![]() 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. More information and tickets are available here.“It’s going to take a radical miracle to beat this guy.” Rad was the subject of an episode of How Did This Get Made?, a podcast about movies that are considered so astonishingly bad that hosts June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas and Paul Scheer ponder how it’s possible they were green-lit in the first place.Ĭalgary Underground Film Festival’s presentation of Rad takes place August 29 and 30 at Crossroads Market.Helltrack Festival included live music, celebrity BMX athletes, vintage bikes and appearances by cast members Allen, Martin Aparijo and Fiola. In 2018, Mongoose Bikes sponsored a three-day celebration of the race at the centre of Rad by re-creating the fictional Helltrack, near Dallas, Tex.No official version of Rad had been released on DVD, Blu-Ray or any streaming service until 2020.Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli have since plead guilty to conspiracy charges. Lead actress Lori Loughlin was best known as Aunt Becky on Full House until she was indicted in the massive college admissions fraud case in 2019, eclipsing her sitcom celebrity.Cochrane’s current mayor Jeff Genung was an extra in the movie.Main character Cru (Bill Allen) was loosely based on real-life BMXer Eddie Fiola, who was also Allen’s stunt double.(For comparison, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, released the same year, grossed more than $6 million in its opening weekend alone.) The film reportedly grossed a total of $2 million at the box office. Rad’s critic score rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 44 per cent, while its audience score is an impressive 90 per cent.Here are some things you may or may not know about this enduring piece of pop culture. Like most cult films, Rad is polarizing, but its deficiencies tend to be overshadowed by its iconic status. The screenings are presented by Calgary Underground Film Festival and guests are invited to arrive by car or embrace the spirit of Rad and get there by bike. Now, 34 years after its release, it has been restored in 4K video format and will screen for two nights at Crossroads Market on August 29 and 30. Shot locally and released in 1986, the movie Rad tells the story of Cru, a young man with a dream of making it big as a BMX racer by racing the “Helltrack” and winning the grand prize of $100,000 (and a sweet Corvette).
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