Movies to keep engines running hot this winter
Speakeasy playlist
By Megan Fishel, Staff Writer
February 24, 2008 | 8 p.m.
At the peak of the school year, it is pretty safe to say that gear-heads and car junkies are missing their beloved vehicles. Here is a list of movies that is sure to get engines revving from the comfort of dorm rooms.
"The Blues Brothers" (1980)
This cult classic tells the tale of Jake Blues (John Belushi) and his brother Elwood Blues (Dan Akroyd) traveling down the road to redemption on a “mission from God.” The task they set out on is to save the Roman Catholic orphanage where they grew up from foreclosure. To do so they must come up with $5,000. What better way to do so than to get their band, The Blues Brothers, back together? Unwelcome groupies such as the “Mystery Woman,” Neo-Nazis, the police and the SWAT team make for a much more interesting tour.
This rhythm and blues extravaganza qualifies as a great car movie because of one word: Bluesmobile. This amazing car travels through the streets of Chicago, national banks and shopping malls followed by an entire fleet of police cars, tanks and mounted patrol officers. Not to mention that at the time of the film’s release in 1980, it held the world record for the most cars destroyed in a single film. It was only surpassed by its own sequel, "Blues Brothers 2000," which was released in 1998 and was deemed a box office flop. The original "Blues Brothers," however, is sure to keep engines running hot!
"Mad Max" (1980)
In the near future in Australia, the highways are overrun with violent gangs turning the world into a battleground searching for gasoline and terrorizing anyone that crosses their paths. Officer Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) has everything until Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and his murderous motorcycle gang burn Max’s partner alive and murder his wife and son. This is the gangs’ retaliation for Max's killing of their former leader, “The Knight Rider.” Max finally snaps and seeks his own revenge on the gang as he leaves the police force and takes matters into his own hands, earning the title “Mad Max.”
Mad Max wouldn’t be able to achieve his revenge if it weren’t for his infamous car, Pursuit Special, which was a fictionalized model of a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe. Within the first nine minutes of the film, Pursuit Special plays a game of chicken that literally brings a grown man to tears. It’s needless to say that the duration of the film is just as jam packed with chases and crashes that will keep adrenaline pumping.
"Back to the Future Part II" (1989)
The second part of this amazing trilogy starts out with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) time-traveling in the tricked-out DeLorean to the year 2015 with hopes of straightening out the McFly family. A wrench in the plan occurs when Biff Tannen steals the time machine and gives his younger self a sports almanac that will allow him to gain an incredible fortune and turn Hill Valley into “Hell Valley.” In order to restore the present and save the future, Doc and Marty must return to their previous adventure in 1955 and retrieve the almanac without disrupting the events of "Back to the Future Part I."
Aside from the wonder and glory of the DeLorean in this film (it doesn’t matter that the speedometer on a DeLorean only goes to 100, it only needs to go to 88!), "Back to the Future II" has some of the greatest displays of cars, classic and futuristic, to date. Tons of perfectly restored 1950s classic cars are displayed in the past and even more concept cars are displayed in the future. Pay close enough attention and it’s easy to see that some of the futuristic cars are nothing more than tricked out common cars of the '80s. Nonetheless, to take a Cavalier and turn it into something that rivals “The Jetsons” is something to watch!
"Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000)
Former car thief Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) is forced out of retirement to help save the life of his younger brother, Kip (Giovanni Ribisi). Kip promised a Russian car smuggler that he would deliver 50 exotic and expensive cars in perfect condition. As big brother to the rescue, Raines enlists his old crew to help him pull of the heist and save Kip’s life. In true classic car fashion, the cars were renamed and made into beautiful women, all building up to whether or not Raines would be able to get his hands on the elusive Eleanor.
It goes without saying that this film is jam packed with amazing cars, fast chases and too-close-for-comfort getaways. A complete list of the cars and their codenames is included in the DVD booklet, but to name a few: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (Erin), 1969 Plymouth Road Runner (Jessica), 1988 Porsche 959 (Virginia) and, of course, 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 (Eleanor). Any classic or modern car that was given an ounce of attention in the real world was featured, and stolen, in this action packed film.
"The Fast and the Furious" (2001)
Hollywood’s first look into the underground world of street racing came in the form of “The Fast and the Furious.” This revolutionary movie follows the story of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), a gang leader who is accused of stealing over a million dollars of electronic equipment after hijacking a few trucks. The fuzz sends Officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) as an undercover agent to get inside Toretto’s crew and see what is really going on in the streets. The more O’Conner gets to know the crew, the more he tries to prove that Toretto is innocent.
Though not synonymous with street racing, the heavy use of import cars and tuner cars is certainly well associated with the sport. This fact is shown throughout the film with the extensive use of Hondas, Nissans, Mitsubishis and Mazdas. Another great aspect of this movie is the use of CGI footage to show the combustion process in an engine and the acceleration boost when NOS is used.
If this list of action-packed, car-racing, engine-revving, rubber-burning, NOS-boosting movies isn’t enough to satisfy a horsepower craving, maybe consider a twelve step program.
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