Not all Oscar-nominated actors get their start in high-brow material like Hailee Steinfeld or Anna Paquin. Some of them have to slum it in porn like Sly Stallone. Others star in Australian cult classics about stolen walkie-talkies and BMX bikers. Hey, I’m not judging.
Way back in 1983, long before Nicole Kidman found Botox, Tom Cruise, or Oscar, she was in BMX Bandits, directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (Leprechaun 3) and shot by Academy Award-winner John Seale (The English Patient) :
BMX BANDITS is a high-flying ride to adventure filled with wild stunts, cool bike outfits, creepy innuendo, cheezy synth music, an obnoxious fat kid, and gobs of fast and furious fun as the three young pals are pursued through every graveyard, shopping mall, construction site and waterpark in New South Wales, Australia.
I feel like late-20s Australian dudes probably wax nostalgic about BMX Bandits like their American counterparts do with something like Airborne. Not sure if it’ll hold the same kind of allure to those who catch this for the first time ever right now; but, looks like we’ll be able to find out soon since it’s being released by Severin Films on Blu-ray and DVD on March 15th.
It will come with a vintage interview of teenage Kidman as well as director’s commentary from Trenchard-Smith. All this – as well as a 40 minute featurette with the cast and crew and the theatrical trailer – can be yours for $24.98 (BR) and $19.98 (DVD).
4 comments
Merely commenting for the Airborne reference (though I have seen BMX Bandits). Just wanted you to know I think you’re right on the money, here. As sad as that may be.
I hated, HATED this movie as a kid. Indeed I hated all the ‘kids solve crimes’ books/films that seemed to dominate the 70/80s…why FFS didn’t the criminals simply buy off the kids with money “here kid, take this £150 and shut up about our smuggling these stolen paintings”…
Ha, I watched this all the time as a kid on HBO. I’m sure the movie isn’t as good as I remember it, but damn that cover art is spectacular.
I’m 32, and I think I saw this about a zillion times on cable when I was a kid, but I don’t remember much of it. Wheatus recorded a song about the movie (or at least about Nicole Kidman being in the movie) a few years back, and it’s a pretty awesome little tune.
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