Le roi de la montagne

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.

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.

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 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.