I’ve already covered my favorite gunfight scenes in movies (From Scarface to Smokin’ Aces: the art of the gun scene). Now it’s time to talk about car chases—a genre all its own, with certain chases reaching classic status. For me, Bullitt (1968) has the greatest car chase ever filmed. Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) races through the steep hills of San Francisco, chasing the villains for nearly eight minutes in a high-powered Mustang GT390 with 400 horsepower. The chase reaches its peak as the villains’ Dodge Charger crashes into a gas station, exploding in a spectacular finale (though the subsequent foot chase on the airport tarmac, amidst planes taking off, is fantastic too). But Bullitt isn’t the only memorable car chase I’ve seen on film.
The first one I remember was in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator speeds through the Los Angeles River on a motorcycle, young John Connor (Edward Furlong) between his legs, as they dodge the relentless T-1000 and barely escape a massive fireball. Then there’s Thelma & Louise (1991), with Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon plunging their 1966 Thunderbird convertible into the canyon—it was so unexpected and felt like pure freedom. I also love the iconic mall chase in The Blues Brothers (1980), with Jake and Elwood Blues tearing through downtown Chicago in a 1974 Dodge Monaco. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior features nonstop stunts and chases in a post-apocalyptic wasteland nearly out of fuel (familiar, isn’t it?). I even got the nickname “Mad Max” at a poker night—not sure if I should be flattered or not, but I did win!
The French Connection (1971) is another favorite of mine (read my post here). In this classic, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) races at 90 mph through New York City, chasing an elevated subway train. Many of the stunts and even some of the collisions were unplanned, with unsuspecting bystanders caught in the chaos. The film, which won five Oscars, was produced by Philip D’Antoni—the same producer who brought us Bullitt. More recently, Grindhouse/Death Proof left a lasting impression, as Tarantino did in From Dusk Till Dawn when he flipped a thriller into a vampire action flick. In Death Proof, the tension builds as the women, led by stunt performer Zoë Bell, turn the tables on Stuntman Mike and his 1969 Dodge Charger in a thrilling, lengthy chase. (By the way, did you catch Stuntman Mike’s Chevy Nova license plate?)
There are plenty of other great chase scenes, too, in films like The Fast and the Furious (2001), Ronin (1998), Taxi (1998), and the original Gone in 60 Seconds (1974). I love cars and action movies, so a well-executed car chase is the perfect crossover for me.
The idea for this post came after a friend in California called me a few days ago to ask if I’d consider “Samazing”—drawing my original Sama characters on—his new car. I usually don’t Samaze cars, nor do I take requests, so I was curious what kind of car could get me to reconsider. Then he told me he’d ordered a Highland Green 2008 Bullitt Mustang back in November and was expecting it to arrive in May.
So, there’s a chance the first-ever Samazed Bullitt Mustang could happen in the next few months. I’ll wait until he gets his car and see if I feel inspired. Stay tuned for updates. And meanwhile, stay safe on the road—or just play Burnout Paradise on Xbox 360. ^_^