King of the Mountain (1981)

A group of friends race their high-powered cars up and down a dangerous and deadly mountain road known as Mulholland Drive to see who can claim the title of "King of the Hill."

Director:

Noel Nosseck

Writers:

David Barry (article), Leigh Chapman

Stars:

Harry Hamlin, Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harry Hamlin	...	Steve
Joseph Bottoms	...	Buddy
Deborah Van Valkenburgh	...	Tina
Richard Cox	...	Roger
Dennis Hopper	...	Cal
Dan Haggerty	...	Rick
Seymour Cassel	...	Barry Tanner
Sloan Roberts	...	Billy T (as Jon Sloan)
Steve Jones	...	Policeman
Ashley Cox	...	Elaine
Lillian Müller	...	Jamie Winter
Cassandra Peterson	...	Neighbor
Buddy Joe Hooker	...	Fast Joe Otis
Ron Trice	...	Keyboard Player
Curt Ayers	...	Fatburger

Storyline

A group of friends race their high-powered cars up and down a dangerous and deadly mountain road known as Mulholland Drive to see who can claim the title of "King of the Hill."

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Plot Keywords:

car racing | music industry | beer | carsploitation | road racing | 

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Taglines:

When you're the fastest, someone always wants you to prove it.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harry Hamlin's role was intended for Brad Davis, who was fired due to his drug problems.

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Quotes

Buddy: I'll run with you.
Cal: [turns and recognizes Buddy] Music maker... organ grinder.
Buddy: Hey, I've heard it all tonight... I'd rather not hear any more.
Cal: You're in over your head, boy.
Buddy: [angrily] Look! I said I'd run... now can you get it together, and tell me if you're in or out? I'm ready!

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Connections

Referenced in The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? (2015)

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Soundtracks

Imaginary Lover
Written by Buddy Buie, Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix
Performed by Atlanta Rhythm Section
Courtesy of Polydor Records

User Reviews

Not available on DVD, but now streaming on Amazon Prime!

I first saw this cultural time capsule while working as a movie usher when it first came out in 1981 ... and a few dozen times since then on fuzzy, edited TV broadcasts and VHS. Was finally excited to see it again in high resolution widescreen on Amazon Prime last night ... check it out while it's up! I just love the song and performance of "Dangerous Strangers" by Deborah Van Valkenburgh.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

King of the Mountain

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$958,637, 3 May 1981

Gross USA:

$1,791,147

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,791,147

Company Credits

Production Co:

PolyGram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1