When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.
Direction
Zemeckis' kinetic camera—every frame sweats desperation and motor oil.
Practical Effects
Real cars destroyed—$600,000 in automotive carnage, zero CGI.
Acting
Jack Warden plays twin brothers with zero subtlety, absolute perfection.
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Kurt Russell
Rudy Russo
Jack Warden
Roy L. Fuchs / Luke Fuchs
Gerrit Graham
Jeff
Frank McRae
Jim the Mechanic
Deborah Harmon
Barbara Fuchs
Joe Flaherty
Sam Slaton
David L. Lander
Freddie Paris
Michael McKean
Eddie Winslow
Michael Talbott
Mickey
Harry Northup
Carmine
Alfonso Arau
Manuel
Al Lewis
Judge Harrison
Woodrow Parfrey
Mr. Ghertner
Andrew Duncan
Charlie
Dub Taylor
Tucker
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Universal executives so hated the dailies they fired Zemeckis—then had to rehire him when no replacement would touch the half-destroyed cars.
The film predicted Reagan-era deregulation worship and the 2008 financial crisis—used car salesmen as the original too-big-to-fail.
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