Eat My Dust (1976) Reviews

• Go Opie Go!

  Squonk1999-01-04

  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.

• One of many fun Roger Corman car chase movies

  SinjinSB2002-10-07

  One of many fun Roger Corman car chase movies. This one stars Ron Howard, a rebel, who steals the fastest race car in town to impress a girl. To make things even worse, his father is the town sheriff. You won't find any deep meaning or hidden themes in this movie, but if you want a fun 70s car chase movie, this movie does the job. This is the movie that is indirectly responsible for launching Ron Howard's directing career on his next movie, Grand Theft Auto. Eat My Dust was a box office success for Roger Corman, so automatically they wanted a sequel. Instead of asking for more money, Ron Howard asked for the opportunity to write and direct the movie. The rest is history. Not a lot of big names in this movie, but Ron's brother and father are in it...as well as an unrecognizable Corbin Bernsen as the slow-witted gas station attendant. **1/2 (Out of 4)

• Simply.....

  daviddecoteau2007-11-19

  .....one of the best movies ever made. Period. I saw this film as a young teen and it inspired me to make movies which I have done for the past 20+ years. Eat My Dust is a hilarious action packed comedy that has to be seen to be believed. Roger Corman and Ron Howard have captured lightning in a bottle with this one. Charles B. Griffith had NEVER been given the credit he deserved. I have seen this film a few dozen times and it gets better with each viewing. Dave Grisman's score is unforgettable. Dave Madden is screamingly funny as "big Bubba Jones". Sh*t on a twisty stick EAT MY DUST is the perfect car action comedy of the 70s

• Entertaining 70's redneck car chase romp

  Woodyanders2011-06-01

  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.

• Will Opie get the girl?

  bensonmum22009-01-02

  Hoover Niebold (Ron Howard) steals a race car to impress the girl of his dreams, Darlene (Christopher Norris). It seems that Darlene has a thing for fast cars and the guys who drive them. Hoover sets off with Darlene, but the law is in hot pursuit. And in Hoover's case, the law comes in the form of his father, Sheriff Niebold (Warren Kemmerling). Can Hoover evade his father and all of his friends, find enough gas, and not wreck his car all in the name of love? I hadn't seen Eat My Dust since its initial release way back in 1976. Back then, my brother and I somehow convinced my dad to take us to see the movie. He slept through the whole thing while we had a great time with all the car crashes and comedy bits thrown in. So did it hold up 32 years later? You betcha! I had a great time re-watching it tonight. Eat My Dust combines just the right amount of over-the-top car chase scenes, surprisingly effective comedy elements (Dave Madden, aka Reuben Kincaid, is hysterical as Big Bubba Jones), an enjoyable mandolin-infused soundtrack, an appealing cast, snappy direction and cinematography, and some of the best looking hot pants and go-go boots I believe I've seen into one enjoyable package. I realize that Eat My Dust probably couldn't stand the light of a real critical appraisal, but I'm not a real critic. I watch movies for enjoyment and I enjoyed Eat My Dust. One thing that really surprised me was how much I got out of the plot. The relationship between Hoover and Darlene was actually very well done. I admit it, there were moments that tugged at my heart. Sounds silly for a Roger Corman produced car chase movie, doesn't it? But you just really want to see a guy like Hoover get the girl. I don't use words like "sweet" very often to describe a movie, but that's what I thought about Hoover's feelings for Darlene. It made the ending that much more effective.