Speedway Junky (1999)

A naive drifter runs away from his army father in hopes of making it on the car racing circuit. In Las Vegas, he meets a young scam artist, who develops a crush on him. He is then ... See full summary »

Director:

Nickolas Perry

Writer:

Nickolas Perry

Stars:

Richard Balin, Jaime Bergman, Jesse Bradford

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Balin	...	Ticket Man
Jaime Bergman	...	Bombshell #1
Jesse Bradford	...	Johnny
Jordan Brower	...	Eric
Susan Gayle Clay	...	Melanie
Tiffani Thiessen	...	Wilma Price (as Tiffani-Amber Thiessen)
Lucy Dawn	...	Raver Girl #1
Kaleb Dixon	...	Raver Boy
Shevonne Durkin	...	Bridget
Jason Ellsworth	...	Store Clerk
Bill Farmer	...	Sports Announcer #2 (voice)
Adrienne Frantz	...	Kelley
Warren G.	...	Brentley Shaw
Erik Alexander Gavica	...	J.T.
Stephanie Granda	...	Raver Girl #2

Storyline

A naive drifter runs away from his army father in hopes of making it on the car racing circuit. In Las Vegas, he meets a young scam artist, who develops a crush on him. He is then introduced to a whole gang led by a young hustler. The racer-to-be then gets a lesson in the wild side, getting involved in one situation after another. Patsy Kensit makes a cameo as another hustler and Daryl Hannah appears as the scam artist's surrogate mom.

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | scam | hustler | crush | car racing | 

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Taglines:

Every dream has a price

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, sexual content and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Former Official site - no longer valid URL as of January 2015.

Country:

USA Israel

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adicto a la velocidad

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,900, 31 August 2001

Gross USA:

$17,127

Company Credits

Production Co:

Magic Entertainment Inc., Golan-Globus Productions, Miracle Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Feature film debut for Warren G., who portrays Brentley Shaw.

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Goofs

When Johnny is caught with Wilma he is shown in close up with his shirt back on and then in the next two shots he is seen putting the t-shirt over his head.

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Quotes

Steve: Gettin' fucked in the ass tonight, Eric?

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Soundtracks

Manuscript
Performed by Underground Rebellion
Written by Marcel Cotton & Julian Foster
Published by Bomb Louy Funk Busic (BMI)

User Reviews

Good Idea, Troubling Ending

Despite some rough edges and a questionable Hollywood-like ending, this film offers an endearing relationship between two young men, one gay, the other not. Unrequited love raises its ugly head in the underworld of Las Vegas, with hustlers and drug dealers. Our hero wants to become a racer and make enough money to travel to Charlotte, NC. The other young man only wants someone to take care of and be there when times are rough. Their lives mix with a motley bunch of characters, most of whom only want a sexual favor or a drug turn-on. The acting of the two male leads is superb, with Eric as a truly tragic figure. But why did the screenwriter need to contrive the brutal ending? I suppose a film with a rough edge needs a rough edge ending, but once in a while can't the characters win? This film needs to be seen a couple times before final judgment is rendered. I gave it an 8/10, which is much higher than other reviewers, because it delivers a very important human theme that all of us can identify with.