Ep. 27: Thunder Run

Buckle up for perhaps the wildest ride to ever hit the road out of Laughlin, Nevada! When shipments of military plutonium become the target of terrorists, there's obviously only one thing to do - hire a retired trucker, have his grandson and college friends build a bunch of makeshift weapons, and transport the plutonium across the desert in a proto-Fury-Road battle of automotive carnage.

We dive into this forgotten car chase classic, a film devised by special effects specialists, the sole purpose of which seems to be the film's central stunt - an 18-wheeler jumping over a train.

To be clear: an 18-wheeler jumps over a train in this movie. And. it's. AWESOME.

We also uncover stunning revelations when we discover an alternate ending to the film that clarifies tons of questions we had about what was going on the whole time. It's a strange mix of comedic family hi-jinx and high octane road war, a film with delightful Brady Bunch sensibilities and wacky pranks, but also a big rig that burns people alive with flamethrowers. If you come along for this ride with us you're going to learn all about critical ideas and concepts like rocket launching Volkswagens and laser tunnels.

Yes. Laser tunnels.

Thunder Run
Directed by Gary Hudson
1986, United States

Additional music credits

"The Saga" by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Incredibly Strange Video is produced and edited by Ryan Quinn and Cassie Kay. Follow us on Bluesky @isvpodcast.bsky.social for updates on the newest episodes!

Theme music:
The End by EVA
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All excerpts from the films discussed are used for educational and critical purposes only.