Films/DVD Asylum

Bullitt

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Mali

(A)

Just watched this the other night. McQueen's "realistic" cop movie had a great influence on later cop movie and TV shows, but by today's standards it has a number of just dumb incidents. The funniest is during the car chase when McQueen and the guy he's chasing pass the same green VW bug three times in less than a minute. The "prop" VW is clearly poking along at about ten miles an hour as the two speeding cars zoom by it. Funny how it shows up on the next block two more times as they pass it again. The last time there's another prop vehicle in the oncoming lane that is clearly not moving at all. All in all, however, the movie holds up a lot better than a lot of movies we thought were so cool and hip back in the 60's.

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Re: Bullitt - PdL 20:13:28 01/19/05 (1)
Great movie - love that mustang!. If you don't have the DVD, you can prolly find it new for $10. I usually watch this one every couple of years despite the fact that some of the scenes/effects are kinda corny (although prolly seemed great at the time of release.)
- '68 Fastback, "Eleanor" in Gone in 60 seconds remake - grinagog 00:41:54 01/20/05 (0)
  with Nic Cage is the same type of car
  68's had a reputation for rusting and quality control issues; that year also had more engine and transmission Options than any other classic Mustang
  Grins
Re: Bullitt - semuta 14:37:00 01/19/05 (5)
I had the pleasure of seeing this movie on the big screen several years ago in a pristine print. I have to tell you that the car chase scene on the big screen is an incredible visceral experience. You can actually feel your stomach drop when the cars go over the San Francisco hills. The two frinds I saw the movie with had the same reaction. No other movie has ever had that effect on me.
- The Driver (1978) is the gem of the bunch - grinagog 19:21:01 01/19/05 (4)
  better car chases, pace and momentum, and better direction than Bullitt, Vanishing Point, French Connection, Dirty Mary/Crazy Larry, Aloha Bobby and Rose, Two Lane BlackTop or Gone in 60 Seconds (original)
  The script was originally written with Steve McQueen as the lead; Ryan O'Neill does a creditable job tho'
  An added bonus of Isobel Adjani at (arguably) her most gorgeous
  Grins
  - Links here (Open in New Window)
  - Re: The Driver (1978) is the gem of the bunch - JoeKool 15:39:04 01/21/05 (0)
    This brings back memories...foggy ones, I need to rent this and relive the excitment.
  - Re: The Driver (1978) is the gem of the bunch - HOK 04:42:09 01/20/05 (2)
    I love the "audition" scene with the orange Mercedes. Again, Walter Hill delivers the goods.
    Two-lane Blacktop is also one of my faves. The attention to detail on all the car stuff is phenomenal.
    Great picks all the way around
    John
    - Two Lane BlackTop trivia - grinagog 04:51:49 01/20/05 (1)
      the '55 Chev that James Taylor and Dennis Wilson pilot is the same '55 Chev that appears in American Graffiti
      Laurie Bird (the girl hitchhiker at the end) committed suicide in Art Garfunkels New York apartment in 1979
      One of the hitchers Warren Oates (GTO) picks up is Harry Dean Stanton
      The film has that very strange ending of the film "dissolving" because they literally ran out of budget
      Grins
      - 2 out of 3 - HOK 20:38:02 01/20/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Two Lane BlackTop trivia posted by grinagog on January 2, 2005 at 04:51:49:
        
        I knew about HD Stanton and the car stuff (thanks to an old article in Hot Rod magazine) Sorry to hear about Laurie Bird.
        Hot Rod Magazine did a road test of the Chevy and the Milner's '32 roaster. According to the article the Chevy was a real bear to drive with an incredibly stiff clutch springs.
        They don't make car movies like this anymore :(
        John
Re: The reason - rico 13:32:35 01/19/05 (0)
for the same green Volkswagon (actually, we see it more than three times) is that the chase around the corner scene was filmed from multiple angles and edited so as to appear that it is three different locations. I have always marveled over the way these speeding rear wheel drive vehicles make a perfect 90 degree turn around that corner.
I do believe that one of the cars loses five hubcaps.
The end of that chase displays some pretty cheesy effects when the bad guys' car crashes into the filling station.
The DVD of this has a wonderful transfer and I have always loved this movie, even without its fabled car chase (which inspired the directo of "The French Connection" to include one).
Check out "Vanishing Point". nt - AudioHead 13:25:50 01/19/05 (3)
~AH
- Vanishing Point still holds up for me. - kanesays 22:30:26 01/21/05 (0)
  The film has such a 1970s feel to it (the drug references, the soundtrack, Clevon Little's character and the racist attack) and that's the reason I love it. Plus, if you're a car nut, you've gotta love the white Dodge Challenger R/T.
  Beautiful shot of Kowalski's ride.
  
  http://www.vanishingpointmania.com/challenger.htm
- Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point" holds up better - grinagog 06:05:21 01/20/05 (1)
  as the Great Existential Road movie
  Granted, Daria Halprin's Buick Sedanette isn't as sexy as Barry Newmans Dodge Challenger, or as fast
  But Mark Frechette has a 'plane that will out-cool any car; the Zabriskie Point Soundtrack has Pink Floyd and Mark Frechette was being billed as the next James Dean back in the day
  Grins
  - Re: Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point" holds up better - Mali 16:15:41 01/20/05 (0)
    I thought that was a terrible movie even in the context of the 1960s which was the only time I have seen it. Clearly, at least, his worst movie. It might be a trip to see it again, however, thirty- five years on.

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