Dust to Glory Movie Premier and Review

Baja trophy trucks and buggies lined Hollywood's Sunset Blvd Wednesday night, flanking the red carpet to the premier of Dust to Glory, Dana Brown's dramatic, action-filled movie based on the longest point-to-point race on the planet, the Baja 1000. The premier drew a huge gathering of Motorsport's elite such as Mario Andretti, Robby Gordon and Rick Johnson as well as stars of the film including Hollywood stuntman Mike "Mouse" McCoy, and Team American Honda's Johnny Campbell and Steve Hengeveld.

Dirt Rider received an early screening copy of the movie, which we gathered around Karel Kramer's computer and watched, but seeing the graphic, high-speed action of Dust to Glory on the big screen was nothing short of breath-taking. The race footage, filmed at the 2003 Baja 1000, is truly remarkable. It seems like filmmaker Dana Brown mounted a camera to anything he could find including helmets, dashboards, bumpers and undercarriages of nearly every type of vehicle found in the 1000. The photography really puts you right there; you can almost taste the dust.

The movie chronicles the entire race from its inception to the finish. It gives some background on the Baja 1000 with a few throw-backs to On Any Sunday—the original dirt bike classic made by Dana Brown's father, Bruce Brown—and it continues, touching on every type of vehicle in the race: bikes, quads, buggies, trophy trucks, and even the Class 11 bugs. One of the main stories of the film is former amateur motocross champion Mouse McCoy's attempt to ironman the entire race. His fight to finish the race turns into a struggle to maintain his grip on reality, showing the mental strain of racing for 16 hours. One of the most epic scenes in the movie is eight-time Baja 1000 champion Johnny Campbell battling for the lead with Honda B Team rider Andy Grider—who had been cut from Honda's A Team just weeks earlier.

Dust to Glory's overall depiction of the Baja 1000 is pretty true-to-life and really captures the essence of the race. It does, however, have a bit of Hollywood embelishment... you may have noticed a very two-stroke–sounding XR650 in the preview ( Click here to view the trailer). But the sound effects and music tastefully add to the drama and create what is overall one of the greatest off-road films ever made. "It was pretty true to life," said American Honda's Steve Hengeveld, "I mean, it is Hollywood, but it's a great film that depicts what we do. They made a top-notch movie and I think it'll go down in the history books like On Any Sunday."

If you're like us, you haven't been to the movies in a while—maybe years! But this is one worth seeing in theatres. Find it if you can (it's only playing in select theatres) and bring the wife, or anyone else who's ever asked you, "What's so great about dirt bikes?"

This movie has something for everyone. It creates an experience and will make a fan out of anyone. For those who are already enthusiasts, you're sure to catch details of the film that will have you talking for weeks. By the way, we have it on good authority that McCoy's rumored "staged" scene is genuine race footage (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it)!

We caught up with the man himself at the premier, seven-time AMA Supercross/ Motocross Champion Rick Johnson for some one-on-one about his part in the making of Dust to Glory.

DR: What was your involvement with the movie?
RJ: Actually, I didn't plan on having as big a role in it as I ended up having. I was [in Baja] with my friends, Mouse and everybody, and when you're down there you look out for your brothers. I helped tape Johnny Campbell's wrist when he fell and I was trying to help keep Mouse focused. Then we did a lot of interviews with Dana Brown and I guess I was able to capture some of the essence of what a lot of the guys were thinking and feeling. To play the role that I did is just kind of the voice. I was able to put into words what all of us feel when we go down there. I'm definitely honored to be associated with this movie.

How do you think the final picture turned out?
Awesome. I saw the pre-cut and it made my hair stand up. This one, I sat there, and I knew the outcome of it—I mean I raced it, I was there—but I still sat on the edge of my seat and my palms were sweaty. I've experienced it over and over and I can't imagine what somebody who's never raced, or been to Baja, is going to feel when they watch this movie.
I think it's not just about the Baja 1000; it's about racers in general. If you're racing the soapbox derby or the Indy 500 or the Daytona 500 - whatever it is - it's that drive to win and that passion to compete and I think that Dana Brown, Scotty Waugh, Mike McCoy and Kevin Ward who did the photography, everybody did an awesome job and they were able to grasp a piece of the reality that we experience down there.

To find where it's playing near you, go to Moviefone at movies.channel.aol.com/movie/main.adp?mid=20195 and type in your zip code.