Oklahoma's Bart Conner returns to theaters for 'Rad Day' on Thursday

Midweek update: Fathom Events re-presents 1980s BMX adventure

One of Oklahoma’s most noted athletes will be part of the celebration of a cult-classic film on Thursday.

Bart Conner starred as the antagonistic Bart Taylor in “Rad,” the BMX racing adventure film in 1986. For “Rad Day” — March 21, the day of the film’s original release — the film is returning to theaters nationwide for a 7 p.m. local time showing.

This Fathom Events/Utopia presentation will show the film, recently remastered in 4K. Along with Conner, the film stars Bill Allen (Cru Jones), Lori Loughlin (Christian Hollings), Talia Shire (Mrs. Jones), Jack Weston (Duke Best), and Ray Walston (Burton Timmer). The film was directed by Hal Needham (“Smokey and the Bandit”), the noted stuntman, writer, actor and director. Modern movie fans may connect with Needham as the inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.”

The Fathom screening will include a Q&A with Allen and Conner along with Utopia co-founder, Robert Schwartzman. It will be moderated by Ed Helms (“The Office”), described as a “‘Rad' super fan” in the news release.

The films synopsis follows: “Rad” tells the story of Cru (Allen), a young man with a dream of making it big as a BMX racer by racing the “Helltrack” and winning the grand prize of $100,000 and a Corvette.

For more information, to see the trailer, or to get tickets, visit the Fathom Events site.

I was a fan of this film as a kid and have often described it as “Karate Kid” with BMX bikes. The Oklahoma connection to 1984 Olympian Bart Conner made it even cooler. The film didn’t do much at the box office, but found a niche in the VHS stores of the 1980s and 1990s, and was praised by BMX fans particularly. The Lonely Island group cited “Rad” as an influence for their film “Hot Rod,” and the film was remastered in 4K and released in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-Ray in 2020. Last year, the “Rifftrax” crew brought “Rad” back to theaters as part of its “Rifftrax Live” performances. Now, fans who want to experience the pure film in theaters can celebrate the “Rad Day” release on Thursday. I’m interested to see how it holds up in 2024 versus my nostalgic recollection.

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about comics, film, and other entertainment topics for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma.