Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2022

Alan Gibson's "Checkered Flag or Crash" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red. The only bonus feature on the disc is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If you start throwing up, I won't stop.

Even during the ‘70s, when American auteurs had pretty much total freedom to create very bold and original films, Checkered Flag or Crash could not have been made in America. No, I am not ignoring the fact that it was directed by Alan Gibson, a Canadian filmmaker, but because of visionary producers like Roger Corman these types of extreme racing films were very big in America, and in its current form Checkered Flag or Crash would not have been possible to shoot on American soil. Indeed, because of the nature of the extreme racing, the producers that funded the film would not have been able to find an insurance company to work with them, while the local unions would not have allowed card-carrying stuntmen to step in front of Gibson’s camera. Guaranteed.

But Corman had already figured out the ideal solution, which was pretty cheap and worked very well until the early ‘80s. It was Manila, the capital of the Philippines, which enthusiastically welcomed and actually encouraged American and other international directors to shoot dangerous genre films like Checkered Flag or Crash there. The local government desperately needed hard currency, so the more the foreigners were willing to spend, the more the authorities assisted them with their dangerous projects. While it lasted, it was a perfect relationship.

Now, Checkered Flag or Crash isn’t even one of the top twenty dangerous genre films to be shot in Manila, which is an important clarification for two completely different reasons. First, if what you see in it appeals to you, do some research later on and explore the genre films that go even further. Just keep in mind that more does not always mean better, even when genre films are discussed. Second, most of the dangerous material in Checkered Flag or Crash isn’t of the flashiest kind that will instantly take your breath away, so if you approach it expecting a genuine shocker, you could be slightly underwhelmed.

The plot of Checkered Flag or Crash is very simple, but there is a seemingly endless string of excellent surprises. Joe Don Baker is Walkaway Madden, a veteran American race car driver, who is determined to win a famous 1,000-mile off-road race through the Philippine countryside that usually lasts three days. His former partner, Doc Pyle (Alan Vint), now quite possibly his biggest rival, has entered the race as well, and because he is going to be driving one of Madden’s old cars, the stakes have suddenly gotten even higher. C.C. Wainwright (Susan Sarandon), a photojournalist, has just landed in Manila to ‘document’ the famous race for a big American company that has sponsored the event and Madden, the expected winner. Before the race begins, Wainwright convinces Madden to let her race with him and promises not throw up in his car even if she gets really, really sick.

Gibson shoots the race as it if is just one big and wildly entertaining event, but the crashes that are seen between the checkpoints are the real deal. There are a few that look so dangerous that it is practically guaranteed that they were done with local doubles. (Early into the film, archival footage from a real race is screened that puts the work that is being done before Gibson’s camera in a proper context).

But Checkered Flag or Crash isn’t just a big show-off piece. It has plenty of humor, some good old-fashioned action, and even a bit of romance. The most diverse material is in the final third where Madden and Pyle clash, Wainwright is left behind, and Mother Nature forces the organizers of the event to change the main route.

Only Sarandon looks out of place during the mayhem because she tries to sell her character as witty and tough with the wrong attitude and polished acting. Baker looks great and Vint is appropriately loose.

Checkered Flag or Crash was lensed by Alan Hume, who less than a decade later collaborated with Richard Marquand on Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi and John Glen on Octopussy.

Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Checkered Flag or Crash arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red.

The release is sourced from a very nice exclusive new 2K master. Some minor cosmetic work could have been performed to remove the tiny white specks and a couple of marks that occasionally pop up, but I like the way the film looks on Blu-ray a lot. My guess is that the master was struck from an interpositive because of the thickness that emerges during some darker areas, and because depth has some minor inherited limitations as well, but even on a very large screen the visuals still boast solid organic qualities. Color balance is good. However, in certain areas saturation levels could be even better. Image stability is good. I did not notice any traces of attempts to digitally enhance the visuals. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The dialog is clear and very easy to follow. However, if the film is properly restored and the audio remixed, I think that some interesting improvements can be introduced that would strengthen the soundtrack's dynamic potency. No, there are no technical anomalies that you need to be concerned about. However, there is a lot of racing footage with plenty of organic sounds and noises that I feel can benefit from a proper and complete contemporary remastering job of the original audio.

Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Checkered Flag or Crash. In English, not subtitle. (3 min).

Checkered Flag or Crash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

When a few years ago Code Red restored Mark Lester's directorial debut, Steel Arena, and introduced it on Blu-ray, it became one of my greatest discoveries and remains one of my favorite acquisitions because what is captured in it is fearless filmmaking of the kind that is no longer possible. I had seen Alan Gibson's Checkered Flag or Crash and knew exactly what to expect from it. While certainly different, it is a very close relative of Steel Arena with an equally great '70s ambience, so as far as I am concerned it is another unmissable genre gem. Code Red's release is sourced from a solid exclusive new 2K master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.