King of the Mountain

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.

You'd probably think by judging the cover of this old action flick, it's average. And you'd be dead right. This film actually even had a book too, if you can believe. What this film is basically about, is about petrol heads racing each other on the snaking high top road, above the twinkling lights of L.A known as Mulholland Drive. Everyone wants to be the fastest, hence claim the title of this film. Good luck to to them. We have an array of known actors. Even Dan "Grizzly Adams" Haggerty gets in on this one, as an older and wiser mechanic who gave up being a petrol head, cause he knew it was his time. He lectures Hamlin, the new wannabe winner, to mull his future if continuing to race, and where is it leading. This is basically the message: Do you wanna keeping racing cars or make something of yourself. Some of his friends too play in a struggling band, Hamlin's new love (Van Valkenberg) a singer. Some of racing scenes at night are impressive, I must admit, but what this story rides low is any real kind of story, which here is devoid of plot, yet near the end, racing nutter Cal (Hopper) challenges Bottoms to a race or vice versa, where he accepts, this leading to tragedy, where Hamlin becomes the avenging racer. Really a film for speed freaks.

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.

I am currently trying to find this film on vhs. If anybody knows of it, or has a copy they would like to sell. I am willing to purchase it. Please email me with the details... about the movie, I saw it about 20 years back, right after it came out, I immediately identified with it, and has stayed with me. It is a real movie, about real street racing, before the days of neon and tuners. This film makes The Fast and The Furious look like The Slow and Ridiculous. In case anybody thought Dennis Hopper plays a goofy rogue character in Speed, they need to see this one (love his beater corvette in the movie). Like all car movies it is not inept to at least a little cheesy-ness. Although I would say it is a little more realistic than most.

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 :'(