Fast Company

source: Fast Company

Cronenberg was one of the best Canadian directors in the 1970s (and one of the few who worked regularly) He has made some classics like "Shivers" and "The Brood" but does anyone know why he chose to make "Fast Company?" The story is hardly even TV-Movie material, let alone feature film material. Besides that, the lifeless actors add little to the story. William Smith is OK for character parts but he isn't really capable of carrying a film. Couldn't they at least have given Claudia Jennings a bigger part?

Fast Company (1979) ** (out of 4) Mildly entertaining drama about drag racer Lonnie Johnson (William Smith) who is battling an evil owner (John Saxon) who is after money instead of winning. Lonnie takes new racer Billy Brocker (Nicholas Campbell) under his wing and soon the two are into a deadly game with the owner. FAST COMPANY is a pretty strange movie from David Cronenberg. Usually when you think of Cronenberg and strange you think of the countless bizarre horror films that he made during this era but what makes this film "strange" is the fact that there's no gore, no bloody murders or anything to that nature. Inf act, FAST COMPANY is a pretty laid back picture that almost feels like a made-for-television flick and it probably could have been if it wasn't for the nudity that is thrown in. I'm not going to say FAST COMPANY is a bad movie because it certainly isn't but at the same time there's nothing great here either. I think the film's strongest stuff are the actors who all turn in fine performances and at least make their characters fun. Smith is extremely good in his role and he's very believable in the part and helps carry the picture. Campbell is good in his supporting role and it was nice seeing Claudia Jennings in her final film. Cedric Smith is also good in his role of the rival and Saxon is perfect playing the creep owner. The melodrama is okay but there's just not really anything here that keeps you glued to what's going on. There's some nice race car footage as well as some nice action at times but none of them really makes for a very entertaining movie. FAST COMPANY is mildly entertaining but it's easy to see why not too many people know of the film.

Almighty B-movie he-man William Smith calls his own shots, fights to keep his integrity and stubbornly refuses to knuckle under to the Man's rigid stay on the narrow path and just do what you're told nonsense as fiercely autonomous and uncompromising champion professional race car driver Lonny "Lucky Man" Johnson, a rugged individualist in excelsis who butts heads with venal crudbag big company greedy jerk Phil (John Saxon in peak snaky, slimy, lizard charisma oozing from every scuzzy pore form) and attempts to rekindle the flame with supportive, but long-suffering erstwhile old lady Sammy (a lively, luminous performance by late, great, simply gorgeous 70's drive-in movie goddess Claudia Jennings in her final film role). David Cronenberg's typically precise, meticulous direction, ably abetted by Mark Irwin's sparkling, slicker-than-fresh-motor-oil cinematography, Fred Mollin's vivacious banjo-plucking and harmonica-wailing country and western score, rough-thrashing rock tunes by Michael Stanley, superlative acting, a firm, moving camaraderie between Smith and his pit crew, such always pleasing exploitation picture ingredients as a little nudity and soft-core sex, wild fisticuffs, gritty, ragged-around-the-edges iconoclastic characters, hard-hitting profane dialogue, and the expectedly thrilling pedal-pushed-to-the-near-breaking-point-medal neck-snappingly fast and dangerous racetrack action (said racetrack action smokes more than the faulty exhaust fumes on a freaky souped-up funny car), offers a tantalizingly vivid and absorbing evocation of the racetrack milieu and its funky subculture (fawning groupies, harshly competitive male rivalry, on the take race officials, grimy, incredibly loyal and courageous pit crews, faceless fascistic corporate sponsor scum) that's so exact and credible that it will overpower the viewer's nostrils with the fetid stench of hot sweat, filthy petrol, stale beer and greasy engines. Better still, the gutsy, heartfelt script Cronenberg co-wrote with Phil Savoth and Courtney Smith tackles head-on the eternally winning and right-on theme of a "be your own self and to hell with anyone who tries to cramp my style"-type loner nonconformist daring to stand up to and willingly defy the staid, restrictive, it-don't-do-no-one-any-good sectarian code of conduct that anal retentive conformist bilge naturally epitomizes. A rowdy, rollicking and boisterously romping break-from-the-mold grindhouse feature departure for Cronenberg, this extremely entertaining and damn satisfying, but alas unjustly obscure and underrated motorhead outing deserves to be both better known and more widely seen. Fortunately, the outstanding Blue Underground DVD gives this honey the deluxe treatment: It's a beautiful widescreen presentation along with a fine and informative Cronenberg commentary, delightful interviews with William Smith, John Saxon, and Mark Irwin, the theatrical trailer, and a pretty extensive still and poster gallery.

been around racing all my life and Cronenburg kinda happened on this film i believe, i guess unless youve actually been around drag racing or any other motorsports and raced, crewed, or partied with these groups you pry would have a better understanding of what lies beneath this film in detail. Much like our tv show as kids the Dukes of Hazzard it appears a bit cheasy now much like im sure this movie pry does but as i remember it i wanna see it again but its impossible to find so would like any info i could get or i would be interested in buying a copy so please feel free to contact me

Viewers who have a passion for drag racing will probably get more out of this than the average person. Myself, I've never sat through the whole thing in one sitting. It's a pretty generic story about good guy and bad guy drag racers competing. The corporate sponsors of the cars only care about money, etc. I even thought the soundtrack (sounding like a Seger/Springsteen combo) was pretty lame. In fact, I was actually a little bummed to hear Cronenberg say on the audio commentary that he really enjoyed the music! Yeah, I know, I'm being a little picky there. On the bright side, John Saxon is fun to watch. And if you're a die-hard Cronenberg fan I would recommend checking out the double-disc edition so you can watch his early films Stereo and Crimes of the Future.

A misfire from David Cronenberg, best known for his excellent body horror films, whereas this is a staid and sedate car racing drama. It's saddled with dull young leads, stereotypical sex interest blondes, and cult stars John Saxon and William Smith doing the best with the thin characters they're given. No evidence of Cronenberg's prowess elsewhere here, and the whole thing is largely tiresome.

Lonnie "Lucky Man" Johnson is an veteran drag racer and head honcho of his race team that's sponsored by FastCo Oil. Their business man Phil Adamson thinks only of the sponsorships than winning and when Lonnie's hotrod explodes Phil isn't too happy. Seeing that Lonnie is the one who draws the crowds, Phil gets Lonnie to take over Bill "The Kid" Broker's car, which doesn't go down to well with Bill. Their rival team led by Gary " The Blacksmith" Black would like the chance to beat Lonnie and things do heat up when Adamson decides he wants to make some changes. When you think of the name David Cronenberg, does drag racing come straight to mind? Most definitely not, but on this occasion he has churned out a rather normal, exploitation flick on the sport. You don't always associated the word normal to his name, but even though its an entertaining piece, it's really nothing much out of the ordinary. That's probably the best reason why it flies under radar, well it won't escape the fans' of the director's work, though. Cronenberg's excursion into "Fast Company" is pretty much a low-budgeted film that's marketed for a more mainstream audience. I didn't really know about this film that pretty much came out of the blue when I found out it was directed by Cronenberg. So I've been itching to get my hands on it and I gladly came across the 2 disc special edition release at my local library. I'm no revhead fan, but I couldn't help but get drawn into the thick of the action thanks largely to Mark Irwin's cinematography. I actually didn't mind this little picture, but you still call it a rather a hot and cold detour. The film looked great with it's semi-documentary style, where there were a lot of creative angel shots that caught the action superbly and the beautiful Canadian landscape that fills the frame also leaves a mark in your mind. Cronenberg manages to stage the set-pieces involving the dragsters quite well, as you watch some burning rubber along with the crowd. It's just like the real deal! But when it wasn't focusing on the racing it becomes the usual the good guys v bad guys theme, where it becomes morally hounded and predictable. You feel the tension between the teams and the plot shows the manipulative nature of sponsorship deals taking over the show. But the drama element runs low on fuel. It just feels leaden with a simple script that doesn't really seem to go anywhere with some underwritten plot details, but still there's a nice amount of sharp humour evident. The film's conclusion might be exciting, but still it's rather illogical you could say. The howling rock soundtrack that surrounds the film felt overly tacky and got a bit repetitious. The performances from the main two leads lifts most of the acting out of the standard mould. William Smith and John Saxon make the most out of their character's material. Saxon is a great character actor and he steals the film as the slimly sponsor adviser Phil Adamson. Smith adds a steady head to the veteran driver Lonnie Johnson. Also in the supporting roles is the gorgeous Claudia Jennings as Lonnie's love interest Sammy, Nicholas Campbell plays the up and coming youngster Bill Broker and Cedric Smith plays the competition Gary 'The Blacksmith' Black. There's definitely a lot of stunning gals in this picture. Well, cars and girls go down rather nicely don't they. Rather a middling affair that has it's perks. When it's close to the action that's when it hits it's strides by making you feel like you're there. It's nothing overly showy, but it's a mildly entertaining romp for the undemanding.

Okay it's not the world's greatest movie, or even the greatest movie ever made about drag racing (that would probably be 'Heart Like A Wheel') but it does have its moments and there was a lot of effort put in to ensure the technical side of things was correct. Filmed entirely in Canada around Canadian dragstrips there is a sense of what life on the road is really like. Yes the characters are rather one dimensional - good guys wear white, bad guys wear black and snarl a lot, and the stunts do look like the camera was over-cranked but any true car fan will find it holds their interest, the first time anyway. Especially if you think of it more as a documentary than a movie. Plus the cars and female leads look great. I agree the ending is lousy though.

Stuck between "Scanners" and "The Brood", "Fast Company" is quite a strange movie among David Cronenberg's filmography. Apparently giving away his ambitious and usual themes, Cronenberg makes a pure entertainment, very close to Burt Reynolds' universe ! So what happened? Cronenberg's attachment to this film leads us to think it could be hiding something deeper. And in fact, one of the main Cronenbergian obsessions is the subject of the film : the car races are a metaphoric expression of "the re-building of the human body by technology". Is the movie any good ? Well, for a Cronenberg fan, it's quite interesting. Others should watch a REAL Burt Reynold movie !