Garage Flicks Part Two
02/20/08 00:33 Filed in: Trivia
OK, it's still cold outside, so here's five
more flicks with an automotive theme to
keep you busy while staying warm.
I had to dig deep, and leave You Tube to find a clip of this one! Funny Car Summer is a documentary about Jim Dunn's 1973 summer vacation from his then daily fireman's gig. Jim hit the road and took his weird but competitive rear-engined Barracuda funny car on tour to drag racing fans far & wide. I remember watching this film when in it was fresh in theaters during 1974. That's close to when I was a drag strip fixture anytime these cars showed up to race, so it brings back a lot of memories. The night scenes are tough to make out, but otherwise it's an authentic nitro burning flip-top flashback.
This is the opening sequence to the 1966 John Frankenheimer directed film, Grand Prix. Kind of a soap opera when the cars aren't racing, but when they are on the track, it's an open wheel thrill ride for the silver screen.
Steve McQueen (a real life car guy before his untimely death) is back for more in this 1971 film entitled Le Mans. Wrought with production problems, it still has what are possibly the best, and most realistic racing scenes ever filmed.
Although I couldn't find a video clip on You Tube of this one, it's very worthy of inclusion on anyone's top 10 gearhead cinema list. Worth searching for, and it appears to be readily available from Amazon. When you find a copy, you'll see Bonnie Bedelia playing Shirley Muldowney in the 1983 biopic Heart Like a Wheel. It's a pretty heavy dramatic representation of the trendsetting drag racers rise to the NHRA championship... three times. The film has some great recreations of vintage drag racing action, and Bedelia received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress for her work in this film. Shirley Muldowney is portrayed as a heroine throughout the film, while her ex-husband Jack (Leo Rossi) and fellow racer and romantic interest Connie Kalitta (Beau Bridges) are... well... not exactly given the same treatment. So while there is probably more to the whole story, it's still a very watch-able and entertaining film about the "first lady of drag racing" who made good in a male dominated world.
Jack Warden goes on the test drive of his life in Used Cars. This 1980 film is utterly tasteless, crude, and vulgar, yet it's absolutely hilarious. Be forewarned, a certain 1957 Chevy needs significant repairs by the time this clip is done.
LK
I had to dig deep, and leave You Tube to find a clip of this one! Funny Car Summer is a documentary about Jim Dunn's 1973 summer vacation from his then daily fireman's gig. Jim hit the road and took his weird but competitive rear-engined Barracuda funny car on tour to drag racing fans far & wide. I remember watching this film when in it was fresh in theaters during 1974. That's close to when I was a drag strip fixture anytime these cars showed up to race, so it brings back a lot of memories. The night scenes are tough to make out, but otherwise it's an authentic nitro burning flip-top flashback.
This is the opening sequence to the 1966 John Frankenheimer directed film, Grand Prix. Kind of a soap opera when the cars aren't racing, but when they are on the track, it's an open wheel thrill ride for the silver screen.
Steve McQueen (a real life car guy before his untimely death) is back for more in this 1971 film entitled Le Mans. Wrought with production problems, it still has what are possibly the best, and most realistic racing scenes ever filmed.
Although I couldn't find a video clip on You Tube of this one, it's very worthy of inclusion on anyone's top 10 gearhead cinema list. Worth searching for, and it appears to be readily available from Amazon. When you find a copy, you'll see Bonnie Bedelia playing Shirley Muldowney in the 1983 biopic Heart Like a Wheel. It's a pretty heavy dramatic representation of the trendsetting drag racers rise to the NHRA championship... three times. The film has some great recreations of vintage drag racing action, and Bedelia received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress for her work in this film. Shirley Muldowney is portrayed as a heroine throughout the film, while her ex-husband Jack (Leo Rossi) and fellow racer and romantic interest Connie Kalitta (Beau Bridges) are... well... not exactly given the same treatment. So while there is probably more to the whole story, it's still a very watch-able and entertaining film about the "first lady of drag racing" who made good in a male dominated world.
Jack Warden goes on the test drive of his life in Used Cars. This 1980 film is utterly tasteless, crude, and vulgar, yet it's absolutely hilarious. Be forewarned, a certain 1957 Chevy needs significant repairs by the time this clip is done.
LK
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