Stayton Bonner

Like keytar, mustaches, and moped stunts in your movies? How about I throw in a soundtrack featuring Europe? That simmering bouillabaisse, my friend, is the tasty 2007 movie Hot Rod. I saw it a couple years ago and just caught a re-run. Like Caddyshack, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, or The Big Lebowski, this one may get better with repeated viewings.

Hot Rod is basically an 80s teenage movie meeting the Zucker Brothers. Think Rad or BMX with jokes from Airplane. It features SNL regulars and comedians like Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Will Arnett and Danny McBride alongside veteran actors like Ian McShane and Sissy Spacek. Samberg tries to perform Evil Knievel stunts in an attempt to raise money for his ailing stepfather. Obviously, the plot doesn't matter. It's basically endless SNL type set-pieces with a hair-metal soundtrack. It spoofs the 80s movies while simultaneously paying homage. Like Rad or Airplane, this one will grow a cult audience.

The moral of your typical 80s teenage movie always appealed to me. If you perform incredibly dangerous stunts in front of roaring crowds and rock music, the chicks will dig it. A simple truth that can't be argued.