Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?
-Volume 6


THUNDER RUN (1986 Cannon) Starring Forrest Tucker, John Ireland, John Shepherd, Wallace Langham, Alan Rachins, Jill Whitlow, Cheryl Lynn. Directed by Gary Hudson.

On May 30, 1986, Cannon released its latest action epic, THUNDER RUN. The film received little notice among the glut of action films released in May that year, some with megastars (TOP GUN, COBRA) and others without (JAKE SPEED). The film had exciting desert action scenes and a veteran genre icon starring, but was unevenly directed by an actor making his debut behind the camera. After being rerun frequently for a few years on Showtime and The Movie Channel, it has rarely been seen on cable since, and has long been out of print in the United States on VHS (though it is on DVD overseas).

So, I know your question is not “why the hell isn’t this on DVD yet”, but rather, “why the hell are you writing about this one?”

Well, see if this grabs you.

Ruthless international terrorists are out to destroy the American way of life. They will stop at nothing to obtain the deadliest substance on earth. Heavily armed, they wait in ambush on a lonely desert road for the one man standing between them and the plutonium:

Forrest Tucker.

Now that I have you hooked.....

THUNDER RUN is an uneven action film, pandering too much to the teen audience during the first half by devoting a little too much time to John Shepherd, Wallace Langham (billed as Wally Ward) and friends. Oh, there’s a bar skirmish, some old-school street racing, a cop chase, a sex scene (don’t worry, not involving Tuck) and an expensive car gets destroyed, but ideally the RUN through the desert should have started 10 to 15 minutes earlier. The teen appeal of this film was dubious anyway, as the script gives us teen characters worried about “the fuzz” (in 1986?), and several of the actors are clearly non-professionals (to be fair, though, the cop in hot pursuit of the motorcycle is the worst actor of the bunch).

Having said that, once the preparation for the RUN itself starts, THUNDER RUN becomes one fun, exciting little action flick. Tucker and friends diligently prepare his 18 wheeler for the 200 mile desert trek, and we see the preparation pay off as he wards off evil terrorists led by a scar-faced Alan Rachins (DHARMA AND GREG). The terrorist group numbers in the well, dozens, and they have helicopters, motorcycles, grenades, police cars, rifles, roadblocks and (best of all) camouflaged Volkswagens with heat-seeking rocket launchers on top. Not to be outdone, Tucker rigs his rig with flamethrowers, ultra-high exhaust stacks, Molotov cocktails and “Space Age Plastic, son”!

Though first-time director Hudson struggles mightily with the pacing, he does a nice job with the action sequences. Writers Charles Davis and Carol Heyer definitely know their vehicles and stunts, but as noted earlier, they are out of touch when writing scenes for teens ("I don't want to get stroked by some squirrel who doesn't have the bucks"...WTF?).

Tucker is solid as always, and if he seems like he’s done this a hundred times before, he has---literally. He starred in about that many B-action flicks in the 1940’s and 1950’s for the likes of Republic, Hammer, Allied Artists and RegalScope. He is ably supported by another old pro, John Ireland (MESSENGER OF DEATH) and Shepherd, who was fresh off his starring role in FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART V. Sadly, THUNDER RUN would end up being Tucker’s theatrical swan song: he passed away from lung cancer on October 25, 1986 at age 67.

Perhaps THUNDER RUN escapes notice because it is uneven: bad-movie fanatics looking for something worthy of Jabootu will find some cinematic cheese here, but not as much as in other Cannon flicks such as FIREWALKER and DEATH WISH 3. Action movie fans will find the second half satisfying but will likely grow impatient with the first half of the film. Whether you’re an action fan or a bad-movie fan, you’re likely to find the glass half-empty.

But by the same token, fans of both are likely to find the glass half-full, too. Add in the historical bonus of one last visit with our old friend Forrest Tucker, and THUNDER RUN certainly deserves a look, whether you're a bad-movie fan or an action fan.

So, why isn't this on DVD(in the U.S.)?

Inexperience of director Hudson shows; some very poor acting in bit roles.

Tucker is known primarily to the modern audience as the star of F TROOP rather than a star of action films (which is a shame: SANDS OF IWO JIMA, THE WILD BLUE YONDER, FIGHTING COAST GUARD, come on folks, this is a man of action!).

Passed through theaters virtually unnoticed in May 1986, and has been mostly invisible for over a decade on cable.

Why it should be on DVD(in the U.S.):

Want to see an 18 wheeler jumping a train in the pre-CGI era? How about Volkswagens with missile launching capabilities? You'll find them here. Not to mention Tuck’s attempt at the Cotton-Eyed Joe, and a nude scene featuring Lita Ford lookalike Cheryl Lynn.

Excitement for action fans in the last half, and plenty of cheese for bad-movie fans throughout (as one example of the latter, check out how (un)complicated the “top secret” code to enter the military testing center is).

A perfect fit for a "Cannon's Geezers of Action 3-Pack”, with fellow 1986 releases THE DELTA FORCE (Lee Marvin, age 63) and MURPHY’S LAW (Charles Bronson, age 65).

Or, if you don’t like that idea, then how about: THUNDER RUN: 20th Anniversary SPECIAL EDITION---wrapped in Space Age Plastic...son!

That poster is awesome!

I pretty much echo Hal. The action stuff at the end is really fun, but it doesn't happen until about the last 15 minutes, and there isn't a lot to keep you awake up to that point.

I assume this Gary Hudson is not the same actor from ROAD HOUSE, THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR. and tons of DTV movies.

I did some research on this, as I actually have the Cannon press kit for this movie, but couldn't get confirmation one way or the other. The biographical information in the press kit focuses on Forrest Tucker and John Ireland. There is all kinds of cool information on the shooting of the film. But..nothing that would confirm this is the same Gary Hudson. Matter of fact, there's no biographical information on Hudson at all.

According to imdb, it is the same Gary Hudson. But as we know, that isn't 100% accurate.


Of note, noted director Rod Amateau, who directed lots of classic TV (LOVE THAT BOB, DOBIE GILLIS) and car chases in SIX PACK and the TV DUKES OF HAZZARD, is credited as coordinating the stunts. Wonder why he wasn't hired to just direct it?

I have to get a copy of this poster to hang at home sometime. I did see it hanging in the video store scene of DEATH WISH 4 last time I watched that. Interestingly, that particular video store seemed to have a lot of Cannon films in stock. :)