Ron Howard, whose success on Happy Days became a little too much to bear as he got older, stars in an action-comedy that doesn't take too much thought (or money) to make. That was the case with Charles Griffith's low-budget rubber peeler Eat My Dust. Aside from Howard, it's all about pounding pistons, revving engines and teenage hormones. Ron Howard plays Hoover Niebold, a young teen in Puckerbush County who lusts after Darlene Kurtz [Chris Norris]. All that Darlene wants, though, is speed. That prompts Hoover to steal the fastest car in the county, which leads to a slew of cool car chases and hair-raising getaways.

The best thing about this movie isn't an extra feature. Come to think of it, it's not even the re-release of the film itself. It's the story about how Roger Corman, the King of low-budget independent films, managed to land such a hot talent like Ron Howard to star in the movie. Corman set his sights on on Ron Howard, and it all turned out. Knowing that Howard wanted to make a move behind the camera to the director's chair, Corman had a simple proposition... for Howard star in Eat my Dust and he could direct his next film, which turned out to be Grand Theft Auto. Sure, it could have meant that Ron Howard wasn't all that passionate about Eat My Dust, but both men got exactly what they wanted.

Since this is really the only thing to single out... Why do re-releases include the original theatrical trailer? Granted, it's always cool to see how movies were promoted back in the day, but is that really going to be a selling feature for the DVD? Is that the make or break point? Does anyone ever say, "Well, I wasn't going to pick this one up, but hot damn! It's got the original theatrical trailer!" It's an uber-cheap way to add one special feature to the DVD release, but we'll take it anyway.

Although it's not Ron Howard's best work by any stretch of the imagination, the movie is a low-octane funfest. Eat My Dust is a cool way to kill an hour and a half, or great fodder to have in the backgroudn while you work away on the computer. Car chases, flames, engines and teenage love make a decent ride... just make sure its in the bargain bin before you buy it.