6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Cynical look at a 1950's rebellious Rocker who has to confront his future, thugs with knives, and the crooked town sheriff. The film originally aired on Showtime Network as part of their Rebel Highway series that took the titles of 1950's-era B-movies and applied them to original films starring up-and-coming actors of the 1990's.
Starring: David Arquette, John Hawkes, Salma Hayek, Jason Wiles, William SadlerDrama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
You got to know what to do with yourself.
Long gone are the days when "rebels" and "troublemakers" and "riffraff" lived on the edge, bucked the system, and listened to hip-swinging Rock
music, drove fast, slicked down their hair, smoked cigarettes, and mouthed off to cops. But as Director Robert Rodriguez's (El Mariachi) Roadracers goes to show, mistrust and bad vibes
and conflict and physical altercations and violence and murder never go out of style. A stylish, rhythmic, nicely acted, well-executed, and ultimately
bloody tale of clashing personalities and teenage rebel drama taken to the extreme, Roadracers pulls its audience into a world that might be
looked back upon with fondness but that was still home to some pretty shady characters and just as representative of the unpredictability and
fleetingness of life. The picture meshes
"cool" and "frightening" with incredible ease, playing it edgy and stylish but with a dark undercurrent as it cruises towards a bleak resolution that the
audience hopes can somehow can be
avoided but that seems the inevitable outcome the closer to the end the picture moves.
Donna and Dude.
Roadracers features a proficient but not high-end 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Echo Bridge's transfer delivers satisfactory detailing and crispness for a high definition transfer. Neither faces nor clothes appear strikingly authentic or film-accurate, but rarely does any element appear pasty and never does the transfer look flat or poorly defined, save for a handful of shots where the image appears sourced from low-resolution video, the shots coming when Dude picks up Donna from her home in chapter seven, followed by another such shot in a movie theater shortly thereafter. Several shots simply go soft, but not video-fuzzy and messy. Faces do contend with a few bouts of sloppy color transitions when shadows lay over them. Colors are somewhat bland, mostly, and a touch too vibrant in brighter scenes, noted when Teddy and friends accost a red sweater-wearing Donna. Blacks are generally stable, only rarely crushing out details. Skin tones are largely even and reflective of each scene's color scheme. Excess blocking and other unwanted elements are largely absent. This isn't a striking transfer by any means, but for a budget Blu-ray the end result is more than passable.
Roadracers speeds onto Blu-ray with an active, but not always exacting, DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track plays big from the get-go; clarity is a little raw, but the opening music features an overdose of energy, good spacing, and hefty surround support. Crashes and sirens and squealing tires and other action sound effects also lack pristine clarity and realism, but the net effect is positive, with good separation, fine spacing, and decent clarity. Gunshots as heard near the end of the film won't be mistaken for the real deal, but they ring out effectively and with adequate power. Dialogue is often even, balanced, and clear, but it's usually muddled and hollow when forced to compete with surrounding music and effects. This track won't set sound systems ablaze with pure energy or leave listeners mistakenly transported back into the 1950s, but Echo Bridge's lossless soundtrack effectively conveys the picture's sonic elements.
Roadracers contains only two extras. Ten Minute Film School: The Making of A Degenerate Hot Rod Flick (480p, 10:01) features Robert Rodriguez discussing almost the entire filmmaking process, including the tight shooting schedule, writing the script, casting Salma Hayek so she could be later cast in Desperado, working raw ideas into the script, the speed of the shoot, and much more. This is a fascinating piece that shows Rodriguez's smarts, remarkable style, and ability to work on a small budget and within a short period of time. Also included is an audio commentary track with Director Robert Rodriguez. He discusses the differences between this and El Mariachi in terms of length of shoot and budget; shooting quickly; the technical details of numerous scenes; the work of the cast; the film's plot; stories from the set; various real-life people, places, and things that made it into the movie; inspirations for various elements; and more. This is a fast but balanced and highly informative track. Fans of the film and the director or those interested in low-budget cinema should give this one a listen.
Roadracers is Robert Rodriguez at the top of his game though barely out of the gate. The movie doesn't quite live up to the excellence of his first film, but then again they're two entirely different animals. Roadracers is a fun and intoxicating but sobering look into the past, a past where "trouble" might have meant something different but still leads down a rather dark path with no way back out. The movie is well acted, but it's Robert Rodriguez who elevates the picture far above its peers. No budget, no problem; Rodriguez uses raw skill that just can't be taught, raw knowledge and an eye for art that money just cannot buy to shape his movie into something far greater than the sum of its parts. It's not his best film, but it's a super example of style and know-how masking a whole lot of shortcomings. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Roadracers features decent video and audio to go along with two extras. Recommended.
2024
Collector's Edition
2007
2006
2013
2007
Special Edition
1987
2019
1995
2010
1996
2011
2008
@Zola
2020
2010
2015
Vinegar Syndrome Archive / Sold Out
1993
Vinegar Syndrome Archive
1985
2016
2010
SOLD OUT / Vinegar Syndrome Archive
1984