Chad McQueen

Documentary filmmaker Dana Brown, who created a visually striking look at the world of surfing in 2003's Step Into Liquid, hits dry land running in this portrait of the world of off-road racing. The Baja 1000 is one of the world's premier desert racing events; taking place both on and off the roads in and around Baja California, the annual road rally pits drivers against punishing conditions as they attempt to cover the thousand-mile course in 36 hours or less. With a wide variety of different vehicles competing -- from modified trucks to stock Volkswagens -- Dust to Glory takes viewers into the middle of the race, with camera crews following in the action while several drivers race with cameras mounted to their cars for a "you are there" perspective. Dust to Glory also puts a special focus on driver Mike "Mouse" McCoy, who hopes to achieve a unique distinction as one of the first drivers to drive the entire one-thousand-mile course by himself (most vehicles employ a team of drivers for the long and demanding race). Dust to Glory director Dana Brown is the son of Bruce Brown, director of such legendary sports films as The Endless Summer and On Any Sunday. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Daniel Baldwin made his directorial debut with this feature, which blends dark comedy into an action-packed crime thriller. Jeremy (Michael Madsen) is a Mob lieutenant whose brother-in-law (Joe Mantegna) is an FBI agent. When a crackdown on organized crime threatens to put Jeremy behind bars, his brother-in-law arranges for him to become an FBI informant and enter the Witness Protection Program. What the FBI doesn't know is that Jeremy's boss is aware of his plans, and he sends two strong-arm men (Daniel Baldwin and Chad McQueen) to find Jeremy and bring him back -- or kill him if he's already told the Feds too much. Co-star Chad McQueen (whose father was movie legend Steve McQueen) also served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Car chases and double-dealing highlight this action-adventure drama. Jim (Chad McQueen) is a struggling race car driver who, after losing sponsorship for his racing team, falls into a life of crime as he struggles to pay off his debts as a mechanic. A brush with auto theft causes Jim to come under the thumb of Mr. Keller (Jan-Michael Vincent), the leader of a carjacking ring who wants Jim to heist a certain Corvette from an auto impound lot. However, it turns out that what Keller wants most isn't the car but certain illegal valuables hidden inside it, which have also attracted the attention of Keller's criminal rival Lawrence (Michael Madsen). Red Line also features Dom DeLuise, Roxana Zal, Julie Strain, and Corey Feldman; leading man Chad McQueen also served as an executive producer and one of the stunt drivers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An actor has a disturbing run-in with one of his admirers in this thriller. Zane Barry (Chad McQueen) is one of Hollywood's top action stars, and one day he's approached by Blair Madsen (Renee Griffin), a beautiful woman who informs Zane that she's his number one fan. Blair is eager to seduce Zane, and he is no mood to put up a fight, so they spend the night making love. The next morning, Zane informs Blair that he has a fiancée, Holly (Catherine Mary Stewart), and he's not about to break up with her to start a new relationship. Blair, however, is not to be denied -- and is willing to resort to violence or even murder to make Zane her own. Leading man Chad McQueen is the son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen. The film also features two other celebrity offspring, Charles Matthau (son of Walter Matthau) and Eric Da Re (whose father was Aldo Ray). Actor/director Paul Bartel also makes a cameo appearance, appropriately enough as the director of Zane's latest movie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Exploitation king Fred Olen Ray was well entrenched in his "Erotic Thriller" phase (typified by films like Inner Sanctum) when he turned out this oddball mix of salacious schemes and demonic possession. When creatively blocked horror writer Howard (Ted Prior) buys an oversized jar containing a silly-looking pickled monster from a tiny shop in Chinatown, he quickly falls under the thing's supernatural influence. Not only can he churn out reams of manuscript pages like never before, he also becomes more sexually aggressive -- a change which troubles his reserved wife Peggy (statuesque Sandahl Bergman), particularly after the arrival of sexy blonde live-in secretary Carol (Shannon Tweed, whose presence had become ubiquitous in films of this kind). The plot thickens when we learn that Carol is also conspiring with her partner Murray (Frank Sivero), Howard's greedy agent, to steal his manuscript. Carol soon becomes the puppet of the thing in the jar as well, playing violent sexual games with the couple, terrorizing Peggy at every turn, and ultimately turning on Murray -- leading to a hyper-violent climax which has nearly every character blasting away at his/her co-conspirator with automatic weaponry. Despite the heftier financial backing of Columbia Home Video, this is still exploitation in the classic Ray tradition, filled with the usual bucketloads of nudity and kinky sex, and featuring cameos from such familiar B-movie faces as Ray Silva and Turhan Bey, as well as Kato Kaelin as a busboy in the restaurant scene with Bey. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Clad in a blonde wig, Joe Pesci stars as the title character, a luckless actor. Unable to make it in the real showbiz world, Jimmy starts fantasizing about fame and fortune. His delusions eventually turn into reality when, through a fluke, Jimmy becomes known to one and all as "Jericho," a Robin Hood-like vigilante. Victoria Abril appears in a supporting role and the film's climax features a number of cameo performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Martial arts abound in this taut adventure, yet another version of the 1924 classic story "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. Big-game hunter Danton Vachs and his pals live on a remote island off the Mexican coastline. The island is densely jungled and Vachs makes a good living staging hunts involving human victims. His latest victim is an exceptional athlete and Vietnam veteran. To get him to the island, Vachs has his girl friend kidnapped and will not release her until the vet, Matt Collins agrees to play. He is given a four hour start upon his pursuers. While making his way through the jungle, he runs into John Blackwell, his predecessor, a survivalist who faked his death, and who has been hiding out on the island ever since. Together the two team up to make it back to the big house, get deadly chopsocky revenge and save Matt's girl friend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An attractive businesswoman is ignored by her abusive, uncaring husband. She has an affair with a male stripper and another affair with a young black woman. When pictures of her and her black female lover turn up, blackmail and murder result. Her ex-boyfriend -- a cop -- believes that she has been framed and sets out to find the real killer. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

This documentary, narrated by James Mason, traces the life of legendary big screen actor Steve McQueen. The product of a broken home and reform school, McQueen made a brilliant career in film in the 1960's and 1970's playing characters not unlike his own. He played the wily and rebellious loner in numerous roles, many clips are featured including from: The Magnificent Seven, Love with the Proper Stranger, The Cincinnati Kid, The Reivers, The Great Escape, The Sand Pebbles, Pappilon, and Bullitt. There are also home movies with his wife, Neile McQueen Toffell, and their children, and colorful stories from friends and fellow actors such as Chuck Norris, Karl Malden, and Don Gordon. Directors, producers, agents share anecdotes about the star's film career and life. McQueen, a race car enthusiast, is also remembered by his friends in the racing world. Steve McQueen was, indeed, a man on the edge. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

In this actioner, young people become a crack team of elite commandos and head for Central America to save the life of a kidnapped American ambassador's daughter who happens to be a friend of theirs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Writer-director Richard Brooks' final film features a weak script and poor acting but high energy direction in a tale of compulsive gambling in Las Vegas. Ryan O'Neal stars as Taggart, a sports reporter obsessed with gambling. As Taggart gets deeper and deeper into debt, he compounds his problems with assorted loansharks and gambling operators. Taggart has already lost his wife because of his compulsive gambling, but he takes up with big-timer Charley (Giancarlo Giannini), hoping to make a killing and settle the score. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Hadley Hickman (Griffin O'Neal), a bucolic teenager from the Rural South, moves with his family to Southern California. Enrolled in a snobbish prep school, Hadley is victimized and ostracized by his too-cool classmates. To prove his worth, our hero takes up wrestling, and before long he's the school champ, thanks to the input of coach Ball (William Devane), a washed-up alcoholic who finds redemption through Hadley's example. Yes, it's Rocky Goes to Prep School. Shallow and predictable, the film's sole redeeming factor is the warm rapport between stars Griffin O'Neal and William Devane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide