The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 5, 2025

Kenneth Gordon Polsjek was a boy with a dream. He grew up in the “slums” of Montreal, handling poverty and an aborted education, forced into maturity to make a living at a young age. Kenneth was drawn to spectacle, and was soon reborn as “Ken Carter,” setting out to create a career on the daredevil circuit during the 1970s. He was a man driven to success and to entertain, embracing his growing status as a fearless star in the stunt world, always hunting for his next event. 1981’s “The Devil at Your Heels” is a documentary about Carter’s quest for the impossible, with director Robert Fortier following the “Mad Canadian” for five years, capturing the development of a mile-long jet car jump as its challenged by all kinds of setbacks and delays. Carter is a character, and “The Devil at Your Heels” is an interesting, but slowly paced understanding of his drive to find publicity and fame, taking his act to the extreme to secure his place as the number one stunt driver in the world.

The adventure begins in 1976, as Carter announces plans to jump over the St. Lawrence seaway in a jet car, willing to tear along at 250mph to do so. He’s 37 years old and a veteran in the stunt driving game, having built a brand name for crazy jumps, touring around North America to entertain audiences craving time with danger. “The Devil at Your Heels” establishes Carter as a driven man in need of a jet car, a massive ramp, and plenty of money to deliver his event, fully expecting everything to fall in line, embracing the media attention such a plan provides him. Of course, pulling off such a vision isn’t easy, and Fortier is there with his camera to capture all the issues that arise, which takes Carter on a multi-year journey as his dream is dragged through all kinds of challenges and disappointments.

“The Devil at Your Heels” deals primarily with delays and frustrations as the St. Lawrence event gradually comes together. Fortier isn’t too concerned with cinematic momentum as he focuses on Carter’s labor, but there’s a full understanding of technical demands to fill the run time. The jet car is the co-star of the documentary, and its construction takes up a significant amount of the movie, watching Carter’s team build a vehicle capable of withstanding the stress of the jump. There are financial issues to track as well, as Carter needs plenty of money to finish the job, and backers aren’t always dependable. An early deal with ABC and “The Wild World of Sports” is made, triggering a visit to the ramp site from fellow daredevil Evel Knievel, who predicts disaster for Carter. And there is a threat level, but to Carter’s state of mind, and “The Devil at Your Heels” closely follows pains from holdups and testing failures, though the subject remains determined to make stunt magic happen.

The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Devil at Your Heels" is listed as "scanned and restored in 2K from the 16mm interpositive by the National Film Board of Canada." The viewing experience carries a slightly processed appearance, as grain is blockier and filtering is present, along with chroma noise. Detail is merely basic, offering a general sense of the subjects and their period appearance, with slightly smoother skin particulars. Color is acceptable, exploring style and signage, which maintains brighter primaries. Greenery is compelling, and skin tones are natural. Car designs and paint jobs are distinct. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in decent condition, with some noticeable wear and tear at times, and a few lengthy scratches.

The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a basic understanding of "The Devil at Your Heels," maintaining clear interview segments and narration. Some degree of age is understood, but never intrusive. Music isn't a major element of the documentary, but a simple understanding of dramatic emphasis and instrumentation is found. Sound effects, meant to juice up some of the crash footage, is appreciable.

The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Selected-Scene Commentary features director Robert Fortier.

• Commentary #2 features Episode 407 of the Someone Else's Movie Podcast.

• Pure Cinema Podcast (9:29) is an excerpt from the show.

• Introduction (8:10) is an audio-only appearance from the Pure Cinema Podcast.

• The Movies That Made Me (6:55) is an excerpt from a 2020 episode of the podcast.

• "Daredevil Director" (17:32, HD) is a video conference interview with director Robert Fortier, who followed the Evil Knievel trend into a project about Ken Carter, soon brainstorming ideas with the daredevil for their cinematic stunt. Memories of Carter are shared, observing his fears and hunt for glory, often referring to Fortier as "his filmmaker." The influence of Evil Knievel is recalled, who wasn't happy about the situation, briefly threatening Fortier and his picture before calming down. After "The Devil at Your Heels" was completed, Carter was delighted with the film, eventually putting the helmer on a tour throughout Canada to promote the offering, and limited U.S. distribution is recalled. Awards season success is remembered, and the interviewee shares additional memories of Carter after the release of the movie.

• Interview (7:52) is an audio-only conversation about Ken Carter with his ex-girlfriend, Gloria DeMario, who initially met the daredevil as a teenager, reconnecting with him a short time later. The interviewee shares her memories of Carter's public and personal sides, and his associates. She also details her relationship with director Robert Fortier.

• Interview (4:27, SD) is a 1999 talk show appearance from musician Long John Baldry.

• "Keller on Carter" (10:12, HD) is an audio interview (more of a commentary, with a film and photo tour) with rocket car designer Richard Keller, who examines the formation of his career, achieving attention with his record-breaking work. The interviewee tracks the escalation of the business, pushing for greater glory inside more powerful vehicles. Keller was pulled into "The Devil at Your Heels" through the National Film Board of Canada, accepting a gig from director Robert Fortier after years spent refusing to work with Ken Carter. Technical details are also provided, identifying design achievements, and Carter's jump is examined in full.

• "Ken Carter: World Record" (24:41, SD) is a television special on Ken Carter, focusing on his daredevil plans and jump rehearsals for a 1982 event.

• "Aim for the Roses" (5:52, HD) is a featurette following the search for the location of Ken Carter's 1976 jump over the St. Lawrence Seaway.

• Image Gallery (5:19) collect pictures from Ken Carter's 1977's "rocket car ride to New York" super jump event.

• Robert Fortier Short Films include 1973's "The Myth and the Reality" (5:07), 1975's "Metal Workers" (9:59), 1976's "The Mad Canadian" (10:28, also contains bad audio), and 1979's "Harmonium in California" (28:54). The shorts can be viewed with optional intros from director Robert Fortier.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (4:20, HD) is included.

The Devil at Your Heels Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Devil at Your Heels" is a five-year-long journey for Carter, and Fortier creates a decently compelling understanding of the process and the subject, leading to a reasonably suspenseful climax. The documentary doesn't challenge Carter (he's a practiced showman), but it does capture the formation of a different kind of disaster, following it all the way to a somewhat surprising conclusion. Fortier doesn't have editorial snap, but he has documentary gold with the world of Ken Carter and his determination to hurt himself in the name of show business.