A Rather Subjective List of Cool Car Movies
A Rather Subjective List of Cool Car Movies – please contribute!
By Nathan D. Adlen
Let’s say you had the place to yourself for a day or two (the fill-in-the-blank and kids went to blah, blah, blah, etc.) and you wanted the ultimate car movies. It has been a while since I’ve seen a cool car movie, but I know an exciting car chase or well filmed race can get the blood boiling, even for those who are not that crazy about cars. The cool car film is an institution with several to choose from. If you forgot the names of some of the oldies, but goodies – read on!
Below are ten movies that I think you and your friends will enjoy. For those of you who question the acting or authenticity of the sound effects in car movies, two of my movie selections are John Frankenheimer movies. “Grand Prix” is the oldest of my picks, from 1966, and “Ronin” is the newest, from 1998. What I dig is the believable racing and chasing. The cars make the right sounds, moves and usually the actors are at the wheel or at least look like they are at the wheel. Neither one is very strong on story, but who cares when you see the action!
The next two movies are similar to me because I find them only watchable when the amazing chase scenes come up. 1968’s “Bullitt” and “The Italian Job” from 1969 are some of the best directed movies when it comes to car chases, but the rest of the material is mildly entertaining at best. The new “Italian Job” was okay, but it pales when compared to the original – dig the opening scene with the Lamborghini Miura!
“Le Mans,” in 1971, established the right way to film a big budget car movie – period. It did not matter that the story was simple. It had the right actor that many motor-heads KNOW knew about cars, the immortal Steve McQueen. It was believable and rather long. On the other end of the budget spectrum was 1974’s “Gone in Sixty Seconds.” Forget the 2000 version – the last chase scene in the new one was okay. The original had a far-out chase scene that destroyed half of Southern California. As good as McQueen’s acting was, it amplifies how terrible H.B. Halicki’s acting was. Still, he made a lot with very little and the end result is fun as hell to watch! I recommend getting the special DVD with the “making of” material – it’s worth the time to watch.
In 1973 George Lucas gave us one of the best hot rod films ever. “American Graffiti” was not only a hot rodder’s fantasy, but it had a fun, identifiable story with a memorable cast of characters - rare. Then, in 1977, the mighty Trans Am mixed with a comedy and gave us “Smokey and the Bandit.” There are lots of fun car chases and a CB language that defies logic. If you want to laugh, just watch Jackie Gleason when he begins one of his tirades. Watch the unedited one for the best politically-incorrect laughs. Sure it’s kind of low brow stuff, but it is entertaining.
The last two that might have gone under the radar are “Two-Lane Blacktop,” from 1971, and “The Gumball Rally” which came out in 1976. “Two-Lane Blacktop” is a simple street racing movie, but it improves as it moves on. James Taylor (yes, the singer) is not bad and the cross country race is fun to watch. “The Gumball Rally” was my favorite movie as a kid. Why? Four reasons: Lots of amazing racing between a Ferrari Daytona Spider and a 427 Cobra. Raul Julia is awesome as a womanizing, hot blooded, Italian driver. It is really funny AND it clearly defines why motorcyclists should never compete in long distance races.
New films like “Speed Racer” and “The Fast and Furious” are fun, but they lack even a shred of realism and should be viewed solely as pop entertainment. I was tempted to add Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” for the hard core chase scene at the end of the film, but I was so ticked off at the wanton destruction of the white Dodge Challenger that it earns an 11th place for me.
Don’t forget some of those other classics like “Death Race 2000” (I hear a remake is in the works), “Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry,” “The Driver,” “The Seven-Ups,” “The Green Helmet” and “Vanishing Point” to name a few. These films are guilty pleasures that I admit to loving, but they don’t quite make my top 10. Those of you who wish to add “Days of Thunder,” “Driven” or “Six Pack” are in need of therapy. At least “Days of Thunder” had scenes that are inspired by actual events.
Look, I know I missed mentioning about twenty other “amazing” car films - Sorry. Write in with your favorite car movies and the reason you chose them. Maybe I’ll agree with you and post it; however, if some joker tries to tell me that “Torque” was good I will not post my nasty remarks on this family friendly website.
Happy viewing!
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