"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.
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.