Post by cmmf on Oct 24, 2022 17:39:27 GMT -5
The big interest I have in motorsport and movies brings me to this text. I will mention all the movies I saw regarding this theme, analysing some aspects, and criticising others.
1- The Killers 1964, directed by Don Siegel.
One of the main caracters is a racing driver played by John Cassavetes, and the first half of the movie has a couple of flask-backs with interesting racing footage. Then, the quest of the two hired hitmen played by Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager takes over, making it a interesting crime movie.
2- Red Line 7000 1965, directed by Howard Hawks
Lead role is played by a young James Caan, with the action being placed in NASCAR / Stock car races. Saw it many years ago, dont recall almost nothing, except a simple sentimental plot, some car races, and one of the carachters loosing a hand in an accident. By the end he becomes a kind of Captain Hook of stock cars...
3- Grand Prix 1966, directed by John Frankenheimer
Big prodution, international cast, maybe too long with a slightly boring script. Actors used helmets with the colours and drawings of people like Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Mike Parkes... Some F2 cars were maked-up to look like real F1's.
Most interesting thing for me in this movie is the racing images in Monza or Spa-Francorchamps. Oh, and young Francoise Hardy, and beautiful Eva Marie Saint, of course.
4- Winning 1969, directed by James Goldstone.
Paul Newman has always been someone of great value to me. He plays a Indy racing driver. But the truth is I recall almost nothing of this movie, seen many years ago...
5- Le Mans 1970, directed by Lee H. Katzin
First director John Sturges (in the image with Steve Mcqueen), was a Hollywood top director with some of the best westerns of classical period - Fort Bravo, Last Train From Gun Hill or The Magnificent Seven. He jumped out after a few weeks of filming, probably due to the confusion that this production was becoming.
My parents took me to see this movie in big 70mm giant sceen, and it was quite an experience... but even as a 12 or 13 year old kid, I got the impression that something was missing.
Basically there was no plot, and this could have become a top documentary instead, we can see some of the best racing footage ever filmed.
6- Bobby Deerfield 1977, directed by Sidney Pollack
Another very vague blur in my memory, I recall almost no images of this movie I saw many years ago. Al Pacino as a F1 pilot.
7- Rush 2013, directed by Ron Howard
Confess I half expected this movie, and it became a good surprise.
Hollywood machine tuned up like a swiss clock, but moving as fast as a F1. Good script, considering that summarizes a 6 or 7 years period in less than two hours. Fine leading actors to play James Hunt and Niki Lauda, discreet and proper digital effects, unpretentious, this one has become one of my favourite movies in this topic.
8- Steve Mcqueen - The Man and Le Mans 2015, directed by Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna (documentary)
Very interesting, with fine contributions of actors, producers, pilots and the great David Piper. How a srtong idea and concept for a movie can become a flop in box office, and become a cult movie.
9- Ford V Ferrari 2019, directed by James Mangold
Very disappointing, became my punchbag. I'll stick to common sense, leaving the technicallitys aside:
Seems like a pro-american propaganda movie, something that I could understand in the 80's, in a Ronald Reagan era.
Ferrari italian crew is portrayed as a nervous disorganized bunch (the same crew that won sports cars championship for several years, and won the following year – 1967), Enzo Ferrari looked more like a mafia boss in this movie instead of the bigger-than-life carachter he was.
Racing drivers looking angry at each other with their cars side by side at 200 mph is something I would expect to see in old Elvis Presley movies, not in this production.
Actor that was casted to play Lorenzo Bandini seems to have been recruited in Bollywood, looks more like a New Dehli gang leader, rather than the friendly face deceased italian.
Finally, in some racing sequences, the carachter played by Christian Bale puts the next gear and his car suddenly jumps foward, leaving all other competitors far behind. I was only used to see this effect in Kit, the speaking car of David Hasselhoff´s Knight Rider...
If any of you members are aware of some other interesting movies in this theme, I will be glad to know.
1- The Killers 1964, directed by Don Siegel.
One of the main caracters is a racing driver played by John Cassavetes, and the first half of the movie has a couple of flask-backs with interesting racing footage. Then, the quest of the two hired hitmen played by Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager takes over, making it a interesting crime movie.
2- Red Line 7000 1965, directed by Howard Hawks
Lead role is played by a young James Caan, with the action being placed in NASCAR / Stock car races. Saw it many years ago, dont recall almost nothing, except a simple sentimental plot, some car races, and one of the carachters loosing a hand in an accident. By the end he becomes a kind of Captain Hook of stock cars...
3- Grand Prix 1966, directed by John Frankenheimer
Big prodution, international cast, maybe too long with a slightly boring script. Actors used helmets with the colours and drawings of people like Chris Amon, Jackie Stewart, Mike Parkes... Some F2 cars were maked-up to look like real F1's.
Most interesting thing for me in this movie is the racing images in Monza or Spa-Francorchamps. Oh, and young Francoise Hardy, and beautiful Eva Marie Saint, of course.
4- Winning 1969, directed by James Goldstone.
Paul Newman has always been someone of great value to me. He plays a Indy racing driver. But the truth is I recall almost nothing of this movie, seen many years ago...
5- Le Mans 1970, directed by Lee H. Katzin
First director John Sturges (in the image with Steve Mcqueen), was a Hollywood top director with some of the best westerns of classical period - Fort Bravo, Last Train From Gun Hill or The Magnificent Seven. He jumped out after a few weeks of filming, probably due to the confusion that this production was becoming.
My parents took me to see this movie in big 70mm giant sceen, and it was quite an experience... but even as a 12 or 13 year old kid, I got the impression that something was missing.
Basically there was no plot, and this could have become a top documentary instead, we can see some of the best racing footage ever filmed.
6- Bobby Deerfield 1977, directed by Sidney Pollack
Another very vague blur in my memory, I recall almost no images of this movie I saw many years ago. Al Pacino as a F1 pilot.
7- Rush 2013, directed by Ron Howard
Confess I half expected this movie, and it became a good surprise.
Hollywood machine tuned up like a swiss clock, but moving as fast as a F1. Good script, considering that summarizes a 6 or 7 years period in less than two hours. Fine leading actors to play James Hunt and Niki Lauda, discreet and proper digital effects, unpretentious, this one has become one of my favourite movies in this topic.
8- Steve Mcqueen - The Man and Le Mans 2015, directed by Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna (documentary)
Very interesting, with fine contributions of actors, producers, pilots and the great David Piper. How a srtong idea and concept for a movie can become a flop in box office, and become a cult movie.
9- Ford V Ferrari 2019, directed by James Mangold
Very disappointing, became my punchbag. I'll stick to common sense, leaving the technicallitys aside:
Seems like a pro-american propaganda movie, something that I could understand in the 80's, in a Ronald Reagan era.
Ferrari italian crew is portrayed as a nervous disorganized bunch (the same crew that won sports cars championship for several years, and won the following year – 1967), Enzo Ferrari looked more like a mafia boss in this movie instead of the bigger-than-life carachter he was.
Racing drivers looking angry at each other with their cars side by side at 200 mph is something I would expect to see in old Elvis Presley movies, not in this production.
Actor that was casted to play Lorenzo Bandini seems to have been recruited in Bollywood, looks more like a New Dehli gang leader, rather than the friendly face deceased italian.
Finally, in some racing sequences, the carachter played by Christian Bale puts the next gear and his car suddenly jumps foward, leaving all other competitors far behind. I was only used to see this effect in Kit, the speaking car of David Hasselhoff´s Knight Rider...
If any of you members are aware of some other interesting movies in this theme, I will be glad to know.
