The Greatest 1980s Cult Classic Sports Movie Returns to Theaters for a 40th Anniversary Celebration [Exclusive]

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Bill Allen, Lori Loughlin, 1986. ©TriStar Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Published Feb 20, 2026, 12:30 PM EST

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

This spring, get ready to return to the Helltrack. 1986 BMX cult classic Rad is coming back to theaters for its 40th anniversary, and this year's celebration will be the raddest one yet. Collider is proud to exclusively reveal that this year's Rad Day will now include two days of theatrical screenings, and it'll also feature a sneak peek at a new documentary on one of the stunt legends who helped make the movie happen.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the film's release on March 21, 1986, Rad will be re-released in theaters by Utopia and Fathom Entertainment on March 22 and 24, due to popular demand. This will be the fifth official celebration of Rad Day. The screenings will also include a sneak peek of Effortless: The Eddie Fiola Story. Fiola is a BMX champ turned stuntman on films like The One, Biker Boyz, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Effortless examines his life and career, and features interviews with contemporaries like Ed Helms, Tony Hawk, and Steve Caballero. If you've got thunder in your heart, tickets for screenings of Rad are now available from FathomEntertainment.

What Is 'Rad' About?

Rad centers around Cru Jones (Bill Allen, Born on the Fourth of July), a small-town teenager who's torn between planning for his future and the lure of the BMX track. His mother (Talia Shire, Rocky) wants him to prepare for the SAT, but the Helltrack race is calling his name. Of course, he won't get a chance to win it if sleazy Federation of American Bicyclists president Duke Best (Jack Weston, The Thomas Crown Affair) has his way; he's planning to rig the race so his chosen champion, Bart Taylor (Olympic gymnast Bart Conner) can win, even if he has to hire Rex and Rod Reynolds (future The Conjuring screenwriters Chad and Carey Hayes) to stop him. But with the support of his family and his new girlfriend, Christian (Lori Loughlin, Full House), Cru is determined to truly be rad. The film was directed by iconic stunt performer and director Hal Needham (Smokey and the Bandit), from a script by Sam Bernard and Geoffrey Edwards.

Rad was not a critical or commercial success upon its release, but its intense BMX action, heartfelt performances, and iconic soundtrack (featuring John Farnham, Sparks, and Real Life) made it a cult classic. It was first restored in 4K in 2020, and has been theatrically re-released on Rad Day ever since.

Rad will return to theaters for its 40th anniversary on March 22 and 24; tickets are available at FathomEntertainment.com. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.