Rad (1986)

Director:

Hal Needham

Writers:

Sam Bernard (written by) &
Geoffrey Edwards (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's going to take a lot more than skill for Cru Jones to conquer the toughest BMX challenge in the world. It's going to take a miracle.

Plot:

The story of one young man, Cru Jones, who has the intensity and desire to win a BMX race called Helltrack.

Plot Keywords:

BMX | Face Slap | Knocked Off A Bicycle | Drinking | Lumberyard

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Bill Allen	...	Cru
Lori Loughlin	...	Christian
Talia Shire	...	Mrs. Jones
Ray Walston	...	Burton Timmer
Alfie Wise	...	Eliott Dole
Jack Weston	...	Duke Best
Bart Conner	...	Bart Taylor
Marta Kober	...	Becky
Jamie Clarke	...	Luke
Laura Jacoby	...	Wesley Jones
H.B. Haggerty	...	Sgt. Smith
Chad Hayes	...	Rex Reynolds
Carey Hayes	...	Rod Reynolds
Kellie McQuiggin	...	Foxy
Beverley Hendry	...	Tiger (as Beverly Hendry)
Shawna Burnett	...	Amy
Graeme Davies	...	Harold
Logan T. Wotton	...	Miles
Jeff Kress	...	Rick
Gordon Signer	...	Mayor Coop Jenkins
Nancy MacDonald	...	Mrs. Grey
Rick McNair	...	Bob the Cook
Pat Pearson	...	Mr. Pratt
Maureen Thomas	...	Flag Lady
Bill Berry	...	Luke's Dad
Georgie Collins	...	Luke's Mom
Darlene Bradley	...	Mom in Station Wagon
Ashley Bristowe	...	Girl at Playground
G.A. Dahlseide	...	Fab Official
Norman Edwards	...	Department Store Man
Jack Goth	...	Scotty
Pat Kirst	...	Wesley's Teacher
Laird Mackintosh	...	Bob Kachler
Roberta Mauer-Phillips	...	Amy's Mother
Danny McDonogh	...	Mophead Boy
Tara McHugh	...	Girl
Barry Onody	...	Bar Patron
Rod Padmos	...	Bartender
Mary Siegel	...	Woman in Stands at Hell Track
Benita von Sass	...	Katie's Girlfriend
Gerry Whelpton	...	Man on Porch
Bev Wotton	...	Woman Buys T-Shirt on Street
Ken Squier	...	T.V. Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Larry Day	...	Town Citizen (uncredited)

Directed by
Hal Needham

Writing credits
Sam Bernard		(written by) &
Geoffrey Edwards		(written by)

Produced by
Sam Bernard	....	co-producer
Mary Eilts	....	associate producer
Robert L. Levy	....	producer
Jack Schwartzman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
James Di Pasquale

Cinematography by
Richard Leiterman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carl Kress

Casting by
Annette Benson

Art Direction by
Shirley Inget

Set Decoration by
Grant S. Goodman
Cindy Gordon
Clay Weiler

Costume Design by
Jerry R. Allen		(as Jerry Allen)

Makeup Department
John Cox	....	makeup artist
Iloe Flewelling	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mary Eilts	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gordon Robinson	....	first assistant director
Val Stefoff	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alfred A. Arndt	....	head carpenter
Louis S. Fleming	....	property master (as Louis Fleming)

Sound Department
Mike Dobie	....	sound effects supervisor
Richard C. Franklin	....	sound effects supervisor (as Rick Franklin)
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank H. Griffiths	....	sound mixer
George Tarrant	....	boom operator

Stunts
Glen Adams	....	BMX stunt rider
Richie Anderson	....	BMX stunt rider
Martin Aparijo	....	BMX stunt rider
Martin Aparijo	....	stunt double
Alex Baik	....	stunt performer
Kirk Bihun	....	BMX stunt rider
Fred Blood	....	stunt performer
Fred Blood	....	stunts
Brian Blyther	....	BMX stunt rider
Travis Chipres	....	BMX stunt rider
Scott Clark	....	BMX stunt rider
Brad Cowan	....	BMX stunt rider
Wynn Cowan	....	BMX stunt rider
Mike Dominguez	....	BMX stunt rider
Eddie Fiola	....	BMX stunt rider
Richard Fleming	....	BMX stunt rider
Kevin Hull	....	BMX stunt rider
Pat Lipovski	....	BMX stunt rider
Danny Millwee	....	BMX stunt rider
Mike Miranda	....	BMX stunt rider
Rick Moliterno	....	BMX stunt rider
Jeremy Moser	....	BMX stunt rider
Matthew Moser	....	BMX stunt rider
R.L. Osborn	....	BMX stunt rider
Pat Romano	....	stunt coordinator
Beatle Rosecrans	....	BMX stunt rider
Everett Rosecrans	....	BMX stunt rider
Rob Rupe	....	BMX stunt rider
Ron Wilkerson	....	BMX stunt rider
Ron Wilton	....	BMX stunt rider
José Yáñez	....	BMX stunt rider

Camera and Electrical Department
John Adams	....	generator operator
Robert Brown	....	best boy
Trevor J. Brown	....	assistant camera (as Trevor Brown)
Douglas Curran	....	still photographer
David Geddes	....	camera operator
Tom Hansen	....	second company grip
Ivan Hawkes	....	dolly grip
Roger Huyghe	....	gaffer
Nick Kuchera	....	key grip
Harvey LaRocque	....	first assistant camera (as Harvey La Rocque)
Joel Ransom	....	assistant camera
Gordon Schmidt	....	electrician
William Skinner	....	grip

Casting Department
Patches Dahlseide	....	casting: Calgary
Shirley Dahlseide	....	casting: Calgary

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betty Joyce Elliott	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Susie Fredrickson	....	post-production secretary
Deena Goldstein	....	post-production coordinator
Gillian L. Hutshing	....	assistant film editor
Jeff Kress	....	assistant film editor
Shelly Theaker	....	assistant film editor
Charles Robichaud	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
A. David Marshall	....	music editor (as David Marshall)
Rick Riccobono	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Joe Dodds	....	transportation coordinator
Lorne Evans	....	driver
Reg Glass	....	driver
Norman Hawkes	....	driver
Arnold Holmes	....	transportation captain
Keith Noble	....	driver: honeywagon
Brent Woolsey	....	driver

Other crew
Temple Anderson	....	trainee
James Baillies	....	trainee
Dale Benson	....	production consultant
Tom Benz	....	location manager
Kim Biel	....	trainee
Joyce Bradley	....	trainee
Conrad Eberg	....	projectionist
Eddie Fiola	....	technical advisor
Debi Greco	....	executive assistant to Mr. Needham
Christopher Hassen	....	trainee
Brent Hohnson	....	first aid
Beverly Jackson	....	post-production accountant
Rod Jarvis	....	police liaison: Calgary (as Sgt. Rod Jarvis)
Sidney Kaleff	....	choreographer
Mark Kaustinen	....	bicycle mechanic
Constable Cris Large	....	dog trainer
Richard Liebegott	....	production coordinator
Rosemary McCarty	....	location auditor
Debra Middleton	....	assistant: Mr. Benson
Marilyn Moyer	....	assistant location auditor
Claudia Odell	....	trainee
Steven Paschold	....	stand-in
Anna-Marie Plosz	....	production secretary (as Anna Marie Plosz)
Steven Jay Rubin	....	unit publicist
John Schwartzman	....	title sequence designer
Ron Simmerson	....	caterer
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• TaliaFilm II Productions

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar

Also Known As:

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company:

TaliaFilm II Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: Cru and Luke aren't supposed to be in the first qualifying race, but they are visible at the first turn.

Quotes:

Burton Timmer:[after being hit by a newspaper thrown by Cru and spilling his coffee] This world would be a lot better off without kids!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tosh.0: Bed Intruder (#3.1)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Riverside

B-grade BMX flick set in a stereotypical 1980s high school, has attained an odd cult status.

It's your basic "High-school dork beats bully & gets girl using his worthless social-outcast skill that everyone in this little universe is oddly obsessed with" (happens all the time in the 80's). Nothing particularly original or interesting about it, but for some reason it withstands repeated viewings and still seems like fun. It's one of those movies that unintentionally became a cult flick just by being so straightforward.

The plot, the acting, the characters, the one-liners . . . everything about the production is reasonably serviceable for the era, but certainly not GOOD either. The whole thing feels sorta like a cheesy 80's sitcom doing its big 2-hour episode for sweeps week, and the network gave it some money for a real location shoot & some extra cuss words.

The bicycle stuntwork in "Rad" is stellar. Yes, of course it's outdated now, and modern X-games riders like Dave Mirra can demonstrate a lot more technical skill on multi-directional spins & stuff, but ultimately that's beside the point. In real life the average 13-year-old spends weeks teaching himself to do a decent bunny hop. And for that 13-year-old, it's plenty of fun watching a character in "Rad" just trying to learn an (outdated) backflip move in the schoolyard using a hockey helmet & some old bed mattresses. (Think: "Jackass" but not so intentional. And it's too bad this movie was made before the era of "goof reels" during the end credits, because they probably got some real whoppers on film during this production.)

I can quote every line of this movie, but I still can't put my finger on what aspect of it makes it hold up so well. It's got that same sort of odd quality that a "Duck Tales" or a "Saved by the Bell" episode has: You can't explain why on earth you're still watching & enjoying it as an intelligent adult . . . but you are. (And so is everyone else you've shown it to.) Either way you'd better get your insider-status and enjoy this movie now. Next thing we know they might put it on T-shirts at Sam Goody & take all the fun out of it.