** ENOUGH TALK... I WANT PICTURES **

Making it down to LA for the first showing of Dust To Glory was a stretch but once we made it down there all of the traffic stress was quickly forgotten. The event was arranged by IFC Films Productions / Donahoe Racing and Malibu Dan Motorsports and was quite a showing of race vehicles surrounded by many friendly people that put together many racing events all over the west. Lots of BBQ, race cars and trucks, nice people and the showing of the best racing movie to come out in the last two decades... a good time indeed! We just happened to be the very last people to get tickets for the last available seating (which was the first showing of the night). We earned some front row action 10ft from the screen so I got a really REALLY close and un-obstructed view!

So how was the movie? AWESOME of course. It was MADE to be on the big screen. The scale of the race vehicles and all of the action really was amplified by the big screen. The screaming pro-trucks whipping completely sideways at full throttle off of the starting line, the locals diving out of the drivers racing line (just enough to stay alive but not off the course), the helicopters zooming over the course to catch site of their teams... all of this action was furious and demanded the viewer's full attention. Being a documentary you might be imagining a slow paced or kick back sensation just like in "On Any Sunday" or one of the more recent surfing or skiing videos but hold on there! Most documentaries have traditionally shown the natural landscape and heritage (storyline) of the characters in order to create an in-depth feeling for the viewer. Dust To Glory gives you all of that but actually conveys the feeling of urgency involved in the Baja 1000. Actually racing off-road is a violent event and ALWAYS involves adrenalin pumping through the driver as well as the support crews chasing the race vehicles! D2G conveys this spirit to the audience very well by integrating MANY camera angles and very detailed audio that was all recorded using an ARMY of camera and sound people! Just imagine trying to haul, organize and operate that whole production. I'll leave that stuff to the pros and enjoy their blood and sweat in the form of D2G.

There are many reasons to buy Dust To Glory when it comes out and you will find it to be the sole reason you might just upgrade your TV to the biggest HDTV Plasma screen your credit can afford. The sound hits hard, the helicopter chases are spectacular, the characters and drivers were shown as they are in true life as well. The movie covers trucks, buggies and mostly the motorcycles which was my only complaint. Being prejudice towards trucks I can't help but pray that another movie is produced in such high quality showing only the truck classes. I really really was starving for more action from the Terrible Herbst and some of the other truck racers. I'm not complaining one bit since the movie, as a whole, is laid out perfectly in terms of the whole Baja experience and in super high quality production! Buy this movie on DVD, adjust the speakers on your surround sound to bring out the bass from the race trucks and enjoy over and over. I would also recommend hiding this DVD in your Teletubbies case or one of your friends will steal it promptly.