User Reviews

Anthony "Dawson" Margheriti lays on some seriously intimidating Italian miniatures in this noisy, goofy race-car movie that owes as much to Stelvio Massi as it does the aesthetic car crashes that earn the movie its sophisticated title. Joey Travolta and Vittorio Mezzogiorno make for a surprisingly charismatic couple of lovable motorheads, and even the movie's moments devoted to more emotional (and quieter) things like friendship and other gooshy stuff--like an obnoxious love interest who tags along on the ride to Acapulco--never sidetrack the from the story, which is car crashes. Lots of entertaining 80s details include a rocking Jan Hammer-style synthesizer score and Travolta's skin tight designer jeans and Members Only jacket, plus the movie features one of the most nauseating, bulbous screen villains to rival recently honored Golden Globe winner Mo'Nique. The vehicular destruction on display, particularly one sequence involving a car leaping a moving train, only to become entangled in remarkably strong telephone wires and likely incinerating director Margheriti's entire miniature facility, easily surpasses James Cameron.

This cheesy, Italian, action B-movie gem comes from the ever-reliable Antonio Margheriti and is chock-full of the director's usual quirks and oddities: a reliance on miniatures for the effects scenes, lots of silly dialogue, a paper-thin plot, synthesiser music, bizarre and over-the-top characters and tons of action, mainly taking the form of car chases but with a few fist-fights thrown in between to keep it moving. Action scenes to look out for include the crazy car chase at Kirby's estate; the opening race which incorporates about ten different uses of stock footage; a weird sequence in a deserted quarry where one car takes on about ten bulldozers, and of course the finale in which we get to see about twelve different cars get wrecked in loving slow motion.

CAR CRASH has an undeniably cheap look to it which mainly comes from the cheesy effects and tacky camera work. The plot is so lacking as to be barely noticeable, more of an excuse to have our heroes travelling through different directions and taking part in as many car chases and races as is humanly possible to pack into a ninety-five minute running time. Margheriti's miniature effects work is hilarious and over-the-top, I especially liked the model car which flew over the top of a model train before crashing on to it, doing a nice little spin in the air before crashing to the ground and exploding! Lots of miniatures also end up exploding or flooding, and although the effects aren't particularly realistic, they're lovingly crafted and you can't help liking them. Congratulations to Margheriti for delivering more of his usual over-the-top fun and escapades.

As for the acting, well it isn't exactly Oscar calibre, especially on the part of lead Joey Travolta who seems to lack both the talent and charisma of his better known brother, John. A lot of Italian B-movies are saddled with wooden leads and Joey is no exception. His partner in the film, Eric Roberts-lookalike Vittorio Mezzogiorno (STUNT SQUAD) is much more interesting as the stressed out, slightly manic mechanic who gets caught up in the adventures. Ana Obregon is fairly worthless as the love interest, although Ricardo Palacios has a good part as the slobbish gangster Wronsky. Keep your eyes peeled for Sal Borgese as a violent hit-man and John Steiner, going way over the top in what must be his hammiest performance, as an insane millionaire collector of priceless antiques. Ultra-cheap but pleasingly watchable crazy action stuff as only the Italians can make.

Paul Little (Travolta) is a stock car racer, and his best buddy Nick (Mezzogiorno) is his mechanic. The two men live to race, and they don't cheat, which really hacks off mobster Eli Wronsky (Palacios) who didn't want them to win a rigged race. After drawing the ire of the gangsters, Paul and Nick travel to Acapulco so they can be part of a new race called 'The Imperial Crash'. Along their journey they meet Janice Johnson (Obregon), an antiques dealer, and sparks fly between her and Paul. When the three of them go to the mansion of the wealthy Kirby (Steiner) and his snooty butler Gershwin, more chaos ensues before they can get to the final race. But Kirby's friendship will prove invaluable later on. Will the gangster baddies rub out Paul and Nick before they can even get to The Imperial Crash? Or, while they're in sunny Mexico, will there be - to quote Atomic Swing - a CAR CRASH in the blue? Find out today!

Antonio Margheriti has always been among our favorite directors, and Car Crash seems to be one of his lesser-seen works. Despite the cult status of Margheriti, the presence of Joey Travolta, and the fact that it was a Italian-Spanish-Mexican co-production which ensured a worldwide release, it appears as though the only way to see it in the U. S. is the Sony VHS.

While there are some scenes of light shooting and beat-ups, there are plenty of blow-ups and, of course, car races and crashes. Over almost 100 minutes, the film does slow down at times, but the camaraderie between Paul and Nick is good, and some drama is needed because it can't be all cars all the time.

One of the best things about Car Crash is the music by Mario and Giosy Capuano. It's really tremendous stuff and it helps keep the movie afloat. It ranges from hard-driving rock to synth to folk cues, and it's a treat for the ears. They were an interesting choice to provide the music, because it appears that this is their one and only soundtrack. It should come out on CD or vinyl, stat. I would say reissued, but it appears it has never been issued in the first place, which is a shame. I think a lot of people would buy it. It would be perfect for a company like Digitmovies.

Of course, it was 1981, and one of the first scenes takes place in an arcade with plenty of pinball machines and stand-up games. But, moving on from that highlight, much has been made of Margheriti's use of miniatures during some of the racing scenes. Far from a negative, it comes off as delightfully charming as far as we're concerned. If they had called the movie "Hot Wheels" it would have been entirely appropriate. Of course, Margheriti used plenty of "fast motion" to give the feeling of more speed, which gives things an old-timey "Keystone Kops" feeling which may or may not have been intentional.

John Steiner does an atypical role as the foppish Kirby, and his butler Gershwin is annoying so it's great when Nick finally punches him in the face. Nick also has some great insults, calling people "Jerk Brain", also, and we quote, "Your mother eats moose meat!" Obviously Nick was quite ahead of his time, as these two insults together were clearly the precursor to Judd Nelson in Conflict of Interest (1993) and his immortal "Jerk Beef".

Naturally, it all comes to a head at The Imperial Crash, which seems like it would be a good band name. Car Crash is decently entertaining most of the time, and would have been perfect for the waning days of drive-in theaters. Hopefully it'll get a physical release in a digital format so more people can see it and re-evaluate it, or just evaluate it for the first time.

If you're going to make a race car movie in 1981 and you're Anthony M. Dawson - ahem Antonio Margheriti - and you've got the Italians, the Spanish and some Mexicans interested in your film, you propose only one actor who can be in your film. Travolta.

Joey Travolta.

And oh yeah, John Steiner. Everyone loves John Steiner!

Paul (Travolta) and Nick (Vittorio Mezzogiorno, The House of the Yellow Carpet) are race car buddies who run afoul of the mob and a double-crossing antiques dealer named Janice (Ana Obregón, who is in Treasure of the Four Crowns and a fixture in the scandal sheets, what with being a Jeffrey Epstein client, a rumored affair with David Beckham that caused his wife Victoria to refer to her as a "geriatric Barbie" and paying her bodyguards to assault reporters). They get the perfect car to be winners - a red Trans-Am - and end up finally racing in the Imperial Crash, which seems like something out of Speed Racer in all the best of ways.

Steiner is Kirby, the person who is buying all the antiques off of Janice. He ends up flooding most of his estate and challenging our heroes to a race that destroys most of his home, crashes his car and drenches his butler. And he loves it!

This is a big dumb Italian version of a big dumb American race movie, which is something I never knew I wanted but totally know that I now love. You know what's missing from those movies? Model cars and a synth-ed out soundtrack. This one has that, including a model train crash and numerous scenes of firepits being jumped, cars racing down hills, non-stop motor noise and protagonists who whip dynamite out of moving cars like they're done it a million times before.

I'm not saying that I want Antonio Margheriti to direct everything I watch, but if the ratio was 75% Margheriti, this would be a much better life.