One of the first racing films I ever watched was The Love Bug and I instantly fell in love with the idea of these type of films. From Stoker Ace to The Great Race, Cannonball Run to Viva Las Vegas. I enjoy those fun comedy racing films.
Kino Lorber and Code Red have joined forces to bring film fans a cult classic comedy race film entitled Checkered Flag or Crash from 1977. Now making it's debut on Blu-ray with a brand new remastered picture.
The film follows "Walkaway" Madden, a racer who was given the nicknamed because he seems to continuously walk away from car crashes. All Madden wants to do is win the big Manila 1000 off-road race. Photojournalist C.C. Wainwright wants to report on this race by riding along with him, but Madden wants nothing to do with that.
This film is the first of it's kind. It was the first off road racing film and what a film it was. No to be honest the plot seems a bit lite, but the racing, crashes action and all the explosions truly make up for the plot short comings!
Joe Don Baker (Walking Tall) is great as "Walkaway" Madden, but the supported is stellar. They include Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise), Larry Hagman (I Dream of Jeannie, Dallas), Alan Vint (Macon County Line), Dick Adair (Blind Rage) and Parnelli Jones (Gone in 60 Seconds).
Now Kino Lorber and Code Red have transferred this film to Blu-ray in 1080p in 2.35:1 widescreen format from a brand new 2k Master. This new 2K transfer looks absolutely stunning. There is no signs of damage to this print.
Now included on this Blu-ray is a nice trailer gallery of Kino Lorber releases, including the Checkered Flag or Crash Theatrical trailer, The Naked Ape, Almost Summer, C.H.O.M.P.S.,The Great Smokey Roadblock and Story of a Woman. Than there is English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. That is always a nice addition to any blu-ray release.
I really enjoyed seeing Checkered Flag or Crash. This film is not trying to say something profound, it's just trying to be entertaining. And sometime you just need to escape from the cares of this world and enjoy some action-packed entertainment. This film will help you do just that.
If you are a fan of off-road, racing films, Susan Sarandon, Larry Hagman or Joe Don Baker this would make a great addition to your Blu-ray collection. You can head over to Amazon.com and get your copy before they are all gone.
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Kino Lorber Code Red's Blu-ray of Checkered Flag or Crash receives...
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