Classic Top Ten: Car Films

After watching Drive (2011) the other night and posting The Driver (1978)s classic poster, I wanted to do a top ten list of some of the best cult classic of the car flick genera. When it comes to a good car film you need more than just a chase and a crash; you need a really good character behind the wheel, the driver. It is the reason why Drive (2011) was so successful, why Death Proof (2007) was so exciting and why those damn Fast and the Furious movies are forever being released. We love car films not for the cars but for the drivers, and so I present the top ten car films based on the characters who are driving the story forward.

#10 - American Graffiti (1973)

American Graffiti is a wealth of classic hot rods and hijinx as Richard Dreyfuss and Ron Howard take one last road tip. We don't see the Bluth's stair-car but we did get a  George Lucas classic that doesn't involve space nor Harrison Ford.

#9 - Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen is the cop who's tearing up the streets of San Francisco in a Ford Mustang Fastback chasing down the bad guys.

#8 - Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

So it won't be making a 'classic poster' post but the film is amazing, and no, this isn't the Angelina Jolie dreadlocks remake. The original has all the car thievery you could need without the ever engaging Nic Cage. The polt is the same with the gang commissioned to steal 48 cars, including a troublesome Ford Mustang nicknamed “Eleanor.”

#7 Mad Max 2 (1981)

While I personally enjoy the first Mad Max the best, it's Mad Max 2 where the character of Max is refined to the Australian post-apocalyptic version of Clint Eastwood's man with no name. The plot isn't mach to boast but the film stills sets high standards for brooding heroes and car films in general.

#6 - Death Race 2000 (1975)

Post-apocalyptic motorsport is all about pedestrian roadkill, according to this '70s B-movie. David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone are among the drivers racing to get to the finish line while accumulating enough points from taking out street-crossing grannies. Once again my point is made; it is Carradine's Frankenstein that the audience want to see overcome challenges and accept love. It could be argued that Frankenstein was the face we pictured when thinking about car films of the 70s, now it is likely Vin Diesel and his CGI flying cars.

#5 - Le Mans (1971)

Clearly I enjoy  Steve McQueen as the petrol-head behind the wheel. Here he plays a racing driver trying to win the 24-hour race Le Mans. Despite the fact that McQueen and the rest of the cast don't speak for the first 37 minutes, this is still an interesting take as far as motorsport movies get, with the feel and realism of a documentary. It is a classic, similar to Days of Thunder (1990) but without Tom Cruise.

#4 - Vanishing Point (1971)

I have reviewed Vanishing Point in much greater detail as one of my 'classic watch' reviews. The driver, Kowalski is hired to deliver a stock 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 440 engine and a white paint job, from Colorado to San Francisco. He also takes a bet that he'll make the deadine in under 15 hours.

#3 - Goldfinger (1964)

James Bond and cars go together like olives and martinis. While you may disagree with this pick its hard to say no, doctor. Bond might be of the spy genera but at the heart of all his adventures 007 always finds himself behind the wheel of a high performance car. Goldfinger (1964) is by far my favorite example of a good chase scene from the franchise.

#2 - The French Connection (1971)
 

The car chase in The French Connection is as much of a masterpiece as Gene Hackman's character, it is the jewel of an already great film. There is a reason The French Connection is still being discussed today. 

#1 - The Blues Brothers (1980)

Well, we started with American Graffiti and an all American road trip, we have to end with the best God damn road trip movie ever, right?! The Blues Brothers (1980) is by far the best car film ever made. We have the chases, the crashes, the getaways and the road tripping. The car has a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. It is as much a part of the gang as any other member of the band. The classic of all car films is by all rights #1 on this list of car films whose drivers make the movie great.