King of the Mountain

It was my favorite street race flicks of all time until Fast and Furious came out. Now I debate about which one I like better. You can't be a real car flick guy if you haven't seen this movie. It didn't have a big budget but it has a decent amount of action going on. It wasn't in the theaters very long so I didn't get a chance to catch it on the big screen. It has more emphasis on cars than most car flicks yet it retained a decent story with a good plot. Most car flicks have a crappy story and very little car action. Dennis Hopper was the best character he played the hell out of that role. My only gripe is why the heck hasn't this been release on DVD??? I had it on VHS but I don't know what I did with it :'(

I first saw this cultural time capsule while working as a movie usher when it first came out in 1981 ... and a few dozen times since then on fuzzy, edited TV broadcasts and VHS. Was finally excited to see it again in high resolution widescreen on Amazon Prime last night ... check it out while it's up! I just love the song and performance of "Dangerous Strangers" by Deborah Van Valkenburgh.

This movie is quite good. More action than that sucky commercial flick Gone in 60 Seconds that bored me in six milliseconds! THIS IS A CLASSIC CAR ACTION FILM IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. Great action throughout, a fair script and good actors, although it may not have been their best acting performance. The real stars (the cars) are not forgotten here. If you do get to see this movie, check out the cool mid-70's white Datsun 280-Z with diagonal striping on doors. I saw an example of one of these cars in a magazine with a Chevy 350 installed. And of course, Steve's (Harry Hamlin) Porsche 356 Speedster with Centerline wheels on WIDE B.F. Goodrich tiers under AC Cobra like wheel well flares! This move will satisfy all car nuts. And some who aren't! This was the days before the after- market auto industry made it possible for just about anyone to build a cool car through a catalogue or the Internet. None of these cars are straight of the shelf. Except perhaps for a 1980 Chevy Camaro Z28 and a Jaguar XKE. I have this movie on videotape that had to have been recorded in the mid-80's by a friend or myself when I was around 13 years old. Unfortunately, I can't find this movie being sold on VHS or DVD anywhere. Enjoy it, if you can find it. If you think you would like this kind of movie, try finding `The Driver' with Ryan O'neal and Bruce Dern too!

One of the first uncensored movies I saw, thanks to a young HBO. Add in an early 80's Harry Hamlin with a near afro, that dark haired chick from the "Warriors" and "Too Close For Comfort", a crackpot turn by Dennis Hopper, Mullholland Drive drag racing, some cheesy soundtrack music and you have a a beautiful time capsule. Harry is the top drag racer on Mullholland Drive, but Dennis Hopper, who used to be the top gun before taking too many drugs or something like that, is ready for a showdown. I think. I might remember better if this movie was at all available. Really gets at that moment where what we know as the 80's was just beginning, while the 70's was still hanging around in the ether. Tight Sergio Valente jeans, members only jackets, but hair still in that big 70's mode.

I first saw this movie back in 1981 and it struck a chord with me, being I was a successful street racer at the time. Steve's modified Porsche Speedster was one of the coolest looking cars of its time (big fender flares were in, but most cars looked cartoonish with them), and Cal's Corvette "rat racer" is still cool today. Some of the extras in the Mulholland scenes were actual racers themselves, and that helped to give an authentic feel to what street racing was actually like back in the late '70's/early '80's. There are some elements that aren't racing related ( the subplot of Buddy's music career, for example) that could be considered ponderous moments, but the racing sequences more than made up for them. The dynamic of the three friends (Steve, Buddy and Roger) sharing a common house worked, showing the differences in each character's personality. Steve (Harry Hamlin) in particular was my favorite... comfortable enough around his friends, quiet and reserved in normal social situations, but not really "alive" unless he was in his car racing. There's Buddy, loyal friend to the core, and budding musician. And Roger, former racer himself that feels he's outgrown Mulholland and now wants more out of life. Then there's Cal (Dennis Hopper), who was the previous top dog until he had a bad accident, never really recovering from it. Still, he wants to be back on top, no matter what or who stands in his way... I'm lucky enough to have this long out of print film on VHS, and would love nothing more than to see it on DVD. This is a film no true gearhead or fan of the "car film" genre should be without. Check it out if you get the chance.