Shadoe Stevens crashes in the VHS wasteland on August 17, 1988
Replacing the legendary Casey Kasem as host of American Top 40 wasn't enough of a challenge for Shadoe Stevens in 1988. No, siree, the man was going to conquer Hollywood in the same year. Backed by no less than Dino De Laurentis, a budget of $6.5 million, and the screenwriter of Raw Deal , Stevens would make his bid for celluloid greatness as disgraced former Texas state trooper and soldier of fortune Traxx . Yes, Traxx! The very name hangs in the air like the faint aroma of stale Pop Secret and forgotten dreams! And those forgotten dreams would ultimately include Shadoe Stevens' movie career. For, you see, he shot for the moon, but merely landed among the stars...on videocassette shelves. Not destined for the gilded multiplexes, those temples of celluloid illusion where the masses flocked for their weekly dose of manufactured heroism and pre-packaged romance. No, no, my velvet-collared voyeurs of the VCR, Traxx bypassed all that. It slithered directly into the plastic clamsh...