Movies R There Any Good Racing Films?

alesi95 · 1 Apr 2002, 14:39 (Ref:249002)

Days of Thunder was on the BBC last night again and I have to say ITS A TRULLY DIRE FILM!

The question is are there any good motor racing films out there?

FAST AND THE FURIOUS IS PROBABLY THE WORST FILM EVER
So that doesn't count.

The best racing film I ve seen is Grand Prix from 1966 I think

StuiE · 1 Apr 2002, 15:54 (Ref:249067)

i only saw TFATF for the cars, certainly not the acting or the technical accuracy.........maybe the gals

i cant say ive seen a good racing movie

Raven · 1 Apr 2002, 16:26 (Ref:249082)

People say Le Mans is as good as Grand Prix, but I havent seen it.

Tony_Simpson · 1 Apr 2002, 17:17 (Ref:249115)

What made me laugh about TFATF was the fact that you have a 2litre with 'NOS' racing Toyota Supra's. The Supra would walk all over anything else that tried to race it as I guess it would have 800bhp+ (some have had 1200bhp!!!) wheras everything else would have 250bhp maybe 300 if everything stayed working.

Also Driven does not really qualify as a film, driving a champ car on a road with out helmets on at night with road cars around, yeah thats real.

Anyway to proper films, does anone know where a copy of Le Mans or Grand prix could be got from as I have not seen it for sale anywhere. They are both good films (if a little old now) but still worth watching.

JGM · 1 Apr 2002, 18:01 (Ref:249157)

There has never been a good racing film or any good film about professional sport or, for that matter, about any very specialised activity. Films have to have a broad appeal so that they are not made for the enthusiast but for people who know nothing about the sport. Consequently such films have to deal with the sport in a farcically superficial way pandering to all the ususal stereotypes and including all the standard film cliches - good guy, bad guy, nice-but-dull-guy,fine upstanding team boss, sinister evil team boss, love interest, regulation number of spectacular accidents, desperate championship race, nail biting finish, good guy wins. It's always rubbish.

StuiE · 1 Apr 2002, 18:44 (Ref:249192)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony_Simpson
What made me laugh about TFATF was the fact that you have a 2litre with 'NOS' racing Toyota Supra's. The Supra would walk all over anything else that tried to race it as I guess it would have 800bhp+ (some have had 1200bhp!!!) wheras everything else would have 250bhp maybe 300 if everything stayed working.

Not every 2 litre is gutless, those civics, the eclipse and the RX7 were also Turbocharged and that makes most of the difference and 1000bhp can be made from a RX7 civic mota is capable of about 700 hp (athough the car is not) but i dont know about the eclipse

Rob29 · 2 Apr 2002, 07:36 (Ref:249620)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony_Simpson

Anyway to proper films, does anone know where a copy of Le Mans or Grand prix could be got from as I have not seen it for sale anywhere. They are both good films (if a little old now) but still worth watching.

For some unknown reason they were never released on Video in UK. If you have a VCR that will play NTSC tapes,you should be able to get them via the net.i think 'motorbooks' or somesuch lists them.Don't know about DVD but for most films the situation is the same,you would need a machine that plays region 1.

racer69 · 2 Apr 2002, 10:24 (Ref:249716)

Le Mans is the only good racing movie i have seen. Grand Prix is great i've heard, just that i've never seen it unfortunatly.

Anyone heard of the movie redline 7000 by the way?

Raven · 2 Apr 2002, 20:41 (Ref:250295)

The TV channel TCM airs Grand Prix quite often, if any of you get that.

D.R.T. · 3 Apr 2002, 05:58 (Ref:250603)

Anyone heard of the movie redline 7000 by the way? [/B][/QUOTE]
Yes I belive I have, that is the one with the driver who loses his hand, but eventually still races. American Nascar I think, sorry its been a while.

alesi95 · 3 Apr 2002, 10:57 (Ref:250768)

Grand Prix was aired on ITV when they first won the contract to broadcast races, It was part of their "grand prix night in 1997.

And apparently Jean Alesi has a "blink and you'll miss him cameo in Stallones "Driven" "Epic".

Alesi and Stallone have been aquaintances since Sly first visisted a Grand Prix at Monza in 1994. Jean was on Pole that day.

Speedworx · 3 Apr 2002, 18:34 (Ref:251107)

I know I will get bashed for this, but I love Days of Thunder and Driven.

Never seen Grand Prix and I have only seen some of Le Mans.

I wonder what the film that will be made at this years Le Mans race will be like.

M Coupe · 3 Apr 2002, 18:45 (Ref:251118)

For actual racing films you have to ignore the storyline, Grand Prix and Le Mans are both excellent, DAys of Thunde4r ain't too bad, havn't seen Driven yet, there are other films with good driving in them Ronin, Bullitt, French Connection etc. TFATF and Gone in 60 are both passable for the cars, Rendezvous is excellent to watch, especially when you know it wasn't staged.

Speedworx · 3 Apr 2002, 19:50 (Ref:251179)

I want to see Gone in 60 Seconds.

Not sure about The Fast and The Furious.

Nicholas · 4 Apr 2002, 06:50 (Ref:251554)

I've seen both... and I don't like either of them as films.

In some pictures, don't you think Jean Alesi looks a bit like Sly?

AllonFS · 4 Apr 2002, 08:31 (Ref:251615)

Quote:

Originally posted by JGM
There has never been a good racing film or any good film about professional sport or, for that matter, about any very specialised activity. Films have to have a broad appeal so that they are not made for the enthusiast but for people who know nothing about the sport. Consequently such films have to deal with the sport in a farcically superficial way pandering to all the ususal stereotypes and including all the standard film cliches - good guy, bad guy, nice-but-dull-guy,fine upstanding team boss, sinister evil team boss, love interest, regulation number of spectacular accidents, desperate championship race, nail biting finish, good guy wins. It's always rubbish.

I'd disagree with you on this one; Grand Prix and Le Mans stand head and shoulders above the rest. The reason they are popular with motorsport fans is that they really are quite poor as feature films because they make very little attempt at broad appeal. As a result neither did very well at the box office. What they do is offer a snapshot of racing at the time they were made. James Garner and Steve McQueen loved their racing and both films were as much an excuse to drive the cars as anything else. This comes out in both films, unlike some of the others mentioned in this thread, the stars are very happy to play second fiddle to the cars.

OVERSTEER · 4 Apr 2002, 17:59 (Ref:251930)

There was Silver Dream racer which from what I remember was ok

Rob29 · 4 Apr 2002, 19:40 (Ref:252074)

I thought that was pretty dreadful myself.Suprising how many film directors seen to think if they throw in a few car or bike scenes,they can get away with anything,who needs plot,acting,etc?
My favourite was 'Heart like a wheel' based on the real life of drag racer Shirley Muldowney.

TimD · 4 Apr 2002, 20:44 (Ref:252125)

Quote:

Originally posted by M Coupe
...there are other films with good driving in them: Ronin, Bullitt, French Connection etc.

There's a good reason for some of the excellent driving. A lot of the speed work in Ronin was done by Jean-Pierre Jarier!

paulzinho · 4 Apr 2002, 21:17 (Ref:252168)

Quote:

Originally posted by Raven
The TV channel TCM airs Grand Prix quite often, if any of you get that.

Do you know when its on next?

Also I liked Gone in 60 seconds and loved Ronin, great film!!

M Coupe · 4 Apr 2002, 21:45 (Ref:252207)

Forgot to mention the best driving film with the best cars, The Italian Job!!

Tim,
I've driven on a lot of those roads round Arles where Ronin was filmed, great fun, it was the first disc I bought when I bought a DVD player.

f1manoz · 5 Apr 2002, 13:51 (Ref:252712)

'Grand Prix' (1966, directed by John Frankenheimer) is the best film concerning Grand Prix racing bar none (with many cameos by drivers of the day. You have fun picking them all out - Graham Hill, Richie Ginther are two standouts). The racing action is brilliantly filmed, and the storyline isn't too bad either.

'Le Mans' (1970) starring Steve McQueen ranks second according to me. Although it cost a fortune to make (McQueens own film company went bankrupt because of it) it is still one of the best films concerning motor sport. McQueen says less than 100 words throughout the entire movie.

If you ignore all the c-rap (bad plot, storyline and acting) in 'Days of Thunder', the racing action itself is fairly good.

'Driven', if not taken too seriously, is actually a fair attempt at a movie. If none of us were racing fans, we would have enjoyed it simply for the action (although the acting was terrible).

Another movie heralded in it's day was Paul Newmans 'Winning', but I have yet to see it.

If we're simply talking about car chases, then Steve McQueens 'Bullitt' ranks number one simply because it was the first film ever to attempt car chases at real speeds (and McQueen did all his own driving). Plus the throaty roar of the cars are a stand-out.

Ronin was also another brilliant movie with car chases galore, from chases through crowded city streets to chases along country roads. The fact most are done in little 2-litre Peugeots and Citroens can be overlooked.....

Gone in 60 Seconds was good, and I do own it on DVD, but the last jump Nicolas Cage did on the bridge was ridiculous!!

AllonFS · 5 Apr 2002, 14:34 (Ref:252732)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
If we're simply talking about car chases, then Steve McQueens 'Bullitt' ranks number one simply because it was the first film ever to attempt car chases at real speeds (and McQueen did all his own driving).

Sorry to tell you this but after the first day most of the driving was done by stuntmen. The scene where McQueen understeers into a car, reverses and then tyre smokes up the road is real. However it terrified the producers who didn't want to lose their star. McQueen was congratulated, told to come back the next day at 10am, while the crew and stuntmen filmed from early morning! Same reason that McQueen wasn't allowed to race at Le Mans, the insurance people wouldn't cover him. Still the original and best car chase though, even if you count how many times hubcaps fall off and the VW Beetle is overtaken!

FastJoel31 · 5 Apr 2002, 20:24 (Ref:252948)

There is a site that has both Le Mans and Grand Prix

http://www.speedgear.com

paulzinho · 5 Apr 2002, 20:32 (Ref:252954)

I really wanna see Le Mans and Grand Prix!

Anyone know if they are available in the UK?

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