![]() ![]() Hal Needham directed one hell of a movie.Read a review of Rad at 80s Movie Rewind. He overcomes the top ranked leader and his cronies, Bart Taylor and the Reynolds brothers to do so, capturing the heart of love interest Christian in the process.Įver notice that the freestyle riders (bad guys) are basically Zuckerberg and the Winklevii? Better yet, Zartan and Tomax and Xamot, leaders of Cobra's Crimson Guard! Paperboy Cru Jones, a freestyle bike rider, learns of a huge BMX race in town and skips the SATs to champion it. Ok ok, that's not exactly The Breakfast Club or St. In the real world, Paul Allen, Lori Laughlin, Bart Conner, Talia Shire, Ray Walston, Jack Weston, and Alfie Wise come together to make a bodacious 80s film. Becky from Full House, Adrian from Rocky, Batman from Cannonball Run, Max Kellerman, owner of Kellerman's, from Dirty Dancing, and Mr. If you have never witnessed Cru Jones on Helltrack, IMDB Rad now and set aside 90 minutes!Ĭru Jones, the most rad name in (BMX) movie history, and the music soundtrack that inspired him. Talk about having Thunder in Your Heart, Rad is THE BEST (1980s) BMX movie. With You (Love Theme from Rad) - John Farnham.Allen lovingly called this movie “deep-fried in ’80s cheese” - but let’s not forget that cheese is dang tasty and never turned down at a party or gathering. ![]() I’ve seen it held up as the epitome of ’80s movies, and after having seen it, I agree with that assessment. It’s grown a huge following for its fun-loving attitude, terrific score, and memorable bike tricks - and crowds of people came out to celebrate its 35th anniversary re-release at Fantastic Fest 2021 with the cast and crew. And Cru and his buds are a hoot to hang out with.Įven though Rad bombed in theaters back in ’86, it’s become the very definition of a cult classic in the years since. It makes us fall in love with BMX from all of the races and stunts that are pulled off here (done by 25 or so actual BMX pros). It gets teens to fall in love with each other by performing a blend of bike tricks and dancing. It’s sincere without a trace of irony or meanness. It has something called “ass-sliding” that’s just as weird as it sounds. ![]() It features kids playing hide-and-seek with motorcycle cops. It’s got an upbeat attitude that vibes from start to finish. There’s so little in Rad that doesn’t aim to entertain you. But don’t lose heart, gentle reader, for there is nothing that a well-scored montage, the love of Lori Loughlin (who plays Cru’s love interest Christian), believing in oneself, and the undying adoration of an entire village can’t overcome. Yes, this is one of those sports movies where an entire town is absolutely enraptured by a single random athletic enterprise.Ĭru’s got some obstacles to overcome before he can even race, including his cranky mom (looking out for his college future, how dare she!), the devilish president of the racing association, a group of arrogant BMX professionals, and a lack of necessary funds. Bill Allen is Cru Jones, a teenage boy who’s being pushed by his mother to take the SATs but really wants to follow his heart to perform in BMX races - one race in particular, the “Hell Track,” which is coming to his very town. “Break the Ice,” “Riverside,” “Thunder in Your Heart,” and “Send Me an Angel” are just the tip of the iceberg, under which is a layer of synth and sax like you wouldn’t believe.īut there’s a movie here, and we must revel in it. There’s just nine tracks on it, and not a loser in the bunch. If you had to own only five movie soundtracks from this era, Rad would be an incredibly solid choice. The first thing we must discuss about Rad - other than the spot-on title - is the amazing soundtrack. And Rad sat on top of the pile of Huffy bikes in a category all its own. Bikes weren’t just a way to get around before driver’s licenses they were statements of rebellion and awesomeness, even if they kind of look like something little kids would ride today instead of teenagers. So many kid-centric movies from the time, including E.T., Karate Kid, and Goonies, featured several scenes of our heroes bikin’ it around town and across accommodating wilderness. Let’s ride on!īMX is certainly still around today, but it seemed to really peak in the 1980s. There are like three metaphors in this paragraph so far, and I’m not going back to fix any of them. It’s high time I enter the cult of Rad and drink deep of the cup of BMX, so that my education may be complete. Justin’s review: For a good while now, Rad has been terribly absent from my ’80s movie bingo sheet - to my great shame. “It’s going to take a radical miracle to beat this guy.” ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |