Excess is everything when you’re doing an over-the-top car movie. You want the hottest cars, the biggest wrecks and the sexiest cast. You want characters that live in a rarified world where money is kept in briefcases and not wallets. The drivers have more points in their driver’s license than the score of the NCAA Finals game. Redline is an over-the-top version of the Fast and the Furious franchise that came out in 2007. At the time there were only three installments in the Fast and the Furious. Redline uses the original name for the billion-dollar series and seems eager to be considered the fourth installment.
Natasha Martin (Days of Our Lives‘ Nadia Bjorlin) is about to get the big break in her career. She’s an aspiring singer who also is a top flight auto mechanic. She gets flown to Las Vegas to work on the Ford GT owned by record producer Jerry Brecken (Undercover Brother‘s Eddie Griffin). If she can get his car singing on all cylinders, Jerry might listen to Natasha’s demo tape and make her a dual threat in Hollywood. Turns out Infamous has some business with major Hollywood movie producer Jerry Brecken (National Lampoon’s Animal House’s Tim Matheson). They’re willing to fork up a fortune to see whose prized car can win a race. When Infamous’ driver gets injured he makes a deal to get Natasha behind the wheel which involves cash and a recording contract. What she doesn’t know about everything that was wagered when she gets into the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren to face off with a Lamborghini Diablo. Can she really compete in this high price exotic car showdown?
Redline is a movie that is filled with expensive cars zipping around the screen. This comes off as a 21st Century attempt to create an Andy Sidaris film except with more focus on the hot cars wrecking instead of Playboy and Penthouse models showering. Director Andy Cheng came from Jackie Chan’s Stunt Crew. He understands how to wreck a car. The action is great to follow since the director of photography is the legendary Bill Butler. This is a guy who was the cinematographer on Jaws, The Conversation, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Grease and a ton of other movies. He was D.P. on this film when he was 85. Butler recently passed away a few days away from turning 102. Butler and his camera crew absolutely know how to shoot the exotic cars as well as the cast. Nadia Bjorlin looks like the kind of woman that wants to sing and get behind the wheel to go extremely fast. The real star of the movie is Eddie Griffin. He keeps things interesting between car races and wrecks. He’s able to outshine the expensive cars.
The story of how Redline was made is equally interesting. The producer Daniel Sadek went from being a third-grade dropout to creating Quick Loan Funding. The company had billions lined up in subprime loans. The sportscars you see in the film are from his private collection. He was engaged to Nadia Bjorlin. This movie was his chance to show off the precious things in his life. He was so sure this film would make Fast and Furious money that he was able to get loans against the future profits. The movie opened and didn’t come close to covering its $26 million budget. Then the subprime loan business imploded. Sedak declared bankruptcy in 2009. This movie represents the peak of Sedak’s excessive time at the top. This element makes me appreciate the film even more. Those are his prized cars that he’s denting up to provide entertainment. We’re not staring at Vin Diesel in a CGI car doing not-quite death-defying stunts. Eddie Griffin wrecked the $1.5 million Enzo during a charity race to promote the film. At the time it must have felt like a massive loss, but he would lost it in the bankruptcy. At least he had a great story of how he lost the rare car. Who knew that Sedak’s film about wrecks and carnage would be a reflection of his coming years? The cover declares, “Fear Nothing. Risk Everything.” Sedak risked everything and allowed us to come along for the ride. Redline is more fun than the Fast and Furious movies with an equally impressive car lineup.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfer allows you to enjoy Bill Butler’s cinematography work. He and his crew make this film look so sleek. The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1. If you crank up the volume, your neighbors will think you’ve got a race track in your living room. The movie is subtitled.
Under the Hood: The Making of Redline (11:48) has Bill Butler, the director of photography talking about a major stunt being filmed. We see discover the Shelby Cobra is a replica being used and not smashing up an original. We get to see all the prep and safety work done before the crashing. We see a lot of expensive cars meet their end.
Redline at the LA Auto Show (3:34) has the movie showing off the cars while running the trailers around the exhibit. Nadia Bjorlin signs autographs from fans who are also eager to see the expensive cars.
Trailer Gallery included Redline (2:26), Action USA (1:51), Kill Zone (3:04) and LA Wars (3:03). This is a quartet of action flicks.
MVD Marquee Collection presents Redline. Directed by Andy Cheng. Screenplay by Robert Foreman and Daniel Sadek. Starring Nathan Phillips, Nadia Bjorlin, Jesse Johnson, Angus Macfadyen, Tim Matheson and Eddie Griffin. Running Time: 93 minutes. Rating: PG-13. Release Date: May 30, 2023.
