Nine Seconds of Glory: the Rod Kimble Story

There are so many films out there that you either love or hate. “The Deer Hunter”, “A Clockwork Orange”, “Freddy Got Fingered”, “Space Jam”; the list goes on.

"Hot Rod" definitely falls into that category.

Set in an ambiguous time period intermingled with modern technology and a retro eighties flair, this 2007 comedy from SNL writer turned director Akiva Schaffer will either leave you busting a gut or groaning in agony. The brand of comedy dished out rapid-fire by star Andy Samberg (SNL) and pals Bill Hader (SNL, “Superbad”) and Danny McBride (“Tropic Thunder”, “Pineapple Express”) may be base, juvinile, and sometimes vulgar but what sets it apart from the churned out teen-targeted dick-and-farters we see so often is the nostalgic flair and perpetual innocence embedded in the laughs.

Take, for instance, when Dave (Hader) picks up his burger at a fast food window after waiting patiently for the order-up chick to call the fake name he’s given. Over the microphone she says: “Voltron?”

Love it or hate it, what “Hot Rod” boils down to is the story of self-proclaimed motorcycle stuntman Rod Kimble and his never-ending quest to fill the hole in his life caused by never knowing his father. Rod acts out in ways that blatantly show his yearning for social and parental acceptance; from the physically abusive confrontations and verbal assaults that play out with his stepfather (Ian McShane) to the insults-as-a-form-of-flirting Rod doles on red-headed love-interest Denise (Isla Fisher).

It’s a familiar theme, but executed in an unusual and refreshing way.

The suit up scene in “Hot Rod” is literally the first thing you see after that beautiful swirl of stars on the Paramount logo. Sound tracked by simple drums we open with Rod’s hands buttoning up his jumpsuit, quick-cut to the knotting of shoelaces on a retro pair of Van’s. We watch as he slides a hand over his American flag patch. The left glove goes on, then the right. A yellow cape is flung around his shoulders, as it settles over a large hand-stitched white star embroidered on his back; we set the name Rod sewn onto the cape in large red letters.

Cut to a close-up, a small portion of his face, just the mouth and chin, and we watch as he attaches a fake moustache to his upper lip. This is something that may seem silly and innocent at the time, but it’s really a conscious effort on Rod’s part to mirror his biological father.

Last we see the helmet shot.

During the whole nine seconds of suit-up, we never once see Rod’s full face. Maybe it was a cognizant decision on the director’s part to make the following scene even that much more absurd (the one where he miserably fails to jump a motorcycle over a mail truck; the scene is real-life YouTube brutal, but hilarious).

I’ve heard it said that “Hot Rod” is a “Napoleon Dynamite” rip-off. I, personally, don’t see the similarity. Same as I don’t see how “The Sasquatch Gang” was either. But let it be said that what “Hot Rod” has that Nappy-D dosen't is the balls to push the jokes.

Nothing in “Hot Rod” is subtle.

If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot. You might just find your new guilty pleasure.