The film follows the antics of high school students and their adventure in saving their school from being closed. Class president Melissa (Loryn Locklin) has started raising money through donations to keep the school open, but when the fundraising begins to slow down, Dylan (Matt Lattanzi) convinces Melissa that he can save the school. They take $3000 of the money that has already been raised to bet on an illegal car race that Dylan is convinced he will win. Dylan does not win the race, and in order to get their money back, he is forced to double down on an impossible race against the clock that only the town legend has ever accomplished. The film ends with a spectacular stunt as car and driver jump through the goalposts during a football game between two local high schools, Apollo and Cathedral.[4]
The film was shot on location throughout St. Cloud, Minnesota (where Sommers grew up), and at Cathedral High School and Apollo High School, which Sommers attended. It was funded independently and had a budget of $800,000. The film was Sommers's directorial debut and was written by him. When production finished, the studio that had promised to distribute the movie had gone out of business, and it was eventually released by MCA Inc. in July 1989. The movie did not fare well at the box office, grossing only $3686 in its domestic run, but it made $7 million overseas.[4][5]
The movie featured local residents cast as extras in the production and many of the hot-rods, classic cars and muscle cars featured in the race scenes were owned by central Minnesota residents. Sommers went on to achieve success directing the 1999 film The Mummy and its 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns.[4]
The movie is rated PG in New Zealand.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was performed and recorded by Tangerine Dream. It is their 20th soundtrack album and 50th album overall. All tracks were composed by Edgar Froese and Paul Haslinger.[6][7]
