Brash young hotshot Hoover Niebold (an extremely affable performance by Ron Howard) does his best to impress Darlene (an endearingly bubbly portrayal by fetching blonde Christopher Norris),a lovely lass he's smitten with. So Hoover decides to take Darlene on a wild joyride in a stolen souped-up hot rod while the inept local police led by Hoover's crusty father Sheriff Niebold (nicely played to the huffy hilt by Warren Kemmerling) pursue them all over the county. Writer/director Charles B. Griffith relates the slight, but lively and eventful story at a breathless breakneck pace, maintains an engaging lightweight tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, and stages the expected rubber-burning vehicular carnage with tremendous rip-roaring gusto. Moreover, Griffith presents the whole wacky affair with a likable screwball sensibility which makes this picture a perfectly harmless and mindless diversion (lots of automobiles get trashed, but nobody ever gets seriously hurt or killed),with the amusing kooky characters and the nonstop plethora of broad jokes -- a throwaway gag referencing "The Little Shop of Horror" is especially clever and funny -- ensure that this baby is a constant hoot to watch from start to finish. The cast have a ball with the broad material, with praiseworthy work by Dave Madden as good ol' boy stock car drive Big Bubba Jones, Clint Howard as the dippy George Poole Jr. Rance Howard as sturdy deputy Clark, Peter Isacksen as shotgun-toting yahoo Junior Hale, and Charles Howerton as the bumbling Deputy Jay Beah. Eric Saarinen's sunny cinematography gives this movie a pleasing bright look. David Grisman's jaunty bluegrass score further enhances the infectiously merry mayhem. Immensely enjoyable fluff.
Eat My Dust
1976
Action / Comedy / Romance
Eat My Dust
1976
Action / Comedy / Romance
Keywords: car race
Plot summary
In the Midwestern town of Puckerbush on Halloween, mischievous teenager Hoover Neibold, the son of cantankerous sheriff Harry Niebold, and his friends go to the race track to see Big Bubba Jones compete in a race. Since Darlene and her parents are also in attendance, he thinks it would be a good idea to see her. When Jones' pit crew pulls him away for an emergency, Hoover jumps at the chance to impress Darlene by stealing Jones' car, nicknamed Mabel, and offers Darlene a ride. She and the rest of Hoover's friends get in and roar away, with a deputy already in pursuit, but winds up crashing past the front paneling of a nearby restaurant, disabling his car. At the sheriff's office, an exasperated Harry is overwhelmed with the outrage from concerned parents, as well as Jones. He orders them to wait inside the drunk tank and only will see one set of parents at a time.Soon after, the gang pulls onto a farm to pick up another one of Hoover's pals, Junior Hale, laid up with a broken leg. Soon, another deputy pulls in to block Hoover's path, causing both cars to obliterate the property and the deputy crashes into a mud bath, sinking his car. They later offer to give elderly Mr. Lewis a ride, only to get chased by another deputy onto a field and having Lewis' alarmed wife notify Harry accusing the kids of kidnapping her husband. Hoover continues his antics with the remaining deputies, as the sheriff's office becomes more crowded with concerned citizens. Later, he and Darlene leave the gang behind, as they think they should temporarily leave the area and lay low in an unoccupied farmhouse, belonging to one of Darlene's friends, outside of town. Harry, now at his wit's end, is forced to enlist the help of Jones and his fellow racing buddies to go after Hoover.The drivers track Hoover and Darlene down at the house and a chase ensues through fields, mountain roads, and eventually down a ravine incline. Harry, who is riding shotgun in one of the cars, suggests he and Hoover talk, but refusing to accept the repercussions, Hoover drives off, some deputies announce their resignations, and Jones becomes clearly impressed with Hoover's driving. As night falls, Hoover and Darlene arrive back in town, where they are greeted by all the citizens and label Hoover a local hero. As they pull into the race track parking lot, Darlene makes a confession to Hoover saying she only liked him because of the car and disappears into the night. Hoover, feeling used, kicks the passenger door in frustration, with Jones showing up and scolding Hoover for mistreating a lady (meaning Mabel). He tells Hoover to get into the driver's side and they do a series of laps around the track.
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Entertaining 70's redneck car chase romp
Go Opie Go!
Hoover likes Darlene. Darlene likes riding in fast cars. Hoover likes driving fast cars. That's enough to get Eat My Dust off and running. Who would've thought that a Roger Corman produced car chase staring Ron Howard would be so much fun. One thing that this car chase comedy has working for it, that many do not, is that it's actually pretty funny. One funny scene involves a young Corbin Bernsen playing a slow minded gas station attendant. The driving sequences are also very well executed and photographed. One crash in particular at the end of the film makes you think the car is going to jump right off the screen. It's no Oscar winner, but who cares. Shut off your brain for awhile and let Opie do the driving.
some good car action
Hoover Niebold (Ron Howard) is a car-nerd, and a prankster with his friends. His daddy is the law. They're at the car race. Snooty hot girl Darlene Kurtz is willing to ride with him if only he gets the red race car. So he steals the car and they go on a joy ride.
Ron Howard wanted to direct his own movie and Roger Corman required him to star in this movie before giving him his directorial debut, Grand Theft Auto (1977). This is a thin script. I don't particularly care about any of these characters. Ron Howard is still a good lead. The rest can be left behind. There are some fun car action but that's the only good aspect. It's a B-movie with a named actor.