Summer Film Marathon-Memorable Car Movies
Inspired by the recent film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga-which I recommend, I compiled a list of some of the best car movies ever made. As with my previous marathon lists, I am asking my readers to select films from the list and watch them. For this list, select any five films, watch them, and rank them in order of worst to best. Respond to this article with your list. You may also respond to this article with a list of car movies that are not on my list. For the record, a film is a car movie if it fulfills one or more of the following criteria:
i. Prominently features a car or motorized vehicles as an integral part of its story or plot
ii. The car(s) or motorized vehicles are functionally characters in the film
iii. The film’s plot is an excuse to stage car chases or stunts with cars, or the film is a bunch of random events involving cars
Back to the Future, The Love Bug, and Christine are car movies that fulfill the first two criteria. Gone in 60 Seconds is a prime example of the third criterion. The French Connection features one of the greatest car chases of all time, but it is not a car movie as its plot is more focused on drug trafficking. Additionally, Bullitt, To Live and Die in LA, and Ronin, all of whom feature great car chases, are not car movies for the same reasons. There are several films on this list that feature car chases and action scenes on par with them so if you crave that kind of action, do not worry, it is covered in this list. For this list, I am not including animated films and I invite any reader to include a list of animated car movies in a comment. FYI-I am familiar with Pixar’s Cars franchise. Onto the list…
Back to the Future (1985)
Starting off the list with one of the most beloved science fiction comedies, Back to the Future involves a DeLorean being converted into a time machine by the brilliant and eccentric “Doc” Emmett Brown. Doc’s young friend Marty McFly uses the time machine to escape terrorists who killed Doc over some plutonium, which was used to power the flux capacitor, Doc’s invention that makes time travel possible. Marty ends up in the year 1955, when Doc originally envisioned his invention. Marty undergoes a series of mishaps where he encounters his then-teenaged parents George and Lorraine, and his father’s bully Biff as well as the then-future mayor of his city. Marty’s actions prevent his parents from meeting, and his mother develops a crush on Marty. Mary must act fast and get his parents to meet and fall in love, otherwise he and his siblings will never be born. He also must get back to 1985 and prevent Doc’s murder. The only person who can help him is the Doc Brown of 1955. Of course, they have several problems, including George McFly’s awkwardness and lack of courage, Marty’s feud with Biff, and the energy required to power the flux capacitor, with plutonium not being readily available in 1955. A comical, tense and heartwarming adventure ensues as Marty and Doc tries to send Marty “back to the future”. Unlike many car movies, Back to the Future does not have a lot of action involving cars, but the DeLorean is featured in a good chase early in the film and essential to the plot. The time travel sequences are the standout action scenes, including the film’s famous climax. Michael J. Fox, as Marty, and Christopher Lloyd, as Doc Brown, make a great duo. A wonderful supporting cast includes Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson as Marty’s parents, Thomas F. Wilson as Biff, and James Tolkan as Skinner, the school principal. Note: Biff is reportedly based on Donald Trump. This is more apparent in the sequel.
Grand Prix (1966)
There are many auto racing films and for good reason. The sport is thrilling and spectacular, and packed with drama. Grand Prix focuses on Formula One racing and its story follows four racers through a season. The four racers are Pete Aron (James Garner), Jean-Paul Sarti (Yves Montand), Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford), and Nico Barlini (Antonio Sabato). Other characters include Louise Frederickson (Eva Marie Saint), a reporter who has an affair with Sarti and Stoddard’s wife Pat (Jessica Walter), who has an affair with Aron. This film won three Academy Awards for sound and film editing and features some outstanding photography. The racing scenes are amazing and should stun audiences now as it did in 1966. It pulls no punches on the dangers of F-1 racing, and features some fiery and violent crashes. The climatic race of the film really sums up the sport-breathtaking yet also heartbreaking. Other racing films that came later, such as Rush, and Ford v Ferrari, also followed suit. Note: Director John Frankenheimer and crew had to race to get this film out ahead of Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans. This film won out, as Le Mans ran into problems and was not released until 1971. Grand Prix is the better film but Le Mans is recommended. James Garner, the best driver of the four main actors, became a racer in real life.
The Car (1977)
One of the first films that feature a vehicle that both sentient and outright evil, The Car is about a black self-driving car that kills people at random by running them off the road or running them over. James Brolin plays a police officer trying to put an end to the car’s reign of terror. This is not a good film. Christine is a far superior film, and Maximum Overdrive is even more enjoyably bad. The dialogue is bad (frankly, I cannot remember a line from this film but that is what the reviews say), the characters are just fodder and the film is not thematically consistent. But this film is an infamous and flawed attempt at a supernatural horror car movie, making it memorable. The titular vehicle is scary looking.
Corvette Summer (1978)
After appearing his most iconic film role in Star Wars, Mark Hamill starred in the adventure comedy Corvette Summer. Hamill plays a Californian teenager named Kenny who finds a scrapped Corvette, rebuilds it as a part of a school project, but the car gets stolen. Kenny finds out that the car is in Las Vegas and he resolves to get it back. He meets and starts a relationship with a friendly “prostitute in training” named Vanessa (Annie Potts) and after some time, tracks down the car to a shop ran by Wayne Lowry (Kim Milford). Learning that his teacher helped Wayne steal the car complicates the situation for Kenny. But Kenny is determined…This film is an entertaining, slice-of-life car movie where the vehicle symbolizes not only Kenny’s dreams but his sense of justice. He also learns there are more important things in life through his quest and his relationship with Vanessa. Vanessa in turn finds direction in her life, a caring boyfriend in Kenny, and getting the car back is as important to her as it is to Kenny. As the case with other car movies, there is a great car chase during the film’s climax.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
No car movie list is complete without mentioning the Mad Max series. I have already written a retrospective on the Mad Max series, so I will not revisit my views in this article. I will just simply state that The Road Warrior remains one of the best action films ever made, with some of the greatest car chases put on film and the cars themselves are worth any gearhead’s time.
American Graffiti (1973)
As Mark Hamill starred in Corvette Summer in between his appearances in the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas directed American Graffiti, a film about teenagers cruising down the strip at night, something that Lucas used to do during his teenage years. This car movie is a tribute to a bygone era, as exhibited by the cars featured in the film, the soundtrack and the events that unfold in the film. This is a criterion iii type of car movie, as there is no real plot and the runtime is filled with various events experienced by the main characters, which are a group of friends enjoying a night out at the end of summer. The cast is an ensemble of stars and legendary actors lead by Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Paul Le Mat and Charles Martin Smith. The events are colorful and often hilarious, such as Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) dealing with a street gang, Toad (Charles Martin Smith) picking up a sweet and pretty girl (played by Candy Clark) but gets into trouble trying get some alcohol for her, and Milner (Paul Le Mat), a known street racer, is goaded into a race by Bob (Harrison Ford).
Christine (1983)
Loosely based on the story by Stephen King, and directed by John Carpenter, Christine is a story about a boy who falls in love with a car but said car is both sentient and psychotic. The Plymouth Fury that is the titular Christine is hard to forget and very scary. Unlike The Car, Christine’s supernatural theme is consistent and unsettling. Not only is Christine is malevolent, but it can influence its owner. Arnie, the young man who buys Christine from a rather creepy old man, goes from being an unpopular and awkward kid with only one good friend, to a more confident yet sinister person. Arnie starts a relationship with a pretty girl, Leigh, but Christine loves Arnie and refuses to share him with anyone, putting Leigh in serious danger. Christine also sets out to kill Arnie’s bullies and do so in gruesome fashion. Dennis, Arnie’s one good friend, and Leigh, set out to destroy the car, which can fix itself (!). Christine is high on my list of horror films that I genuinely like.
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)
The 1970s was full of great car movies and many of them feature a standard plot device of a hotshot driver squaring off with a police officer, usually a sheriff or captain, in a battle of wits, sometimes brawn and a series of splendid car chases. The hotshot is typically a likable rogue if not an outright criminal. The police officer is typically either a vicious, corrupt curmudgeon or a rugged, overzealous jerk. The hotshot is typically handsome, and lean or muscular. The police officer is typically homely (at least compared to the hotshot), and burly or overweight. The hotshot has a loyal best friend and a really hot girlfriend who is loves him in spite of the trouble he gets her in. Said girlfriend could also be trouble for the hotshot. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is such a film, a car movie about two guys, Larry and Deke, who are trying to get into the NASCAR circuit, commit a heist to get money for their stock car racing, encounter a rebellious young woman named Mary, who Larry sleeps with it. Larry tries to leave Mary behind as he and Deke get away but she twists their arms into taking her along. An implacable Captain Franklin sets out to capture Larry and Deke, no matter what the cost. A wild set of excellent car chases ensues, which includes a helicopter, culminating in an unforgettable ending. Counterculture icon Peter Fonda rightfully plays the hotshot Larry, Adam Roarke is loyal friend Deke, Susan George is the hot girlfriend and Vic Morrow is the hard-nosed jerk officer Franklin. Admittedly the helicopter scenes are hard to watch these days, considering Morrow’s real-life demise.
Duel (1971)
Steven Spielberg makes his directorial debut here, which is an adaptation of a short story by Richard Matheson. Originally made for television, Duel was such a big hit that was reedited for a theatrical release. It is about a traveling salesman played by Dennis Weaver who is being pursued down the highways by a trucker whose face is never shown onscreen. Spielberg’s ability for making thrillers was already evident with this film and Matheson, who wrote the screenplay, delivers on that front as well. This is a very suspenseful film with Weaver’s character going through psychological and physical toll over the course of the story. Duel set the stage for other thrilling car movies of the decade and beyond. If you do not like semis being next to you on the road while on you are driving, this movie will not ease your apprehension.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
While Grand Prix is a fictional film about Formula One, Ford v Ferrari is a historical car movie about two real-life drivers, Ken Miles and Carrol Shelby, who are working for the Ford Motor Company to build up their racing division and beat Ford’s rival Ferrari. Shelby (Matt Damon) knows that the best way to do this is to win the Le Mans race, which the Ferrari team has won and Shelby himself has also won. The brilliant and temperamental Miles (Christian Bale) both the driving and engineering skills as well as the tenacity to make this happen. Shelby and Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) have a few challenges, including the technical problems, placating Ford’s difficult boss Henry Ford II and some of the Ford’s administrative staff conspiring against them. Ford v Ferrari is an excellent film that blends racing action, drama, and some humor, making it a rewatchable classic.
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Paul Bartel directs this darkly comic car movie about reality television gone wrong. The Death Race is a blood sport where contestants engage in vehicular combat on open streets and kill civilians for points. The civilians they kill, the more points they get. The more helpless the target is, the more points they get. The most points wins the game. It is set in the year 2000, hence the title. Like the 1980s film The Running Man, the point of the sport is to distract people from the dystopian world that they live in. The drivers who are contestants in the game adopt larger-than-life personas that would fit well in the world of professional wrestling. Each driver has a navigator, who function in the same manner as valets and managers do in professional wrestling. Starring David Carradine as the top driver Frankenstein, Sylvester Stallone as Frankenstein’s main rival Machine Gun Joe, this is a bloody film that got bad reviews when it first appeared but now has cult status. The scenes of people being killed by the Death Race cars are both grisly and cartoonish. Some consider those scenes hilarious, others will find them sick (I am in the latter group). But it makes the list for being memorable. This film of course was remade as Death Race, starring Jason Statham as the new Frankenstein, and David Carradine has a cameo in that film as the original Frankenstein. Death Race 2000 is less violent and a lot funnier.
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
The original Gone in 60 Seconds has one of the “best” excuse plots of all time: the manager of a chop shop has his gang steal several cars in a short frame of time but one car must be returned because it has drugs in its trunk. Well, I think that was the plot. It does not matter because it is just a basic setup for a film that features the longest car chase ever filmed, which last over 40 minutes of screen time. Another one of those hotshot driver vs. police films, it is one of the best in terms of action. Despite its length, the car chase is thrilling from start to finish. Many cars were damaged in the making of this film; an excess of a hundred cars were totaled. The main car of the film, dubbed “Eleanor”, has reached cult status along with the film itself. Stunt driver extraordinaire H.B. Halicki starred in this film, playing the hotshot driver returning Eleanor. He also directed and produced the film. If you like gritty action, dangerous stunts, all practical effects, check this one out.
White Lightning (1973)
This is the film that either began the “hotshot driver vs. police” car film subgenre or was the breakthrough for the trend. The film’s star Burt Reynolds stated that this film was a beginning of a cycle of films “that were made in the South, about the South, and for the South”. White Lightning is a very Southern film (good luck finding anyone in this film that is not sweating), with Reynolds playing the good ol’ boy Gator McKlusky, a moonshiner serving time in prison. Upon learning his brother was killed by a corrupt sheriff, J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty), Gator agrees to help the Department of Treasury gather information about Connors’ dealings with moonshiners. Gator intends on getting revenge on the sheriff rather than turning on his moonshining cronies. Moonshining involved the use of powerful muscle cars, making cars a central part of White Lightning. Car chases galore, a few fight scenes and hotshot Gator spending time with either his hot girlfriend Lou (Jennifer Billingsley) and kicking it with his loyal buddies fill the runtime. Steven Spielberg almost directed this film (he chose The Sugarland Express instead) but Joseph Sargent, the actual director, delivers a good action film with Reynolds playing perhaps the prototype of a hotshot roguish driver. Ned Beatty truly nails the role of the corrupt police officer. Reynolds returned to the “hotshot driver vs. police” subgenre a few times, such as this film’s sequel and the Smokey and The Bandit films. However, I prefer White Lightning as Gator is about sympathetic as a moonshiner could be and Connors, unlike Buford Justice of Smokey, is a credible threat.
Rush (2013)
Rush is a historical counterpart to Grand Prix, with its story focuses on the rivalry of two famous racers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, during the exhilarating 1976 Formula One Season. Ford v Ferrari could also be considered a spiritual prequel to Rush. Hunt, played by Chris Hemsworth, is a playboy and superlative driver who does not take things too seriously while Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl, is a calculating and determined driver who is all business. Rush features great racing action, an in-depth comparison between Hunt and Lauda and no punches pull on the dangers of F-1 racing. Accidents in fact a major plot point in Rush, as a near-fatal crash has a deep impact on Lauda, changing his relationship with Hunt and outlook on life. Many consider Bruhl’s performance worthy of an Oscar nomination, and Hemsworth’s work in the film is nothing to dismiss either.
Bumblebee (2018)
The Transformers franchise is a gearhead’s dream. Robots that can transform into cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, and even rocket ships-that is too cool. I grew up in the 1980s watching the Transformers cartoons and had a few toys though I had more Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures than Transformers. When the first Transformers film appeared, I was excited to see Optimus Prime and company on the big screen, and I enjoyed the film. The subsequent films are hit or miss. Bumblebee is one of the hits. A prequel to the first live-action Transformers film, Bumblebee is a callback and tribute to the 1980s, a spectacular science fiction action film with car chases and fights between the robots and a coming-of-age teen comedy. Hailee Steinfeld is the car-obsessed teenager this time and her car-which is in fact the Autobot Bumblebee in disguise-is the other major character in the film. As the case with him in the first Transformers film, Bumblebee talks by using music instead of actual speech, and this sets up some quirky comedy. Two vicious Decepticons that arrive on Earth, combined with Sector 7, led by John Cena’s gung ho Agent Burns, are on Bumblebee’s trail. Steinfeld as the lead character Charlie and Bumblebee have an amusing friendship. Charlie’s family and her would-be boyfriend Memo also provides a few laughs. The funniest scene is certainly Charlie getting revenge on some bullying girls thanks to Bumblebee and Memo.
Fast Five (2011)
I am not a big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise and hopefully the series will end with the next film. The recent Fast X is one of the better film in the series, with the main villain played by Jason Momoa being the primary reason to watch the film. The best film of the franchise, and the direct prequel to Fast X, is Fast Five. If you watch any film in the series, Fast Five is the one to see. Everything that makes the franchise watchable clicks on all cylinders here-the cast of colorful characters, the cars, the action scenes, the visuals and the music. The standout sequence is the bank heist, where the bank vault is pulled out of the building and dragged down the street by the main characters Dom and Brian (Vin Diesel and Paul Walker). Vanity Fair has an interesting YouTube video in which Fast Five’s stunt coordinator breaks down this sequence. Yes, it was done with practical effects. Use this link to watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHxGu5YeKM&t=109s
On another note, I used the bank vault scene as a lesson in a physics class.
Greased Lightning (1977)
The last auto racing film on this list, Greased Lightning is a biopic loosely based on the life of Wendell Scott, the first African-American driver to compete and win on the NASCAR circuit. Scott, portrayed by Richard Pryor in the film, was an outstanding driver but the racism he faced and the lack of sponsorship limited his racing career. Scott starts out as a taxicab driver and later becomes a driver for a bootlegging operation due to difficulty with making money. He manages to make money and evade the police for an extended period of time but eventually is caught. The majority of the charges against Scott are dropped after demonstrating his driving skills at a local race. Scott becomes interested in racing as a career and spends the remainder of the film working on and realizing his goals. This car movie is not as spectacular as the other racing films on this list but stands out as a heartfelt and poignant drama about a man who refuses to give up on his dream. Scott’s success is not overnight; by the time he got a chance to compete in a major race, he was already 42 years old. By comparison, James Hunt from the film Rush was a champion and retired by age 32. Richard Pryor’s performance in this film is compelling and the supporting cast of the film, which includes Pam Grier as Scott’s wife Mary, Cleavon Little as Scott’s friend Slack ,and Beau Bridges as Scott’s loyal mechanic Hutch, have great chemistry with Pryor. The film’s ending is triumphant and satisfying.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
As with The Road Warrior, I have already written about Mad Max: Fury Road in my retrospective of the Mad Max series. This film is highly recommended for any car move fan as well as any casual fan of action films. In terms of sheer spectacle and variety of vehicles, this may be close to the ultimate car movie. This film however, is not just about cool cars and people trying to survive in the harshness of the Australian outback. It is a cautionary tale about the effect that cars can have on our environment as the fetishization of motor vehicles. Cars are useful and can be cool but we must remember, they are tools to be used wisely.
Honorable Mentions:
It’s Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
Convoy (1978)
The Love Bug franchise
Happy Viewing!
