EDITED & DIRECTED BY: Robert Rodriguez
WRITTEN BY: Robert Rodriguez & Tommy Nix
MUSIC BY: Paul Boll and Johnny Reno
STARRING: David Arquette, John Hawkes, Salma Hayek, Jason Wiles, and William Sadler as Sarge
DISTRIBUTED BY: Showtime Network (television showings) & Dimension Films (video release)
Dude Delaney is a 1950s "rebel without a cause". He desperately wants to get out of the small town where he is constantly harassed by crooked cops, and popular people who do not like the fact that he is dating a Mexican girl (Salma Hayek). When he joins a band, who may get a record contract he realizes that his music could be his ticket out.
Before beginning work on Desperado, Robert was approached with an offer to write and direct a TV movie for showtime television network as part of their "Rebel Highway" Series. Showtime was remaking old American International Pictures exploitation films. The only condition that showtime was putting on the Rebel Highway film-makers was that they have to use the name of the original film. They do not have to use the same characters or story as the original. Robert and his friend Tommy Nix wrote a story about Rock and Roll, rebelling, and interracial dating, the title Roadracers did not really fit their movie but they were stuck with it.
He cast relative unknown David Arquette, native Texan John Hawkes, and Mexican soap opera star Salma Hayek (who made her United States film debut in this film). Robert shot the film in 13 days, which is less time than the 20 days he had on Mariachi. The difference is that this time he had a crew. One problem that he had with his crew was that many of them were used to screwing around and wasting time in what he called "typical Hollywood fashion". This film was also Robert's first feature to be shot on 35mm film.
The movie premiered on the Showtime Network July 22, 1994. A few years later Dimension films bought the distribution rights and released it on VHS tape a few years later. Robert wrote a book about the making of this film called Roadracers: the Making of a Degenerate Hot Rod Flick. unfortunately the book is only available in England.