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Drama Cult Classic

Russ Meyer’s rough-edged Depression-era drama of lust, violence, and bad blood in Missouri.

MUDHONEY

...leaves a taste of evil!

1965 · 1h 32m · PG · Drama · IMDB TMDB

It’s 1933, in the midst of the Depression and Prohibition, a stranger with a past walks into Spooner, Missouri on his way from Michigan to California, and gets entangled in a bad family situation.

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Quick Answer

What is Mudhoney about?

Mudhoney is a 1965 American drama film directed by Russ Meyer about a mysterious drifter who stirs up violent passions and conflict when he stops in a small Missouri town during the Great Depression.

Programmer's Pick

Russ Meyer swaps his typical urban sexploitation for muddy fields and hard times, but the melodrama and lurid impulses are in full vigor. Stand back: everyone in Spooner, Missouri has a scheme, a secret, or a grudge—sometimes all three.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Set against the hardship of the Great Depression and Prohibition, Mudhoney follows Calef McKinney, a stranger passing through Spooner, Missouri, who is hired for odd jobs by the local patriarch Lute Wade. McKinney catches the attention of Wade's niece, Hannah, but complications arise as she is married to the violent and scheming Sidney. With an eccentric preacher joining in the plotting, McKinney finds himself entangled in dangerous family schemes while trying to keep his own troubled past hidden. The film mixes domestic strife, betrayal, and forbidden attraction, all rendered in Russ Meyer’s signature blend of melodrama and exploitation.

Details & Specs

Director
Russ Meyer
Writers
Raymond Friday Locke, W.E. Sprague
Release
1965
Runtime
1h 32m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Genres
Drama
Also Known As
Esclave de ses passions, De olyckliga, Onnettomat, Mud Honey, Rope of Flesh, Mudhoney... Leaves a Taste of Evil!, Mudhoney - Im Garten der Lust, Im Garten der Lust

Why This Matters

Directed by Russ Meyer and adapted from Raymond Friday Locke's novel, this 1965 Southern Gothic period drama set during the Great Depression later inspired the name of the Seattle grunge band Mudhoney and influenced Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts album cover.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: Russ Meyer Writers: Raymond Friday Locke +1 more
Hal Hopper Hal Hopper Sidney Brenshaw AC Antoinette Cristiani Hannah Brenshaw John Furlong John Furlong Calif McKinney RH Rena Horten Eula PL Princess Livingston Maggie Marie Lorna Maitland Lorna Maitland Clara Belle SH Sam Hanna Injoys Stuart Lancaster Stuart Lancaster Lute Wade NW Nick Wolcuff Sheriff Abel Frank Bolger Frank Bolger Brother Hanson LB Lee Ballard Sister Hanson MF Michael Finn Thurmond Pate FO Fred Owens Milton WK Wilfred Kues Lynch Mob PC Peter Cunningham Lynch Mob BG Bill Gunter Lynch Mob LL Louis Lafayette CF Charles Felix CL Clarence Locke MF Mike Ferla GH Gilbert Haimson Mourner (uncredited) WM William Maley Townsperson (uncredited) Russ Meyer Russ Meyer Townsperson (uncredited)

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Why Cult

Depression-Era Missouri

The film sets its seedy family drama in rural Missouri during Prohibition, offering a rough-edged Americana rarely seen in exploitation cinema.

Meyer Melodrama

Russ Meyer’s signature knack for lurid family intrigue and booze-drenched domestic trouble gives the proceedings a feverish energy.

Sexploitation & Violence

Expect a collision of sex, violence, and moral rot—everything from infidelity to murder to lynch mobs—filtered through a 1960s exploitation lens.

Eccentric Preacher

Brother Hanson brings religious fervor and questionable motives to this stew of rural misfits, adding another combustible element to the plot.

Scene Gallery

Questions from the Vault

Who directed Mudhoney? +

Mudhoney was directed by Russ Meyer.

When was Mudhoney released? +

Mudhoney was released in 1965.

How long is Mudhoney? +

Mudhoney has a runtime of 92 minutes.

What genre is Mudhoney? +

Mudhoney is classified as a drama.

Where can I watch Mudhoney? +

You can watch Mudhoney on SassyFlix.

Trailers & Clips

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