Rating: 
Summary: Some good acting going on here
Review: I'd really give this 3 1/2 stars, but that wasn't an option.I waited a LONG time to see this movie, due to its myriad legal and release/distribution issues, and finally got to sit down and watch the DVD. It wasn't at all what I expected -- I think I was bracing myself for some seedy, morose Larry Clark-type drama about the bottom-feeders of Las Vegas bumbling through life (and a movie). It was actually a fairly introspective and enigmatic movie. I say that because, while you can appreciate and empathize with the characters, the plot and script seem to be puzzling. An example: Las Vegas is no small town, yet the characters just seem to coincidentally cross paths as is deemed necessary by the script and act as if this were the most normal thing in the world in a reasonably large city. That was a little weird. Jordan Brower (Eric) did an outstanding job with his gay character suffering the pains of unrequited love, and I was also really impressed with Darryl Hannah (Veronica). She looks great as a brunette, too and has just aged fantastically well. Jesse Bradford (Johnny) really displayed a true sincerity throughout the movie, particularly during the emotional scenes, but he seems to maintain this "deer caught in the headlights" look about him throughout the story, with a couple of exceptions. After seeing Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Steven) as a juvenile delinquent in "Walking Across Egypt" and as a gay high school student in "Common Ground" (both outstanding movies, by the way), I have gotten past seeing him only as Randy Taylor of "Home Improvement", which is good -- he definitely has some respectable acting abilities, and is very easy to watch on-screen. Having seen his other works, it made it easier to accept him as a bisexual, foul-mouthed hustler. However, his character -- who is as much an antagonist (and total jerk) as any character in the movie -- is really not very well-defined or developed. It's clear he is not the focus of the movie whatsoever, but his character is definitely relevant enough to warrant some growth and particularly some resolution in the end. With regard to Steven's journey, the viewer is TOTALLY left hanging. The cinematography was quite good, and the video quality of the DVD was impressive. The "R" rating is only there for subject matter and language (I'd say the lion's share of the profanity is spewed by the characters of Steven and Jason "J.T." Torres) -- there's virtually no skin, sex is nothing more than an allusion, and the violence is -- by today's standards -- pretty watered down. You can see more sex and violence on an episode of "NYPD Blue". The last 5-10 minutes could have been done far differently, in my opinion. Johnny seems to have just gotten what he needed in Las Vegas and moved on to pursue his dream with nary a thought of what his presence in Vegas meant to the people whose lives he touched... and that was totally out of character with who Johnny had become as a person. Maybe something like a Johnny voice-over could have worked, but I don't know. That's pretty much the reason for the sub-fantastic rating. A good movie to watch, all in all.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch it with the director's commentary "on"
Review: I've never recommended a DVD solely for the director's commentary before, but I'm doing just that with Nickolas Perry's "Speedway Junky" (1999). The film itself is a totally predictable, sanitized view of Las Vegas street hustlers that contains two very good performances (one by someone you'd never expect), one terrible performance by a badly miscast former child star and a dual ending that is both misguided and, in the case of the tacked-on "happy" ending, insulting to the audience's intelligence. In all, "Speedway Junky" is a definite mixed bag; however, the DVD version is redeemed by an excellent director's commentary in which writer/director Perry provides an honest critique of his own work and gives an invaluable lesson on the process of making an independent film in today's Hollywood.
Jesse Bradford, who as a child gave one of 1992's best performances in Steven Soderberg's forgotten gem "King of the Hill," stars as Johnny, a teenage drifter who is hitchhiking from Los Angeles to Daytona Beach to join the Nascar circuit as a pit crew worker. To fund his journey, he takes a detour to Las Vegas, hoping to parlay his meager assets into enough money to complete his trip and then live on until he finds work. Unfortunately, within minutes of his arrival in town, he loses his money and all his possessions. His circumstances look bleak until he catches the eye of Eric (Jordan Brower), a gay teenage street hustler who falls in love with him at first sight and takes him in. Eric also initiates him into his seedy world and extended family, including his adopted "mother," an ex-showgirl and junky wonderfully played by Daryl Hannah, and various friends and "associates," including a shady fellow hustler named Steven (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). Although Johnny is straight, he and Eric form a strong friendship and bond which gets them both through the bleak days ahead, as Johnny vainly tries to earn money by hustling women and Eric's shady friends threaten their very existence.
The main problem with "Speedway Junky" is that it so predictable that the audience will know exactly how it is going end almost from the moment it starts. It is also extremely derivative of countless earlier, and better, films, including its obvious main source of inspiration--John Schlesinger's 1969 Oscar winner "Midnight Cowboy." As for the performances, they are uneven, to say the least. Jesse Bradford is an excellent young actor, but he overacts constantly and gives a totally annoying performance as Johnny, which isn't good when you are the film's hero. And poor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is simply horrible as the devious hustler Steven; in fact, after the shock value of hearing the clean-cut former child star use four letter words and graphically describe anal sex is over, his entire act becomes tiresome until late in the film when he is required to become vicious and then he is laughable. On the other hand, Hannah is wonderful as a faded beauty who has hit rock-bottom, and Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and Patsy Kensit have nice cameos as two of Johnny's potential female "tricks." And then there's Jordan Brower, who is simply wonderful as Eric, giving the kind of eye-opening, and wholly unexpected, performance that in a better, and more widely-seen, film would have brought him a great deal of attention. He is simply working at a level the rest of the cast, with the exception of Hannah, don't come close to reaching. In fact, his scenes with Hannah provide all of the film's best, and most realistic moments. (Take special note of Eric's "breakdown" scene which is beautifully rendered.)
As for the film's other problems, they are numerous and start with the weak screenplay, which ends by trashing the most sympathetic character in the film and then tacks on a happy ending that is unbelievable, to say the least. But don't take my word for it, just listen to writer/director Perry's own commentary, which leads me back to where I began. The commentary is extremely illuminating in that Perry explains every single detail of the production of the film and why he did the things he did. Why did he add a silly, and unnecessary chase scene halfway through? Why was Jonathan Taylor-Thomas cast in a role he was clearly wrong for? Why does he have a long and boring credit sequence at the beginning when it clearly hurts the flow of the film? And why the heck did he trash the one gay character in the film and not predict that audiences would hate him for it? For that matter, why did he include the ridiculous final scene? He answers all these questions and in the process teaches us all that even in today's independent film world, to get financing for a film you have to make the same kind of compromises that are necessary when working with the studios. It is an eye-opening lesson, to be sure, and one that all aspiring filmmakers would do well to learn from.
In all, "Speedway Junky" is a failure, and an extremely unlucky one at that. After sitting on the shelf for two years it finally received a theatrical run at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles starting on August 30, 2001. Eleven days later the twin towers fell and moviegoing did a nose-dive, ending whatever chance this film had of having a theatrical life. It's right where it belongs--on DVD, with its excellent commentary giving it a reason for existence. ** (out of *****) for the film and **** for the commentary.
Rating: 
Summary: Greatest Movie Ever?
Review: If you were ever wondering what would happen if Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a male prostitute in Vegas, here's your answer. This is the compelling story of a young race fan who dreams of getting to Charlotte because his sister is deaf. He triumphs through virginity, homosexuality and also wine coolers with the girl from Saved by the Bell. This movie rates up there with the Pianist and Monsters Ball as a film that not only touchs you but makes you think.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Movie Ever?
Review: If you were ever wondering what would happen if Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a male prostitute in Vegas, here's your answer. This is the compelling story of a young race fan who dreams of getting to Charlotte because his sister is deaf. He triumphs through virginity, homosexuality and also wine coolers with the girl from Saved by the Bell. This movie rates up there with the Pianist and Monsters Ball as a film that not only touchs you but makes you think.
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING PERFORMANCE FOR SUCH A YOUNG CAST...
Review: In a word...WOW! Speedway Junkie is quite possibly one of the best movies I have ever viewed. As an avid movie buff, I watch movies from many different perspectives. I look for movies that entertain, educate, cover a broad scale of emotions and leave me wanting more from the performance. Rarely do I see a movie that does all of this...Speedway Junkie does! Covering the topic of young hustlers in Las Vegas, Speedway Junkie focuses on the emotional toll this type of lifestyle has on its young victims versus that actual work they are doing. Mixed in is the usual cast of supporting characters that live this life and the newcomer struggling to fit in. Additionally, you have the older veteran who has given up the life and shares past wisdom as they struggle to move on. With a dynamic young cast, Speedway Junkie shines as one of Director, Gus Van Sant's films. Jonathan Taylor Thomas delivers a strong performance that makes it nearly impossible to remember the "Home Improvement" days. His role is so different from that of the middle child, that it is almost hard to believe it's the same person. Daryl Hannah also delivers a strong performance as a strung out dancer (Veronica) who is serving in a maternal role for her friends widowed child. She is believable and displays a wide range of emotion in her role. Jesse Bradford's role as the naive newcomer is the glue that holds the plot together. His portrayal of the innocent "Johnny" truly grabs you from the beginning and makes you want to see him succeed in his mission of getting to N.C. The star of the film is Jordan Brower in the role of "Eric". By the conclusion of the film, I was so emotionally bought into his character that I actually felt he was someone I needed to help. It is rare that I see a movie where the actor moves me in a way that I can't stop thinking about the film days later. Jordan Brower does this. As I look at well-known stars and the projects that they work on today, I am often taken back to some of their earlier films. It is usually this work that shines as their best!. The acting is real and motivated and has some meaning to the person (actor) other than being a job. Jordan, quite possibly, has done his best work with Speedway Junkie. If you see this movie for any reason, see it for the performance delivered by Jordan in the role of "Eric'. Overall this is a great movie to see and a very well directed film. Gus Van Sant does a wonderful job with such a rough topic and young talent.
Rating: 
Summary: johnny wants to be a racecar driver....
Review: johnny wants to be a racecar driver...and he has to tell us that at least 100 times...
this movie is just awful...all the characters are cartoonesque stereotypes...horribly overacted...
there's johnny, from the sticks...with his dreams of being a nascar driver...he chews with his mouth open, he has never been around any gay people, he tries to teach some kids at a rave how to line dance (even tho he doesn't appear to know how himself...)
there is his gay best friend..who realized he was gay because he kept going in to the girls bathroom in 2nd grade....
ah..it only gets worse...gangmember boy, raver boy, reformed alcoholic prostitute lady (who grants johnny his 'first time'...or so is implied..all they do is lick each others hands, tho...)
the dialog is forced, and the more hip the characters try to be, the more embarrassing it becomes...they speak in played out catch phrases from the 80's and 90's ('livin' large?' 'chillin' like a villian?' who wrote this? vanilla ice???)
i am not sure what the 'R' rating is for...i guess language and violence...despite the subject matter (prostitution, street life) there is no sex...we do see tiffani amber theisans breasts for a moment...
johnathan taylor thomas actually says ... a few times, that was remotely entertaining...(yeh, i was that desperate to be entertained...)
when the opening credits start and it says 'executive producer gus van sant..' do not get your hopes up...'my own private idaho' this ain't....
this is like a hallmark hall of fame interpretation of what life of the streets of vegas would be...
stay as far away from this movie as you can...i can't find anything good to say about it...
if you are looking for a more graphic, distrubing, possibly realistic portrayal of kids today, i recommend the movie 'bully'...it's based on a true story and it certainly challenges the viewer, unlike this film that only insults our intelligence...
Rating:
Summary: Strong debut for its writer-director
Review: Nickolas Perry's "Speedway Junky" sounds like a race-car thriller but is actually a tender love story set in the Las Vegas underbelly. Inevitably it recalls "Midnight Cowboy" in some aspects but possesses sufficient individuality and personality to avoid being derivative. It marks an unusually mature feature debut for writer-director Perry, who combines visual grace and nuanced portrayals from an array of carefully chosen actors, including Daryl Hannah, in one of her sharper performances. Jesse Bradford stars as Johnny, an Army brat who has run away from his home on a California military base to head for Charlotte, N.C., determined to become a member of race car driver Richard Petty's crew, the first step toward becoming a racing champion himself. He stops in Las Vegas with the idea of earning some quick money to finance the rest of his trip, but in no time he's separated from his last $20 and a pack containing all his possessions. When in desperation he unsuccessfully hits upon a woman in an expensive car for a handout, he is observed by another youth, Eric (Jordan Brower), hanging out in the same nondescript strip mall as Johnny. There's a big difference in the two young men. For all his gentle demeanor and sensitivity Eric is a seasoned hustler who understands the old Vegas truth that you don't get anything for nothing. Eric offers shelter to Johnny, who he discovers is a young man of stunning naivete. Johnny is willing to hustle, but only women. Eric, who is gay, accepts that Johnny is straight but can't help falling in love with him anyway. As Johnny enters a world of danger and uncertainty, he realizes he can love Eric as the best friend he's ever had, even if he is not sexually attracted to him. Perry takes us into the world of convenience stores, cheap apartments, deserted parking-structure stairwells and cruising areas that exist in the shadows outside the bright lights of Vegas. Johnny meets Veronica (Hannah), Eric's late mother's friend who's slid from the chorus line to prostitution to the arms of the tough vice cop who arrested her. She and Eric have a mother-son bond, and Hannah is wonderful at conveying Veronica's wisdom, vulnerability and ultimate resilience. Key among Eric's pals is Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Steve, a determined hustler who overestimates his street smarts. Patsy Kensit is a chic prostitute. With its shifting moods captured beautifully by both Stan Ridgway's poignant score and Steve Adcock's evocative camera work, "Speedway Junky" is a potent mixture of sentiment and grit, and it showcases the talents of its young principals. Gus Van Sant signed on as one of the film's executive producers, and Perry has come up with a movie worthy of the support of the director of "Mala Noche," "Drugstore Cowboy" and "My Own Private Idaho." (Los Angeles Times Film Review)
Rating:
Summary: Ok movie, rent it first.....
Review: Ok, this movie was ok. It starts out slow, and stays that while for the first half hour or so. The movie picks up speed but sort of leaves you wanting more from the movie. The movie could of been hot, but it leaves you LUKE WARM. The acting is good, but the plot was thin. I just wish they did more with this movie. The ganster guy in this film, just could not act, and if I was to meet him in real life, I would start laughing at him. Not very believable as a TOUGH guy. So over all I would rent this film first, then if you like it, buy it for your collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical inane movie that barely entertains
Review: Skip this movie if you're looking for characters with depth and a film that doesn't delve into the stereotypical "young kids hate older guys" kind of fare. So much of this movie grated me I found it tough to watch the whole thing. The fact that the ending is predictable doesn't help redeem it in the end. This movie accomplishes nothing and only gets 2 stars because the dialogue between the gay and straight guy was fairly believable. Other than this, this is a can miss.
Rating:
Summary: Cliche and depressing
Review: So this movie really has little going for it unless you count the features of the male leads. Seriously, most of the situtations and plot points are totally cliche and the ending is uncessarily cruel to gay viewers. The fact that any feelings of love in this drama are not returned by one character make it a film that teases the gay audience and eventually slams them. Best avoid.
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