Buckle your seatbelt for the Trans-America Grand Prix, the infamous cross-country road race from Los Angeles to New York City.  Coy “Cannonball” Buckman (Keith Carradine), ex-con and fallen stock car champ, puts the pedal to the metal for one last shot at glory.  But competition on the open road is a killer… and Cannonball is the target!

CRITIQUE

Early in Cannonball, legendary producer Roger Corman makes an appearance.  He is the District Attorney, a government bureaucrat who wants nothing more than to stop the race in its tracks.  The person who brings the race to the attention of Corman’s character is the Assistant District Attorney, played by a non-descript, bearded man, the kind of actor we would normally see in a movie and quickly forget. But this is no mere character actor.  The Assistant D.A. is played by none other than Don Simpson, the man who would go on to produce movies such as Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop, and define Hollywood excess.  Simpson not only appears in this small roll, but he also wrote the film’s screenplay.  This defines the zany nature of Cannonball: it is a movie that is endlessly entertaining, and it is loaded with cameos.  To name them all here would spoil the fun of trying to find them, but they are there, and some of them might surprise you.  No one would put Cannonball on the list of the greatest films ever made, but to try and do so would be to miss the point.  This is a fun film to watch, the perfect kind of escapist entertainment.

David Carradine is Coy “Cannonball” Buckman, the racer on parole for a crime that, as we come to find out, he did not commit.  To participate in this race would be to break his parole, and he could land back in prison if he gets even one speeding ticket.  Speeding tickets are not all Cannonball has to worry about as he hits the road and find that someone does not want him to finish the race.  The role is a perfect vehicle for Carradine, and his charisma is on full display here.  The star of Kung Fu even has a couple of good fight scenes, even though this is really not a film about fighting.  Cannonball is a comedy, and the supporting cast is equally good.  Cult goddess Woronov, who is probably best remembered as Miss Togar in Rock & Roll High School, is fun to watch as Sandy, the lone girl in the race who is determined to win at any cost.  The entire cast is great, and they are obviously aiming to please.  A particular standout is De Palma regular Gerrit Graham as the dim-witted country singer.  The cast makes or breaks a movie like this, and here we have a perfect ensemble.

Cannonball is also a wonderful display for director Paul Bartel.  Bartel passed away in 2000 of liver cancer, and was not well known to most audiences, but he had a unique filmic view of the world.  Pegged as an action director after the success of Death Race 2000, Bartel was more interested in comedy.  In this way, one could look at certain scenes in Cannonball as either gruesome, or as extremely black comedy.  No matter how you find it, this is a fun film.  The cast and the director were obviously having a good time, and their enthusiasm comes through every frame.  The acting is right on key, and the film as a whole works incredibly well, and it holds up well 28 years after its release.  The film is supremely entertaining in spite of its obvious low budget, more fun in twenty-four frames than most of today’s big budget action films.

THE VIDEO

Cannonball is presented in the original 1.66:1 theatrical ratio, and the picture has never looked better.  The transfer is pristine, with all color levels coming through sharply.  The picture is unbelievably crisp.

THE AUDIO

There are several audio options on this DVD, and they are all superb.  You can choose from 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Surround 2.0, and the original mono.  The presentation is great, with solid, wide dispersal.  Every car crash, every explosion, and every great one-liner comes through loud and clear.

THE EXTRAS

It is great when these old cult movies and drive-in classics are released on DVD.  It is even better when they are loaded with bonus material.  Cannonball gets its share here.  If only director Bartel were still with us; I’m sure he would have given a great commentary.

Kicks and Crashes: Interviews with David Carradine, Mary Woronov, and Roger Corman: The producer and stars of the film talk about how the project came to be.  Director Bartel is discussed at length, as well as the numerous cameos in the film.

Theatrical trailer: The original theatrical trailer.

TV spots: They don’t make television ads like this anymore.  Here are three original TV promos, each a mini version of the theatrical trailer.

Poster and still galleries: a look at the different posters for the film, its various video incarnations, as well as some behind-the-scenes shots. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Though copies endlessly in the years following its release, Cannonball still holds up well. This is an endlessly entertaining film, suitable for all ages. The special features are insightful, and they give a detailed look at the making of the film and the people involved. This is one cult classic that you should not miss.