. Here’s a look at many of the memorable feature films that were filmed partially or entirely in the region since 1970.
“A Walk in the Spring Rain” (1970)
OK, if nothing else, “A Walk in the Spring Rain” brought legends Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn to town and captured the University of Tennessee (Ayres Hall, in particular) and downtown Gay Street in 1970 for posterity. Yeah, the movie’s kind of a snoozer, and Quinn never quite gets the East Tennessee accent, but, hey, how many non-native actors have?
“Two Lane Blacktop” (1971)
James Taylor, Dennis Wilson (of the Beach Boys), character-actor great Warren Oates and Laurie Bird star in this tale of a cross-country race for car titles. No character has a name; The Driver, The Mechanic, The Girl and GTO – because that’s what the character drives – is all you get. It’s sort of aimless, but, in its way, perfect. Directed by Monte Hellman, the movie was a financial bomb upon release, but it since has become recognized as a cult classic. Parts were filmed between Athens, Tennessee, and Western North Carolina. It’s also safe to say that no film has ever found a more surprising and confounding way to end.
“Deadhead Miles” (1972)
Talk about a strange curio! This marked legendary film auteur Terence Malick’s first credited feature film (as a writer) and starred popular actor Alan Arkin, but it never got a theatrical release. It also marked the film debut of Loretta Swit (future “Hotlips” on TV show “M.A.S.H.”) and has cameos by past-their-prime stars George Raft and Ida Lupino, and future directing/screenwriting great John Milius. While certainly not a classic, it’s far better than a lot of things that DID get released at the time. It occasionally shows up on television or gets posted to YouTube.
“Lolly-Madonna XXX” (1973)
This moonshine-feud romance feature brought Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges and other then and future stars to Knox and Union County. In an interview in the News Sentinel at the time, the young Bridges said he was amazed at how lush East Tennessee was. Notable aspects of this not-so-hot film include being based on a novel by future mystery great Sue Grafton and including very early roles for Randy Quaid and Gary Busey.
“Walking Tall” (1973)
While mostly filmed in West Tennessee, Knoxville does make an appearance in this popular movie about real-life sheriff Buford Pusser. A huge hit (that was remade in 2004 with Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Knoxville), “Walking Tall” stayed in Knoxville movie theaters for months.
“Incoming Freshmen” (1979)
Young then-Knoxville-based filmmakers Eric Lewald and Glenn Morgan set out to make a fun drive-in sex comedy and, from some reports, mostly succeeded. However, the movie studio didn’t like it, recut it and added extra material – and helped turn it into a mess. Lewald and Morgan went on to work on other movie and TV projects. If you happen to see it, keep an eye out for a scene filmed at the long-gone Dixie-Lee Drive-In, which, at the time, showed X-rated films in West Knox County. Lots of local actors landed parts in the original cut.
“The Evil Dead” (1981)
One of the greatest horror franchises of all time was shot in and around a cabin in Morristown. Word of mouth and a recommendation from Stephen King helped turn the movie into a hit, and its reputation has only grown. Director Sam Raimi and crew used so much fake blood in the production that the local grocery stores couldn’t keep enough Kayro syrup (the main fake blood ingredient) in stock to keep up.
“The Curse” (1987)
Wil Wheaton should have been riding high after the critical acclaim of “Stand by Me,” which was playing in Knoxville while he was filming this H.P. Lovecraft-inspired fiasco of a movie. However, Wheaton since has said that he and his sister were traumatized during the filming both by the filmmakers and by their parents. He had no kind words for Knoxville actor David Keith in the director’s chair, either. While widely covered by local media (I actually interviewed Wil at a motel off of I-40 during production), the movie was a critical and commercial failure. Wheaton credits it with ruining his career.
“Box of Moonlight” (1996)
“Box of Moonlight” caused a nice stir while filming was going on in Knoxville. Many locals were cast as extras. Star John Turturro was a fairly hot commodity, being a favorite in Spike Lee and Coen brothers films. Co-star Sam Rockwell was a hot up-and-comer. And director Tom DiCillo was following up his critically acclaimed indie debut, “Living In Oblivion.” There are plenty of recognizable locations and some recognizable faces in the background. In particular, look for Knoxville stalwart Stephen Dupree as “Elwood.” While a critical hit and a commercial disappointment, the sweet-natured movie’s reputation has grown over the years.
“October Sky” (1999)
This charming film based on the true story of a rocket scientist’s teenage years was filmed in Oliver Springs, Knoxville and other locations. With stars Laura Dern, Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper, and directed by Joe Johnson fresh from his success with “Jumanji,” “October Sky” had a lot going for it. Maybe its family-friendly vibe and lack of violence played against a big box-office draw. However, those who saw it tended to love it. Look for BLANK’s own Rusty Odom somewhere as an extra in this. Who knew?
“The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things” (2004)
This movie had the misfortune to find release at about the time that the world was finding out that hot teenage gender-bent author JT LeRoy (whose purportedly autobiographical novel this is based on) was, in fact, a creation of writer Laura Albert. Albert’s friend Savannah Knoop actually appeared at events as JT, while Albert posed as their manager. The movie, directed and starring Asia Argento, along with Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Marilyn Manson and Lydia Lunch, has scenes in downtown Knoxville and Knoxville suburbs and truck stops. Even after realizing this isn’t based on a true story, the child abuse depicted is pretty traumatizing. Watch it as a double feature with “Author: The JT LeRoy Story” for the complete story.
“That Evening Sun” (2009)
Directed by Scott Teems, whose most recent project is “The Exorcist: Believer,” this little film is a gem. An aging Hal Holbrook nails it as a curmudgeonly widower who escapes from a retirement facility to reclaim his home. Ray McKinnon, Walton Goggins and Mia Wasikowska all shine in roles before they became much bigger stars. While the story mostly takes place at the rural homeplace, downtown Knoxville has a couple of cameos.
“The Last Movie Star” (2017)
This movie, which features a lot of Knoxville locations, had so much potential. Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter and Chevy Chase lead the cast, and Reynolds returned to Knoxville for a gala for the premiere, but it’s lightweight fare. Enjoy it for the familiar scenery and Reynolds’ occasional good moments.
“Light From Light” (2019)
This low-key sort-of ghost story, written and directed by University of Tennessee professor and filmmaker Paul Harrill, has more to do with grief than ghosts. Jim Gaffigan plays a widower whose late wife may be haunting his home. Marin Ireland is a paranormal investigator with family issues. It’s a solid independent feature that points to a promising future for Knoxville filmmakers.
Get tix to Film Fest Knox at https://www.visitknoxville.com/film-fest-knox/
Guide Home • A History of Film in East Tennessee • A Love Letter to the UT Film Committee • A Deep Dive into Movies made in East Tennessee
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