- Junkman and movie-maker Harlan Hollis struggles to stay alive when a jealous partner in his company hires goons to kill him. Full of amazing car chases, fantastic crashes, and edge-of-your-seat action.
- The film opens with a montage of Harlan B. Hollis' life story. After marrying his love, Helen Fox, they open a junkyard and become wealthy, when Harlan decides to become an independent filmmaker and run his own studio. However, Helen tragically dies in an auto accident and is left to raise their baby daughter, Kelly. Many years later, he receives help for his studio by brother-in-law Michael, the head of public relations, Harlan's teenage daughter Kelly, now sixteen years old, also working as a gofer, Arthur Wheeler, who handles theatrical bookings and financing, and Harlan's childhood friend Richard, the studio's vice president. While doing post-production work on his latest action film, Harlan is also planning to make a special appearance at the James Dean memorial festival in Dean's hometown of Shalam, California, that weekend. At the same time, ambitious reporter Susan Clark is hired to do a cover story on Harlan's lifestyle and the premiere of his film.
Meanwhile, a team of expert assassins: Blackbird, Magnum, and Cover 1 are hired by local hit man Frank Spyros, who runs an airplane hangar as a front, to rub out Harlan before he arrives. They are also instructed to destroy anyone or anything that get in their way. The next day, as Harlan drives to the festival, he is immediately besieged by the assassins, commandeering various cars and airplanes, with hand grenades, gunfire. The chase causes massive car pile-ups and property damage to various locations. When Harlan manages to escape his pursuers: running Blackbird's car off the road and killing both Magnum and Cover 1, a heavily-disguised Michael, commandeering another plane, drops a oncoming grenade in Harlan's path, causing him to lose control and plowing his car into an empty suburban home. Michael drops another grenade into the house, blowing up the foundation and torching the car. However, Harlan, though badly injured, escapes the carnage and meets up with Susan, her cameraman Jack and sound man Bruce, whose car was also impacted during the pursuit, and Harlan recruits the three to help him find out who is trying to kill him before the premiere.
However, the oncoming news reports claim Harlan died in the explosion, which shocks everyone, including Kelly and Richard. Susan is also under pressure from her boss to get the story done, and Harlan, still recuperating, escapes Susan's house to equip himself with money, a gun, and a yellow Corvette (all provided by Harlan's friend Hoyt Axton). Back at the studio, Arthur gives security guard Dennis strict orders not to let anyone on the property, except employees, but Michael allows Susan and her crew onto the lot to finish the story. Susan also learns that Michael has now become a legal guardian for Kelly and her estate. Later, the FBI arrive to grill Richard, recently promoted to studio president, who they believe was responsible for Harlan's death, but Richard's lawyers speak on his behalf saying they have no evidence or warrant and are asked to leave. Meanwhile, Susan attempts to interview Arthur for the story, but shoots her down after being accused of using Harlan's death to increase Arthur's personal earnings. That night, Harlan sneaks into the studio to gather evidence, but instead tries to hide himself from Dennis, who chases him around the property with gunfire. Harlan steals his priceless Eleanor Mustang from his office and drives it outside through a wall. He hops over the front gates, where Jack and Bruce are waiting and help him escape before the cops arrive.
The next day, Susan is assigned to interview Spyros at his hangar, but hastily cuts the interview short, when Susan notices two of the planes used for the assassination. Later, Blackbird, the only surviving assassin, shoots Spyros dead in his office and steals the bomb he was using to blow up a limousine at the premiere. Harlan arrives at the hangar, discovers Spyro's body, and obtains a map drawing of the limousine job. Before taking off in the Corvette, he orders an spooked employee to face the wall, at gunpoint. After the employee makes a 911 call, Harlan is pursued by a convoy of police cars, but escapes to a nearby field, where the Goodyear blimp is idling, and instructs its commander to drop him off at the Cinerama Dome, as well as dispatching the bomb squad and other available units. Harlan arrives at the location to confront Michael, who escapes onto a rooftop, as the police swoop in to arrest Blackbird, disguised as a chauffeur. Michael bitterly tells Harlan he was responsible for making Harlan successful and that Michael wants all the fame and fortune for himself. He picks up a wooden plank and lunges forward, but Michael loses his balance and falls to his death, as Jack and Bruce manage to extract the bomb and throw it in the air, landing and exploding underneath a parked van. That night, Harlan and Kelly happily embrace and the studio throws a massive 16th birthday party for her.
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