Image by Jan
Film fans love car chases. They can feel the excitement and even smell the scent of burning rubber. They get dizzy during the bumps and turns and hold their breath at the abrupt stops and near misses. Here are some cinematic car chases that are worth the trip to the video store.
In 1968, the film Bullitt came out. Steven McQueen starred as a San Francisco cop determined to find the underworld boss that had a witness in his protection killed. What made the film truly unique was the 10-minute car chase McQueen choreographed and did the stunt driving for. Many feel it was the first of its kind.
Three years later Director William Friedkin got in a car with one of his camera men as a stunt driver drove full speed down the busy New York streets to shoot the realistic head on shots in The French Connection. This insane and maverick technique helped create one of the greatest car chases of all time. Gene Hackman not only nabbed the killer as the chase concluded but an Oscar for Best Actor.
The 80’s began with an insane car chase in the comedy The Blues Brothers. Just watch the end credits and you’ll still be amazed at the amount of stuntmen listed. We were then introduced to Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark where we discovered our hero pursuing the Ark of the Covenant on horseback that led to an amazing truck chase. We were also blown away by some great chases in The Road Warrior. In 1988, The Dead Pool, the final Dirty Harry flick, had a heck of a unique chase scene. In the film an explosive remote control car pursues Clint Eastwood and his partner up and down the streets of San Francisco. What a scene
The James Bond franchise continued strongly through the 80’s and the 90’s and kept the chases coming. Just check out Roger Moore’s pursuit of Grace Jones from the Eiffel Tower as his car gets smashed to a pulp in A View To A Kill. Timothy Dalton’s vengeful Bond pursues the bad guys in a twenty-five minute tanker chase at the end of License To Kill. Pierce Brosnan’s Bond even drives his car from a remote in the back seat and sends it crashing into the Rent-A-Car place at the end of a thrilling car chase in a parking garage in Tomorrow Never Dies.
There were two electrifying car chases in John Frankenheimer’s Ronin in 1998. In one we see Robert DeNiro emerge from a sunroof with a bazooka and blast and flip over a car. In the second one we watch DeNiro and Jean Reno pursue a trio of bad guys through a tunnel in France. It turns frighteningly realistic as we see cars smash, flip over, and explode as the chase continues on at lightning speed the wrong way through traffic.
I hope that everyone who has just read this is no longer feeling dizzy. I know I feel a little lightheaded just recalling those cinematic chase scenes. First things first-I’ll race you to the video store!!
7 Responses
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Hey Darren, I definitely love a good car chase. I remember Roger Moore as 007 driving an amphibious Lotus and coming out of the surf right up onto the beach. Car chases are almost like a fast paced microcosm of all the adventures, triumphs, and fears of human life. I also remember being 4 years old an seeing that 10 minute car chase in Bullitt at the movie theater. Steve McQueen was one serious driver and one cool dude. He always had a great haircut too. I once wrote a song about his hair called “Jesus, Buddha, Steve McQueen,” you may have heard it.
Good Health,
Joe
Joe Says,”I remember Roger Moore as 007 driving an amphibious Lotus and coming out of the surf right up onto the beach.”
That is from The Spy Who Loved Me-Great one Joe!!
That’s right, I think I was in the 8th grade, maybe 7th. I went to see it at the Secaucus Harmon Cove Theater, now a mall…of course. I was with Andrew DeLanzo, Rob Bugliaro, and Jeff DeLeo – - good days for sure.
Nice Memories-:)
I guess I’m showing my age but Road Warrior and the Blues Brothers are probably the most memorable car chases from my childhood.
Also, I used to loves the Dukes of Hazard as a kid. I’m thinking now that car chases had a lot to do with it’s success as a TV show. That and of course Daisy Duke!
I hear that-Daisy was certainly easy on the eyes-:)
I used to like a good car chase but not it just seems like part of the “movie formula”. Some recent chase scenes are still good but these day’s i’m guessing 1 out of 20 is worth the time to watch. The rest are predictable and lend nothing to the story.