If you grew up staring at the comic book ad for Megaforce—that indelible image of Barry Bostwick in a spandex jumpsuit, the tagline “Deeds not words” —you know exactly why it’s etched into the collective psyche of every nerdy 80s action movie fan. Bob Lindenmayer’s Making Megaforce finally gives this cult relic the deep dive it deserves, transforming what could have been a standard look-back doc into a poignant, high-octane exploration of why we hold on to the movies that everyone else told us to throw away.

At its core, the documentary follows director Lindenmayer as he tracks down the ghosts of the film. He isn’t just looking for the locations, like the wind-swept Nevada Salt Flats where the film’s legendary, physics-defying tank battles took place. He’s looking for the people who built the dream. Through interviews with the original stunt coordinators, costume designers and crew, the film peels back the curtain on how a massive, over-budgeted 80s action spectacle was pieced together.

The heart of the doc is the relationship between Lindenmayer and Barry Bostwick. Bostwick, a genre legend known more for The Rocky Horror Picture Show and presidents than for playing the iconic Ace Hunter, brings warmth to this totally unexpected project. He isn’t dismissive of the camp classic he starred in. He’s a willing participant in the absurdity, sharing memories that bridge the gap between Hollywood glitz and the blue-collar reality of film sets. Seeing their friendship evolve on screen adds an emotional anchor, elevating the movie from a mere trivia hunt to something genuinely moving.

Lindenmayer treats the fans with as much respect as the stars. It’s a reminder that to them, Megaforce wasn’t just a flop. For a generation of kids — me included — it was an invitation to dream big, even if those dreams involved flying motorcycles, jumpsuits and headbands. And beneath the kitsch, there’s a surprising search for a lost father figure. It turns out that tracking down a movie is often just a proxy for tracking down the parts of ourselves we left behind in the 80s.

Whether you have the original Megaforce poster framed in your living room or you’ve never heard of Ace Hunter, this documentary is essential viewing. It’s rare to find a film that captures the specific, manic joy of loving a movie people make fun of and yet tells it with such sincerity.

You can watch this either in-person or virtually at the Chattanooga Film Festival. For more info, visit the official site.