Roadracers (1994 film)

Last updated
Roadracers
Roadracers dvdcover.jpg
DVD cover
GenreAction
Drama
Written by
Directed byRobert Rodriguez
Starring
Theme music composer
  • Paul Boll
  • Johnny Reno
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
Production location Whittier, California
CinematographyRoberto Schaefer
EditorRobert Rodriguez
Running time95 minutes
Budget$1,000,000[ citation needed ]
Original release
Network Showtime
ReleaseJuly 22, 1994 (1994-07-22)

Roadracers is a 1994 made-for-television film directed by Robert Rodriguez, his second feature film following the success of his 1992 debut, El Mariachi . The film originally aired on Showtime Network as part of their Rebel Highway series that took the titles of 1950s-era B-movies and applied them to original films starring up-and-coming actors of the 1990s (including the likes of Alicia Silverstone and Shannen Doherty) and directed by established directors such as William Friedkin, Joe Dante, and Ralph Bakshi. Rodriguez was the only young director to participate in the series. [1] The series was produced by the son and daughter of Samuel Z. Arkoff, the co-founder and producer of American International Pictures (AIP), the distributor of the films this series takes its titles from.

Contents

Robert Rodriguez's take concerned a rebel named Dude Delaney (David Arquette) who dreams of leaving his dead end small town and becoming a rockabilly star but gets caught up in a nasty feud with the town's local sheriff (William Sadler) and his son (Jason Wiles). Salma Hayek plays Dude's girlfriend, Donna.

Plot

Dude, a 1950s greaser, engages in a high-speed chase with the local cops, Sarge and his unnamed partner. After Dude causes their car to crash in a game of chicken, he joins his girlfriend Donna at a club. Donna does not enjoy the loud rock music preferred by Dude, and she is annoyed that he has made her wait. After they dance, Dude's friend Nixer joins them, much to Donna's annoyance. As they cruise around town and try to decide what to do, they run into Teddy, a rival greaser, and his friends. After exchanging insults, the two groups engage in a drag race. When Dude flicks his cigarette at the other car, it lands in Teddy's girlfriend's hair and sets it on fire. Teddy's car swerves and loses the race as the occupants attempt to put out the fire. Teddy and his friends swear revenge, and Dude drives off.

When he later sees Dude, Sarge threatens to arrest him but says that he is content to wait for a charge that will result in Dude's incarceration. Sarge privately berates his son, Teddy, for letting Dude make a fool of him and says that Teddy must get the situation under control before others begin to question Teddy's authority – and Sarge's own by extension. Teddy later confronts Dude and Nixer at J. T.'s diner, but J. T. defuses the situation. When Teddy challenges Dude to a street fight, one of Teddy's friends reminds him that he has set up a date with his girlfriend, who is his friend's sister. Teddy is forced to delay the fight, and Dude sets a date with Donna at the same roller rink. Annoyed to find Dude there, Teddy attempts to start a fight with him, only to end up embarrassed when Dude uses his hair gel to cause Teddy and his friends to crash.

Dude, Nixer, and Donna go to see Nixer's favorite film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers , and they later discuss the film's themes at J. T.'s diner. J. T. tells them that they must be ready to seize opportunities when they present themselves, as they may not get another chance. Like Invasion's protagonist, they may find themselves stuck in a situation with no escape. Donna urges Dude to take advantage of his interest in music, and Dude casually inquires about trying out for a local band that he enjoys. Although he does not commit to an audition, he becomes excited about the possibility of escaping his small town. Meanwhile, Teddy again confronts Dude at J. T.'s diner after sexually harassing Donna. Donna initially tries to talk Dude out of a fight but stops when Teddy continues to harass her. Sarge breaks up the two before they can engage in a switchblade fight in public.

Fed up with Teddy's failure to take care of Dude, Sarge hands him a pistol and tells him that he must resolve the situation by that night. Sarge tells him to do it privately, so that he will not be implicated in the murder. Dude is torn between fighting Teddy and auditioning for the band, and both Donna and Nixer attempt to convince him to ignore Teddy. Dude finally decides to audition for the band, but when he shows up, he finds that they have sold out and now play bland pop music. Angry, he leaves the club, only to be confronted by Teddy, who wounds him as he flees. Dude returns home to fetch a shotgun, and he kills Teddy but spares Teddy's girlfriend Julie. As he prepares to leave town, Dude says goodbye to both Donna and Nixer. Having learned about his son's death, Sarge attempts to kill Dude, but Dude causes a fatal car crash by shooting out Sarge's tires. Dude drives on with a sinister smile on his face.

Cast

Kevin McCarthy, who played Dr. Miles Bennell in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, appears briefly in the theatre scene while they're watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers and in a post-credits cameo.

Music

The film's music score was composed by Paul Boll and Johnny Reno. Reno and Rodriguez had previously played in a band together, and Rodriguez insisted that Reno be brought into the project. Rodriguez found that Link Wray's work was not currently in demand, and he was able to license it at an inexpensive rate. When he told Quentin Tarantino about this, Tarantino also licensed Wray's music for Pulp Fiction . [2] Music supervisors Karyn Rachtman and Mary Ramos worked on both Roadracers and Pulp Fiction, [3] [4] and the two films' soundtracks influenced each other. [2] [5] A soundtrack album available on A&M Records is listed in the end credits, but there was no standalone soundtrack release for Roadracers. A&M released a compilation of new songs from the Rebel Highway series, Fast Track to Nowhere .

Production

Rodriguez was used to shooting films very fast and ran into resistance with his Hollywood crew (most notably the director of photography). He discusses these conflicts in the now out-of-print book, Roadracers: the Making of a Degenerate Hot Rod Flick.[ full citation needed ] Rodriguez replaced director Wes Craven, who left the Rebel Highway project when Wes Craven's New Nightmare was greenlit. Rodriguez said that due to the fast shooting schedule of this film, as of an interview in April 2012, he had not yet beaten the record number of camera setups performed in one day. [2] Rodriguez had complete creative control over the film. [6]

Home media

A Special Edition DVD release was scheduled for December 13, 2005 but for some unknown reason never happened. Rodriguez stated in an online interview what the specs for it were: "It has a ten minute film school on it, commentary and a new digital color correction I worked on for a quite a long while... it looks really good, and I remixed the sound in 5.1 and beefed up the sound on it. One of my favorite movies, I shot it in 13 days, and the making of it shows how to make a feature in 13 days." [7]

Echo Bridge Entertainment released Roadracers on DVD March 20, 2012, and Blu-ray Disc April 17, 2012. The Blu-ray Disc included a 5.1 DTS soundtrack, and both the DVD and Blu-ray Disc say "Director's Cut" on the box. The special features include an audio commentary with Rodriguez and a 10 Minute Film School. [8] [9] In 2011, Miramax made a deal with Hulu Plus and Netflix to instant stream their film library. As a result, Roadracers has also been available for digital streaming. [10]

Reception

John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote, "From square parents to ominous rumbles, Roadracers doesn't miss a cliche in the depiction of rebels without a cause. Skillfully done, though." [11] Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Times called it "a giddily shameless paean to misspent youth". [12] Louis Black of The Austin Chronicle called "the perfect Roger Corman movie" as made by Rodriguez. [13] John Leonard of New York described it as "a fifties drive-in movie with some nineties salsa on its popcorn". [14]

Reviewing the film on home video, Matt Serafini rated it 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "It’s a fairly simple movie, and a remarkably assured one." [15] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote, "Rodriguez is clearly a virtuoso working at the top of his form, and the film's lurid, over-the-top histrionics suit his talents nicely." [16] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, also of The A.V. Club, said, "I wish cable networks were a little more willing to undertake these kinds of cheap, chancy projects." [17] Mike D'Angelo of Entertainment Weekly rated it B− and called it "a fun pastiche" until the violent climax. [18] R. L. Shaffer of IGN rated it 8/10 and wrote, "Fans of Robert Rodriguez should definitely check out Roadracers. The film reminds us of the director's humble roots, all while providing 90 minutes of fun, fast-paced, grindhouse-style filmmaking." [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Big Lebowski</i> 1998 film by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Big Lebowski is a 1998 crime comedy film written, directed, produced and co-edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. It follows the life of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity then learns that a millionaire, also named Jeffrey Lebowski, was the intended victim. The millionaire Lebowski's trophy wife is supposedly kidnapped and millionaire Lebowski commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The plan goes awry when the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak schemes to keep the ransom money for the Dude and himself. Sam Elliott, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jon Polito and Ben Gazzara also appear in supporting roles.

<i>Pulp Fiction</i> 1994 crime film by Quentin Tarantino

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence in Los Angeles, California. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue.

<i>Five Easy Pieces</i> 1970 US drama film by Bob Rafelson

Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American road drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Rafelson and Carole Eastman, and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tells the story of surly oil rig worker Bobby Dupea (Nicholson), whose rootless blue-collar existence belies his privileged youth as a piano prodigy. When Bobby learns that his father is dying, he travels to his family home in Washington to visit him, taking along his uncouth girlfriend (Black).

<i>Giant</i> (1956 film) 1956 American epic Western drama film

Giant is a 1956 American epic Western drama film directed by George Stevens, from a screenplay adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from Edna Ferber's 1952 novel.

<i>Doom</i> (film) 2005 film based on the video game series directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak

Doom is a 2005 science fiction film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. Loosely based on the video game series of the same name by id Software, the film stars Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Razaaq Adoti, and Dwayne Johnson. In the film, marines are sent on a rescue mission to a facility on Mars, where they encounter demon-like creatures.

<i>The Warriors</i> (film) 1979 American action thriller film by Walter Hill

The Warriors is a 1979 American action thriller film directed by Walter Hill. Based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name, the film centers on a fictitious New York City street gang who must travel 30 miles (48 km) from the north end of the Bronx to their home turf on Coney Island in southern Brooklyn after they are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. The film was theatrically released in the United States on February 9, 1979, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Memento</i> (film) 2000 film by Christopher Nolan

Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the short story "Memento Mori" by his brother Jonathan Nolan, which was later published in 2001. The film stars Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano. The film follows Leonard Shelby (Pearce), a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia—resulting in short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories—who uses an elaborate system of photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos in an attempt to uncover the perpetrator who killed his wife and caused him to sustain the condition.

<i>Chaos</i> (2005 action film) Film by Tony Giglio

Chaos is a 2005 crime action thriller film written and directed by Tony Giglio. The film stars Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe and Wesley Snipes. and The film premiered in the United Arab Emirates on December 15, 2005, but did not receive a North American release until over two years later, where it was distributed direct-to-DVD on February 19, 2008.

<i>The Substitute</i> 1996 film directed by Robert Mandel

The Substitute is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Marc Anthony, William Forsythe, Raymond Cruz and Luis Guzmán. It was filmed at Miami Senior High School.

<i>Killshot</i> (film) 2008 film by John Madden

Killshot is a 2008 American action thriller film directed by John Madden, and starring Diane Lane, Thomas Jane, Mickey Rourke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It is based on Elmore Leonard's 1989 novel of the same name. The story follows a couple who, despite being in a Witness Protection Program, are being chased and confronted by the criminal they outed.

<i>Without Warning</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Greydon Clark

Without Warning is a 1980 American science fiction horror film directed and produced by Greydon Clark. The film stars Jack Palance, Martin Landau, Tarah Nutter, Christopher S. Nelson, Kevin Peter Hall, Neville Brand and Ralph Meeker in his final film role. It centers on an alien lifeform that arrives on Earth in order to stalk and kill humans as game. It was released by Filmways Pictures on September 19, 1980.

<i>Space Adventure Cobra: The Movie</i> 1982 Japanese film

Space Adventure Cobra: The Movie, known in Japan as Space Adventure Cobra, is a 1982 Japanese animated epic space opera film directed by Osamu Dezaki based on Buichi Terasawa's 1978 manga Cobra.

Ignatiy Igorevich Vishnevetsky is a Russian-American film critic, essayist, and columnist. He has worked as a staff film critic for The A.V. Club and written for Mubi.com and the Chicago Reader.

<i>Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines</i> 2012 film by Declan OBrien

Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines is a 2012 American slasher film written and directed by Declan O'Brien. The film stars Doug Bradley, Camilla Arfwedson, Simon Ginty, Roxanne McKee, Paul Luebke, Oliver Hoare, and Kyle Redmond Jones. It is the fifth installment in the Wrong Turn film series, and is both a sequel to Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings (2011), and a prequel to Wrong Turn (2003).

<i>Despicable Me</i> Illumination media franchise

Despicable Me is an American media franchise created by Sergio Pablos, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It centers on a former supervillain turned secret agent named Gru, his adoptive daughters, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, and his yellow-colored Minions. The franchise is produced by Illumination and distributed by its parent company Universal Pictures.

<i>Ted 2</i> 2015 film by Seth MacFarlane

Ted 2 is a 2015 American fantasy comedy film that serves as the sequel to Ted (2012) The film was directed by Seth MacFarlane who wrote the script alongside Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The film follows the talking teddy bear Ted as he fights for his civil rights in order to be recognized as a person and not as property. The film also stars Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Jessica Barth, Bill Smitrovich, Patrick Warburton, and Patrick Stewart returning from the first film alongside Amanda Seyfried, John Slattery, and Morgan Freeman as new characters.

<i>Before I Wake</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Mike Flanagan

Before I Wake is a 2016 American dark fantasy horror film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan, and co-written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard. The film stars Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, Topher Bousquet and Dash Mihok. Before I Wake premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 31, 2016, and Netflix released it in the United States on January 5, 2018. The film grossed over $4.9 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Dark Crimes</i> 2016 film

Dark Crimes is a 2016 crime drama film directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremy Brock. The film was based on a 2008 article in The New Yorker by David Grann titled "True Crime: A Postmodern Murder Mystery". The film stars Jim Carrey as a detective who notices similarities between a cold case murder and a best-selling novel. The supporting cast includes Agata Kulesza, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kati Outinen, Zbigniew Zamachowski, and Marton Csokas.

<i>Live from London</i> (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel video) 1985 video by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

Live from London is a live concert video by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, filmed during a concert in 1984. It was the band's first release on VHS, being released in 1985.

<i>Batman and Harley Quinn</i> 2017 film directed by Sam Liu

Batman and Harley Quinn is a 2017 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the 30th film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, and is directed by Sam Liu and written by Jim Krieg and Bruce Timm. It premiered on July 21, 2017 at San Diego Comic-Con and was released into participating theaters for one night only on August 14, 2017. The film was released on digital on August 15, 2017 and on DVD and Blu-ray on August 29.

References

  1. ↑ Corliss, Richard (August 15, 1994). "I Was a Teenage Teenager". Time . Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  2. 1 2 3 Nicholson, Max (April 20, 2012). "Rodriguez Reflects on Roadracers". IGN . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ "'Roadracers' cast & crew". IMDb . Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ "'Pulp Fiction' cast & crew". IMDb . Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Knowles, Harry (October 2, 1997). "Road Racers with Robert Rodriguez Review". AICN . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ Huver, Scott (April 24, 2012). "Robert Rodriguez Looks Back at 'Roadracers,' Ahead to 'Machete Kills' and 'Sin City 2'". NBC News . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.cinecon.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ddc600ddd017c583066adaf4d30c0c5e&t=17697&page=2 [ bare URL ]
  8. ↑ https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/dvd/Roadracers_78169 [ bare URL ]
  9. ↑ https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/dvd/Roadracers_02971 [ bare URL ]
  10. ↑ Lawler, Richard (June 1, 2011). "Hulu, Miramax deal means Netflix, Hulu Plus both add Pulp Fiction and more starting today". Engadget. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  11. ↑ O'Connor, John J. (July 22, 1994). "TV WEEKEND; More Acerbic Daffiness in a Series From the BBC". The New York Times . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Willman, Chris (July 22, 1994). "TV REVIEWS : Showtime's 'Rebel Highway' Recycles AIP 'Classics'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ Black, Louis (July 22, 1994). "Roadracers". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ Leonard, John (July 25, 1994). "Grease Land". New York . 27 (29): 59.
  15. ↑ Serafini, Matt (April 28, 2012). "Roadracers (Blu-ray)". Dread Central . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (March 29, 2002). "Road Racers". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  17. ↑ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (March 7, 2015). "An app, a dog-friendly 7-inch, and a bunch of '90s B-movies". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  18. ↑ D'Angelo, Mike (January 17, 2015). "Roadracers". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  19. ↑ Shaffer, R. L. (April 18, 2012). "Roadracers Blu-ray Review". IGN . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.