In this episode of VIA VHS Rewind Review, we look back at the 1983 Burt Reynolds Comedy/Nascar film, Stroker Ace.
It’s the later years of the Burt Reynolds era and his star power is starting to wane. Instead of taking the role of Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (a role that won Jack Nicholson an Academy Award) Burt decided to opt against evolving his career and instead agreed to another formulaic Hal Needham car movie.
This was not a smart idea as Stroker Ace was poorly received by critics and by the box office, opening at 8th place against the likes of films like WarGames, Trading Places and Return of the Jedi. A far cry from Smokey and the Bandit who was only out grossed in 1977 by the original Star Wars.
But is Stroker Ace a film that was just outdated and not fairly viewed by fans and critics. Would it have been a bigger hit if released at the height of Burt Reynolds fame? Wes and Spencer give their thoughts on a film that’s so American that Burt Reynolds and Dale Earnhardt share the screen.
Find more VIA VHS content here: https://linktr.ee/viavhs
Also, find Spencer’s Old Man Orange podcast as well as his comic Pizza Boyz here: https://linktr.ee/oldmanorange