With a cast of real professional daredevils and enough damaging demolition, STEEL ARENA is an amusingly fun time with a simple plot. The focus is on true-life daredevil Dusty Russell, who risks his life and limb by attempting record-breaking divebombs in his career. And he successfully does them, too! Amazing! There's some exciting (although brief) stunts like the infamous "T-bone" and rollover crashes and the fire ring. Watch Dusty attempt to jump 100 feet into the air! Don't expect this to be a documentary, though. At least the daredevils can act alright. I had no idea whether Dusty survived the film's last stunt or not, for the end is quite solemn. There hasn't been a film like it, with the possible exception of EVEL KNIEVEL. It may have been aged, but it's definitely worth seeing wherever you can find it.
Review of Steel Arena
Steel Arena
(1973)
A killer display of death-defying stunts in this overlooked drama.
28 November 1998