aka the greatest BMX movie ever made!
Okay well i'm not really an expert on BMX, or BMX films, but i would like to think i know my shit about cheesy 80s teen flicks, and RAD (hella) qualifies as one of these.
I didn't even realize I owned this movie (an out of print VHS copy) until i reorganized my movie shelves. Intrigued by the title, i popped it in and was instantly brought into the world of BMX.
This film never made it to theaters but gained success as a straight to VHS release in 1986, and now has a strong cult following.
Synopsis from IMDB because i'm too lazy to write one on my own:
The story of Cru Jones, a young man who can overcome all obstacles that prevent him from participating in the BMX race "Helltrack." As he works towards his dream, Cru falls in love with Christian, an amateur racer. With the help of Christian and her friends, can Cru's "Rad Racing Team" defeat the top BMX factory rider, Bart Taylor?
SPOILER ALERT
The answer is yes, yes he can. Bart starts off as the super hot, blonde, proBMXrider asshole who has a change of heart at the end of the film and wants to race Cru without pulling any tricks. Cru wins the race, keeps his dignity, and gets the girl. It's a pretty classic sports movie scenario that manages to pull off some laughs, not all intentional.
I think my favorite part of the film is the school dance which for some reason the pro-BMX riders attend (and the mayor?). They have an awesome dance scene and then Cru and his love interest Christian (Lori Loughlin of Full House fame) engage in the most glorious slow-mo dance atop BMX bikes routine i have ever seen.
Now that i think of it, this film's greatest accomplishment is probably its mastery of slow-motion.
I could watch Cru and Christian sliding down that water slide into the river in slow motion for hours.
If you don't know what i'm talking about and wish you did, watch the whole movie. It's all on youtube, here's part 1:
Then again, if you just want to watch the school dance scene then just watch it here in part 4:
