Joe-146
A friend of mine saw this movie on Showtime & recommended it. I had the good fortune to rent - & later buy the laserdisc version which includes a Director's commentary track. The film's good, but RR's commentary makes it MUCH better. Hearing how he ended up getting this gig, what exactly he was given to work with and how he ended up with the film you're watching, is another great story for fans of the director or just film-making in general. On the comment track he alludes to lots of other material that he has from this project, like videos made during production, and makes an offhand comment to the effect that 'someday if this ever comes out on DVD....' Well, I for one would stand in line for a copy. If you enjoy the 10 minute film school features & other extras on RR's DVDs, you too should petition the powers that be to release RoadRacers on DVD - along with the original (&/or new) commentary track & extras.It's am important step in Rodriguez' evolution from maverick indy to maverick big-league filmmaker. A DVD version would be a must-have for any fan.
Infofreak
For a quickie TV movie 'Roadracers' is a hell of a lot of fun. Robert Rodriguez made this homage to AIP in between his astonishing low budget debut 'El Mariachi' and its disappointing sequel 'Desperado'. David Arquette's performance really makes this one work. I often find Arquette's stoner characters to be irritating but he's quite different here, and really good. His greaser character Buddy must decide between playing guitar in a rock'n'roll band or playing the hand destiny has dealt him in a small town that despises him. Rodgriguez regular Salma Hayek plays Arquette's girlfriend, and his geeky best friend who is obsessed with 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' is played by John Hawkes who you will probably remember from the opening sequence of 'From Dusk Til Dawn'. And then there's William Sadler as the sheriff who detests Buddy. Sadler's always good no matter what he's in. I can't argue that this is a great movie but it is a very entertaining one, and worth tracking down.
premiumcream
I am a Robert Rodriguez fan. And becuase of that (and Salma Hayek) I rented this peice of crap. David Arquette is one of the worst actors I've ever seen. The tone of the movie is all messed up too. Some scenes are supposed to be funny slapstick material but at the end a dude gets a whole in his chest courtesy of a shotgun. If you like greaser movies (God save you if you do) then maybe you should watch this. If you're looking for something like "Desperado" or "From Dusk Till Dawn" then steer clear. Not even Hayek can save this peice of dung.
The_Core
Wild, cool and funky, "Road Racers" is a gem of a movie. The quintessential "wild-assing" picture, and I disagree with Maltin that there was too much violence. Only five minutes right at the end? The rest of the violence was mainly verbal, and I felt for all the characters, including "Teddy Leather. The real crook in the movie was his father, the police chief, and in the end there were really no victims. Life Happens, and in the end Dude gets it together and does NOT end up like his father. Hidden plot complexities make this film watchable well over one time.Nicely done! Rent it on video some night if you like wild, crazy, unpredictable and humorous. This movie is "Grease" for grownups. If you're a smoker, make sure you can smoke wherever you see the movie, everyone is smoking constantly throughout the picture.Hurt only by its low budget... some of the cuts in the car chase scenes really bite. But you could tell David Arquette really had some fun with this role. 8/10.
AD
