22 replies to this topic

[RETROCRX]

I rented the Fast and the Furious tonight and I can safely say that, short of Driven, it was quite possibly the dumbest car movie I have ever seen!

If you are a true car person who knows their shit, I would recommend you avoid that movie like the plague!!  Truely stupid!!  With all the chrome, stickers, name dropping and jargon that all makes no sense it's hard to believe anyone liked it!

I could go into more detail but it would take too long!!  All I have to say is I'm glad I didn't pay to go to the movies to see this movie!

Just my opinion, not that any of you care!

Rob   ???

PS, can anyone who's seen the movie please explain to me how Don's (Vin Diesel) father was killed in a corner in a ProStock drag race? ? ? ?

[MANGLEdCRX]

I dunno man I think I know my fair share about cars I built my rex from the ground up and I thought the F&F was a pretty cool movie, just look at it from an entertainment point not at the technical end for example if you look closely that eclipse has a blow off valve and its not even turbo charged and theres a bunch more stuff I can go about ripping the movie apart i just think its a cool movie Im gonna buy the DVD when everything settles down and theres some copies still on the shelf   :0

[rpr]

Yeah, I downloaded it a while ago, and I found it to be a bit 'lacking' on the technical side, but I knew that going in. It depends on what you are expecting. If you are looking for a technically accurate, believable movie about street racing, then you are bound to be disappointed. If you go into it looking to be entertained, and to see some really cool cars, then you will enjoy it. I personally enjoyed it, although watching a ripped copy on the computer, with no music, and a relatively small window didn't really do the movie justice. I'll probably buy it...

[Preet]

So speaking of movies, which are the best and worst driving movies of all time?  

I have to confess I've never seen LeMans with Steve McQueen.  I shall endeavour to correct that this week.  I haven't seen F&F yet, but I plan to rent it.  I'm not going in looking for the technical, because you know hollywood has to do it's thing to make the movie appealing to a big audience.  It's always that way.  People who see movies about their professions or hobbies are the worst people to see a movie with.  Anyone who's used a computer laughs when they see a computer hacker movie and the crazy looking OS's the people in the movie use.  Or in Driven, which gives the impression that you loddle around until your pitboss tells you it's time to win and all of sudden you start using those "extra" two gears on the straights.  But if you look at it from an entertainment perspective it's better.  You will never be happy with the details of your portrayed hobbie/livelihood. Never.  I find that they are just "vehicles" (no pun intended) for general plots that could be applied to a various number of other themes.  But enough of my ranting!

Grand Prix rates highly on my list (Frankenheimer, I think)  Same guy who did Ronin (amazing car chase scene).  Days of Thunder, don't know much about NASCAR, but it was a fun movie I thought.  Let me put it this way, it's the only NASCAR I'd watch.

Preet

[Masta]

I just saw F&F the other day and other than the blatant lack of tech correctness, it was OK from an entertainment POV.  The funny thing is, RJ deVera was the tech consultant, he's some big time import god, he must have been off the days they said things like, "we need sr20 motors" which they apparently wanted for there Civic's. Huh?  There are very few tech correct movies, Hollywood always screws it up.
My favourite 3 driving movies are:
1. Grand Prix (terrible acting, but incredible driving sequences, especially for the time)
2.  LeMans( Seeing as it was actual footage from LeMans, how could you go wrong)
3. Vanishing Point(not a race movie, but an hour long car chase with a big block Challenger, very cool.)

Other OK movies
Driven was pathetic technically, but it was funny to watch.
Cannonball run was funny.
Gumball Rally is a good one, a real 427 Cobra will do that.

I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting, maybe one day a real car guy will make a tech correct movie, problem is it will bore the non-car-guy to tears.

Later

Darren

[CRX Spaz]

The ricers up here in CHicago think that is the best car movie ever made. They talk about getting spoon motors, nos and street racing giving every import car driver a bad name.

[RETROCRX]

I didn't say I wasn't entertained.  I thought it was a brilliant comedy!!  I just don't think that was what they were going for!!

As for the tech stuff.  I wasn't excpecting it to be technically correct.  If it was it would be a documentary.  But I thought all the techno babble they used was simply to drop as many High Perf part names in there as possible just to impress the viewer!  You know the old bullshit baffles brains routine!  I would have been far more respectful of the movie if upon popping the hood everyone just went "woah nice job!!" not "I see a T42 Turbo, nitrous misting kit, Titamium valve springs"  Shit that just sounds stupid to anyone who knows next to nothing about cars.  [sarcasm]We all know valve springs are right in plain view when you pop the hood![/sarcasm]

The Nissan motors in the Hondas was hilarious too!!!!  I particularly liked the colour matched washers falling ot of the dash in the Eclipse that resultd in the floor falling out!!  Who was this brilliant import god tech advisor anyway!  

As for good car movies, there hasn't ever really been an over all GOOD car movie.  They all have different shortcomings, but the others you have mentioned at least don't try and bullshit you, and the car footage wasn't as fabricated and computer enhanced(read butchered) as in F&F!

Rob

[rpr]

And who can forget the classic 'Corvette Summer'? Perhaps one of Mark Hamill's best roles...

'Death Race 2000' was pretty good too.

[CRX Spaz]

Death Race 2000'! I see I am not the only one that watches late night drive in on Speed Vision.

[Masta]

"Corvette Summer"  Aw crap Tom, I've just lost all respect for you   I saw it not long ago, man what a pile.  "Death Race 2000" though, that was killer(pun very much intended).  I agree Rob, there has never been a truly good car movie.  The best I've ever seen was a documentary done by James Garner on a couple of race seasons he campaigned, they show it on Speedvision every now and then, It is awesome, there is some great footage from Mosport too.  Hey we should make the next great car movie, yeah right!

Darren

[RETROCRX]

Wait, I just remembered the best car movie of all time!!

A Lap Of The Gods!!!   All in-car F1 footage with driving heroes at legendary Grand Prix circuits, all with a generous helping of Murray Walker voice over!!

Ahhh sheer bliss!!

Rob  

[BigGuy]

Hey Darren, you were just a snot nosed punk   when Corvette Summer came out.  Tom and I are a little more experienced  and I don't know if he did, but I watched CS in the theatre.  I think I was 11 or 12.  I still remember it.  Of course it's cheese now, but remember what your comparing it too.  I know, you're just joking...............but you of all people should love it, it's about a car guy with a dream who builds it, gets a girl and then loses it, the car and his virginity.  It doesn't get much better when you're 12.

   Grand Prix definitely rules and Lemans is just a museum piece.  Anybody else think of any other gems............    

[rpr]

I was 8, so no, I never saw it in the theatre. While we are on the topic of car movies:

Gone in 60 Seconds (original)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
Ronin (excellent car chase)
Just about any James Bond movie

There is another one I'm trying to think of, but it's not coming to me. I think it was about car thieves or something, I remember the one scene, the two guys are in a car, I think being chased, and they drive the car out the side of a building. Ring any bells with anyone?

[Masta]

    HAHAHAHA.......that shit is dope yo...HAHAHA