Teen dipshit Roscoe Wilton (Jimmy McNichol) gets his kicks stealing cars and tormenting the local sheriff, Turner (Walter Barnes), into cat-and-mouse car chases. But with his high school homecoming pageant the town focus, Roscoe decides it’s time to really lift his game and not only steal a spankers RX-7, but also kidnap the pageant queen, Peggy Sue (Janet Julian), as part of the deal.

First published in the April 2026 issue of Street Machine

This is a double shot for poor old Sheriff Turner; not only does this mean more hot pursuits using his department’s rapidly dwindling motor pool, but Peggy Sue is his daughter, so it really smacks him in the feels.

Joining the chase is Roscoe’s mate, Harold (John Blyth Barrymore), who was entrusted with the RX-7 and is thus very keen for its return; Harold’s new romantic interest, Cindy (Kari Lizer); and star school quarterback and Peggy Sue’s lovesick admirer, Kenny (William Forsythe), who is adamant he’ll save her and they’ll live happily ever after.

As the miles burn past and more cops join the pursuit, Peggy Sue cops a dose of Stockholm Syndrome that has her falling for Roscoe in the midst of copious sideways action and burning rubber.

The pair regularly switch cars to help evade capture and keep the pursuit fresh, but it isn’t long before they learn that all roads to freedom have been blocked and they need to find another means of escape.

Playing out in the background is a sub-plot of an Arab oil magnate, Abu Habib Bibubu (Mel Welles), attempting to buy a moonshine recipe from a local simpleton, Lester (Patrick Campbell), and when that turns sour, the two storylines collide to form a possible ‘out’ for Roscoe as the magnitude and consequences of what he’s done start to hit home.

VERDICT: 2.5/5

The loose plot of Smokey Bites the Dust basically serves as life support for as many random car stunts as could be jammed into an 87-minute runtime – definitely not a bad thing. The car action is further bolstered by the thrashing and wrecking of plenty of worthless ‘junk’ of that era – a pillarless ’57 Chevy, a ’68 Dodge Charger, and even a steel-bumpered Corvette convertible – which is sure to have many in tears. But the ever-prevalent slapstick humour of the era is especially cringeworthy this time around, and don’t be surprised if you see familiar stunt sequences and cars, as the action scenes were shared between this flick and other films from the same production house.

BREAKDOWN

VEHICLES:

• 1979 Mazda RX-7 convertible
• 1969 Pontiac LeMans
• 1974 Pontiac Ventura
• 1973 AMC Matador
• 1961 Chevrolet Apache
• 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
• 1969 Datsun wagon
• 1964 Plymouth Valiant
• 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
• 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
• 1975 Ford Econoline

STARS:

• Jimmy McNichol
• Janet Julian
• Walter Barnes
• John Blyth Barrymore
• Kari Lizer
• William Forsythe
• Mel Welles
• Patrick Campbell

DIRECTOR:
Charles B Griffith.

ACTION:
All manner of car stunts linked by copious open-wheeler burnouts, opposite lock for days, and random fireballs.

PLOT:
The rivalry between a teenage car thief and a smalltown sheriff comes to a head when the thief kidnaps the sheriff’s daughter.

AVAILABLE:
DVD, YouTube.

COOL FLICK FACT:
The words ‘Smokey’ and ‘Dust’ were deliberately included in the film’s title to fool moviegoers into thinking it might be a sequel to Smokey and the Bandit (1977) or Eat My Dust (1976).