The Best Chases on film
#1
Bullitt 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-y1VUdnQ...re=related
Bullitt, released in 1968, is sometimes credited with the car chase boom of the 70s

For those of you around back then, the 70’s were awesome. We had bell-bottoms, disco and the Pontiac Trans Am. We were also inundated with the 70’s style car chase. You see, in the 1970’s they would generally use the same car throughout the entire chase scene. If directors could, they would try to get away with using only one car for a more authentic look and feel. Damage that occurred during filming could now be seen throughout the entire chase. These were filmed before computers, high end editing software and product placement. The results are some of the best car chases ever captured on film

VANISHING POINT 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK3Ro3rpxXI

Kowalski. He was an ex-motorcycle racer, ex-racecar driver and ex-cop who’s all hopped up on speed (the drugs, not MPH). His job? Transport a supercharged 1970 Dodge Challenger to someone else in the movie who is not in any way important. There is also a naked chick on a motorcycle whose kinda’ hot.

The French Connection: 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu3GmRQ-U...r_embedded

It’s Gene Hackman, a 1971 Pontiac LeMans and an elevated subway platform in the boroughs of NY. It was also the first rated “R” movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture… go figure.

Fear is the Key: 1972 – Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-XjwshuJ...r_embedded
PART2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6cd8caV7...r_embedded

Barry Newman, who plays Kowalski in “Vanishing Point” is back, but this time driving a 1972 Ford Gran Torino. He plays Talbot, a Dude who’s searching for the answers that will lead to the hopeful capture of his family’s murderers.

On a sad note, the entire movie is actually crap, but the chase makes it worth checking out.

The Seven-Up’s: 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgLH8WAWG...r_embedded

Very similar to “The French Connection”, but this time it’s Roy Scheider (Jaws) and a 1973 Pontiac Ventura. This is very close to the 1971 Pontiac LeMans that Hackman drove in the above. You know in hindsight, they probably could have just named this movie “The French Connection II: Cops Who Drive Pontiac’s”, although I’m not sure if that’s Oscar worthy.

White Lightning: 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS5X_45_J...r_embedded

Burt Reynolds plays an ex-moonshiner who’s all pissed off because Ned Beatty shot and killed his younger brother. This flick is actually the prequel to another movie called “Gator”, that takes place a few years down the line. Reynolds however drives a boat in that one. I mean that’s cool an all, but this one’s better… trust me.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry: 1974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33jL8m3wr40

You’ve got a 1969 Dodge Charger, a U-boat sized ’72 Dodge Polara cop car and a helicopter that’s being flown by a REALLY tweaked county Sheriff. This chase is often over looked, but is seriously one of the coolest ever done.

Blazing Magnum: 1976
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P9BvD4hz...r_embedded

Ok, I’ll say it, this movie sucked. Basic plot: A Police Captain searches for the people who murdered his little sister… bla… bla… bla. HOWEVER, there is a bitchen’ car chase that goes back to what I said in the beginning of this post in regards to the amount of damage that the cars take – that alone makes it worth watching.

The Driver: 1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNh3G8qod...r_embedded

So, have you guys guessed what this movie is about yet? No… well then, I can’t help ya’. Just hit the play button and enjoy Ryan O’Neal flinging around a pretty hairy Chevy Stepside pick-up.

Smokey & the Bandit 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRwQjTYf...r_embedded

I will not lie ladies and gentleman, this is my favorite movie of all time next to the Cannonball Run. Its one-liners, car chases and ridiculous plot constitute about 2-hrs. of pure hilarity. It has also got Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason. For those of you young guys who haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and get this classic, two hour long, Trans Am commercial.

MAD MAX 1979
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYLjlpP0...r_embedded

The chase scene from the original “MAD MAX” in 1979. This is where Max Rockatanski was born.

The Blues Brothers: 1980
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcv4T9Auy0U

“It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters so it’ll run good on regular gas”

Believe it or not this car chase was one of the last really gritty car chases made. Oddly enough, this chase was actually supposed to be a spoof of what a great car chase should be and ended up being one of the best ones ever filmed. It also destroyed over 60 used police cars and made the “Bluesmobile” a movie icon.

Cannonball Run: 1981

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFB6FfaNQ...r_embedded

Just listen to that Lamborghini Countach rev… OH MY GOD!! That sound to a car guy is like crack to a drug addict. The 1981 Pontiac Trans Am unfortunately wouldn’t have had a snowballs chance in hell of keeping up with the big Lambo… but who cares? It’s one of the best movie openings ever for a car guy, plus you had Adrienne Barbeau constantly showing off her “Equipment“…

The Road Warrior: 1981 - Part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rGLAMqkP...r_embedded
Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl-egwpoO...r_embedded

By the time this chase took place the much-loved V8 Interceptor had been destroyed. So, armed with his handy-dandy sawed off shot gun, Max rigged up this Mac Truck and blasted through the Australian desert in a last ditch effort to get away from the Lord Humungous… he’s awesome by the way. All in all there are probably thirty or so vehicles in this chase and every one of them, at some point, gets f*cked up. This is vehicular carnage at its best.

Terminator: 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ayk1LEa...r_embedded

He was big, bad and made of metal, this was the Govinator in “Terminator”, the movie that made him a star. The closing sequence in the film consisted of a chase between a ’73 Chevy step-side, a ’75 Honda CB750 motorcycle and a 1972 International Harvester tractor-trailer. Odd combination, but shot together in the right sequence and it works out just fine.

Against All Odds: 1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVLfd9ra...r_embedded

More of a car race than a car chase, it qualifies because they were actually chasing each other. Take one part 1983 Porsche 911 and the other a Ferrari 1982 308 GTS and what you’ve got is a race to show who had the biggest winky in Los Angeles.

To Live and Die in LA: 1985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ_39lxlD...r_embedded

One of the best ever filmed – the chase, not the movie. Most people don’t even remember this flick, but everyone who saw it certainly remembers the car chase and the fact that it was over 8 minutes long. I’ll tell ya’, those mid-‘80s Chevy’s were tough as nails…

Shaker Run: 1985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vUKZMYCb...r_embedded

The plot on this one is somewhat convoluted, but in a nutshell – there is this Dude, Cliff Roberts, whose a stunt driver and he’s been paid some moola’ to take this chick whose heisted some plutonium or some other nuclear type stuff and get it out of the country. Roberts drives a right-hand drive 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, that’s pink… yes pink, and on their way out of the country they get chased by some other Dude in a black station wagon type thingy who wants his plutonium stuff back… but that Dude crashes it… you know, the wagon thingy and steals a hopped up Ford Capri out of a showroom in the city they were in… I don’t know what city it is though. He then chases the pink the T/A through the mountains and tries to catch him.
There, that’s the plot… now press play and watch the damn video. Laughing

No Man’s Land: 1987
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYO-vcagi...r_embedded

Professional Porsche thief Charlie Sheen recruits undercover cop D.B. Sweeny to help him steel more Porsches to cut and sell. This chase takes place between a 1985 911 Turbo and ’85 IROC. There’s also a 1978 Lincoln Mark V… but he doesn’t fair too well in the end.

Cobra: 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjYE-CTMc...r_embedded

“You’re the disease… and I’m the cure”; probably one of the cheesiest one-liners ever to appear on film. Sly Stallone is a cop whose trying to save Bridget Nielsen (when she was hot) from some bad guys. It’s a typical 80’s car chase that turns out to be quite entertaining. My favorite part is that tach at 3:14… it’s reving at like 8500 rpms!!

Risky Business: 1983
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpHITx7yR...r_embedded

Ah yes… who can forget the subway scene with Rebecca DeMornay – as a kid it didn’t get any better. That was until Joel, Becky and Booger got chased by Guido the Killer Pimp in his pimp-o-licious ’76 Cadillac DeVille. The end of this chase coined the phrase: “Porsche… there is no substitute”.

Ronin: 1998
These are probably the best car chases to come out of Hollywood in the last 20 years. They’re fast and raw with some killer camera work. Plus the cars they use are stellar choices. I mean really, an Audi S8, BMW M5 and Mercedes Benz 6.9, these are the big guns of the worlds Super-Sedans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d4ej1RPk...r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-igbaHBQj...r_embedded

Short Time: 1990

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE2i08S3Y...r_embedded

Short Time came out in 1990 and stars Dabney Coleman as a cop who just found out that due to a medical condition he’s going to die in a short time… get it… Short Time. Anyway, in order for his family to collect his pension he needs to die in the line of duty. The movie is not that well known, but the chase scene is actually a lot of fun to watch, so sit back, relax and enjoy the next 8:11.

Tomorrow Never Dies: 1997
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meY1R43fJ...r_embedded

Take one BMW 750i, add a bit of James Bond and a really cool remote control doohickey and you’ve got a great bit of automotive carnage.

The Fifth Element: 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCaomvjPI...r_embedded

The Fifth Element is an action-comedy, techno thriller directed by Luc Besson. I have to say that the man has one vivid imagination. The car chase scene takes place between a futuristic Taxi driven by Bruce Willis and a few futuristic police cars. Just envision a Chevy Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria 230 years in the future and you’ll get the idea.

The Rock: 1996

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqqZ9dbWz...r_embedded

Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery star in this return to Alcatraz flick, that pits an H1 Hummer against a Ferrari 355 Spyder as they rip through the streets of San Francisco. One thing that always amazes me about 90’s car chases, is that the cars sustain absolutely no damage. How is this possible? It’s kinda’ like the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard. That big tomato jumped over everything in Hazzard County and never got one dent… it’s simply mystifying.

Striking Distance: 1993
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kUW_iipJ...r_embedded

Once again we’ve got Bruce Willis as a cop trying to catch the bad guys. This time however, he’s got his old man in the car who’s also a cop and shows amazing composure throughout the entire chase seen. He must really be confident in his Son’s driving ability to be so damned relaxed. I’d be screaming like a four year old boy if I was in that thing.

Lethal Weapon 3: 1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ49ym9clB0

This was Mel Gibson when he was still famous – you know before he decided to hate the Jews. Back then he was also a fan of chasing cars on foot, although I’m not exactly sure why. In this scene, aside from utilizing his Puma’s, he also uses a subway car and motorcycle. Hey, at least he’s branching out.

Freejack: 1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T31U1hyow...r_embedded

This chase made the list simply because I think Mick Jagger is hilarious when he acts. Emilio Estevez plays a race car driver who was brought into the future so that his body could be used as a surrogate for someone else. Problem is, he’s not quite done with it, so he’s on the run with Microphone Mick hot on his trail.

Quantum of Solace: 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfYC_CBNt...r_embedded

Here we have good ole’ Jimmy Bond rollin’ heavy in an Aston Martin DBS. The man is cool, calm and collected and doesn’t even seem to realize that someone ripped off his drivers door. There are bullets, stone walls, police and a bunch of bad dudes that are trying to off our favorite 00 Agent. Does Bond let it worry him… no. Does he break a sweat… no. HE’S JAMES BOND!! The man is untouchable! Unfortunately though his sweet Aston Martin DBS isn’t so lucky and gets pretty messed up. This is a shame because that car is a true work of art.

Death Proof: 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WeCWP0st...r_embedded

This is Tarantino doing what he does best. He goes through the best movies of all time. Then he takes the best bits and pieces, puts them in a pot and tries to remake them into his own vision. Example – he took a 1969 Dodge Charger (even though Bullit had a ‘68) and a 1970 Dodge Challenger (ok, he got that right from Vanishing Point) and tried to create the best car chase ever made… that was his goal. In the end he did make a good car chase, not a great one mind you, but a good one. What I don’t understand is that with all the talent that this man possesses how come he can’t come up with something original. I just don’t get it. Hey Quentin, if you’re out there and you read this, call me… I have some suggestions for you.

Starsky and Hutch: 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7kLMWgBT...r_embedded

Vince Vaughn is simply hilarious as the movies top dog drug dealer. At the movies climax he tries to run away from our hero’s Starsky and Hutch, as they follow in hot pursuit in the flying red tomato. What I find amazing about not only the movie and the TV series, is that they chose a Gran Torino to be the hero car. I mean it worked, but at the end of the day it was a pretty odd choice… no?

The Dark Knight: 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXpDE7aNN...1&index=31

Batman re-returned to the big screen in 2005 with Batman Begins. Christian Bale took over as the brooding bad ass in black and brought a much darker take to the comic book character. In 2005 we were also introduced to the new Batmobile or rather, the Tumbler. It wasn’t until 2008’s The Dark Knight that we really got to see it in action. The Tumbler wasn’t based on anything out there and was in fact a brand new creation done specifically for the new series of films. It’s got six wheels, blows flames and comes with a built in motorcycle. In short, this thing is hairy and helps the man in black get the job done when necessary.

The Bourne Supremacy: 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUtINRG3p...r_embedded#!

I always feel bad for this poor bastard. First he gets duped into becoming a super-spy and loses his memory. Then he tries to get his memory back and in doing so meets the chick who starred in Run Lola Run. They fall in love, but the bad guys kill her to get to him. Now he gets pissed and goes on a no-holds-barred quest to find out about this true identity in the ultimate game of cat and mouse.

The Dukes of Hazzard: 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-U5Lb2gh...r_embedded

It’s 18 feet long, has a confederate flag on the roof, is completely indestructible and flies. Say that sentence to any car guy out there and the only thing that will come to mind is the 1969 Dodge Charger aptly known as the General Lee. When the Dukes of Hazzard movie came out in 2005 there was speculation that the Charger would be replaced by something else but the fans united and the Charger stayed. In reality though what the hell would they have replaced it with? The new Charger? That would have been downright painful to watch.

Get Carter: 2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIh8gdEF...r_embedded

Every time I think of Stallone I just want to start slurring my words and be married to some chick named Adrienne. Lets face it, the guy is a movie icon who has created some of the greatest movie characters to ever hit the silver screen. Get Carter was originally made in 1971 and starred Michael Caine, who played a tough guy mob enforcer who tries to get to the bottom of his brothers mysterious death. This version was produced in 2000 and basically follows the same plot line except there is more slurring of the dialog. If you haven’t seen this one it’s worth a rental so drop it into your Netflix que and enjoy.

Fast and Furious – Tokyo Drift: 2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfewG9XH6XQ

I apologize right from the get go that I couldn’t find a better copy of this chase because I really enjoy it. The Fast and the Furious movies always do a great job in the automotive casting department. The 3rd installment, Tokyo Drift was no exception. The first chase scene takes a hopped up 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and pits it against a Dodge Viper as they race through a construction site. I actually like this scene better than those in the other films because it has more grit to it. It’s also rumored the Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have signed back on for a 5th installment of the franchise. For us car guys, this is great news because regardless of how bad the movies are the cars make them all worth while.

Obviously I probably haven't found them all, that's where you guys come in, show us some of the ones you know about!
Reply
#2
I've seen most of those movies, but Bullitt with Steve McQueen seems to get the most credit for the best chase seen!
Reply
#3
I think it's kind of alarming that the chase scene from the original Gone in 60 Seconds(1974) isn't posted....
Reply
#4
(06-21-2010, 11:16 AM)SuperLink88 Wrote: I think it's kind of alarming that the chase scene from the original Gone in 60 Seconds(1974) isn't posted....

Don't be alarmed, guess you could have just added it for me. :)
Guess I missed one.
At least someone cared enough to pay attention! thxs!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6-TlxADdA4
Reply
#5
I think what is 'alarming' is that none of you guys found this chase scene that my mach1 was in...I and my car were chosen for a short film to chase this kid...he ran all day long for a few short moments (1 min. 08 secs.) of film:

Larry's mach in a Chase Scene

Tons of fun! There is a link below this Chase Scene to see the whole movie...all 3.44 minutes of it...check it out!:

"THE DUCHESS"

Larry
Reply


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