Car Lust Pop Culture Awards
by Chris Hafner
on May 09, 2008
I've had a couple of requests in recent comment threads for a new post for best driving music, best car movies, etc. So, let's just have a car-related awards post, get people's thoughts, and then I'll compile the results next Friday.
The categories:
Best Driving Music
Best Car Chase (movie or TV)
Best Car-Oriented/Racing Movie
Best Car-Oriented TV Show
Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series
Best Car Prominently Featured in a Movie
If you're interested, make your picks, and if I've missed some obvious categories, let me know--I'll add them!
--Chris H.
Dean on May 09, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Best Driving Music -- "La Villa Strangiato," Rush
Best Car Chase (movie or TV) -- "The Driver" (Ryan O'Neal)
Best Car-Oriented/Racing Movie -- "The Road Warrior"
Best Car-Oriented TV Show -- "Speed Racer"
Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series -- Gran Torino, Starsky & Hutch
Best Car Prominently Featured in a Movie -- Bullit's Mustang
Cookie the Dog's Owner on May 09, 2008 at 01:58 PM
Best Driving Music -- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Refugee." Phenomenal lead guitar, singable lyrics, and a tune you can time your shifts to; the perfect music for a speed run on a twisty back road. Honorable mentions: New Order, "60 MPH" and Fountains of Wayne, "92 Subaru" (the latter, an ode to custom modding your ride).
Best Car Chase (movie or TV) -- "The Seven-Ups." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg4QtYizPKM) Done by many of the same stunt people who did the "Bullitt" chase four years earlier, and far better. An undercover cop in a Ventura pursues two hitmen in a big Grand Ville all over Manhattan in heavy traffic. Eleven minutes of pure action and suspense, with none of the contrived over-the-top frame-bending tomfoolery of oh, say, "The Dukes of Hazzard." Everything you see on the screen is 100% believable.
Best Car-Oriented/Racing Movie -- Hard call. My head says "Le Mans," my heart says "Cars."
Best Car-Oriented TV Show -- "Route 66"
Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series -- Emma Peel's Lotus Elan S2 from "The Avengers"
Best Car Prominently Featured in a Movie -- Doc Hudson from "Cars"
The Luke on May 09, 2008 at 02:11 PM
Oh, so many great driving songs, but I gotta say it's hard to beat the Who's "Bell Boy."
The Luke on May 09, 2008 at 02:12 PM
(Especially if you're headed for the beach!)
Dave on May 09, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Best driving music: Union Pacific, Reno Bound. Great pedal steel guitar, great lyrics, best heard at 11 on the volume.
Best car chase: Bullitt, it's the one that changed everything and all others are compared to.
Best car oriented movie: how about The Great Race?
Rob the SVX guy on May 09, 2008 at 07:00 PM
1. Music? Ooo. Tough. Radar Love, or some mid 90s electronic. Electronic makes me feel precise, energized, and like I'm in a Gran Turismo game. :)
2. Those shorts from bmwfilms.com. They were fantastic. You can find a lot of them on youtube, and but they're amazing in HD.
3. World's Fastest Indian. I know it's about a bike, but whatever. This movie was awesome, and it really strikes a chord with me, and how speedfreaks are like.
4. Top Gear. Easy. Anything else is wrong, because the poster has never seen Top Gear. Download episodes at finalgear.com.
5. Either Dukes of Hazzard or Initial D (the only anime series I can stomach)
6. Christine? :)
Damian P. on May 10, 2008 at 04:44 AM
Best Driving Music - "East Bound and Down", Jerry Reed
Best Car Chase (movie or TV) - "The Blues Brothers"
Best Car-Oriented/Racing Movie - "Le Mans"
Best Car-Oriented TV Show - "The Dukes of Hazzard"
Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series - The General Lee
Best Car Prominently Featured in a Movie - 007's Lotus Esprit submarine, "THe Spy Who Loved Me"
Anthony Cagle on May 10, 2008 at 08:33 AM
Music: Gotta go with Hot Rod Lincoln.
Car Chase I'd go with either the Seven-Ups or Blues Brothers. Especially the end of the latter when the car falls apart.
Movie: Vanishing Point?
TV Show: Objectively, probably Knight Rider, cheesy though it was.
Car in TV: General Lee.
Movie: Definitely Christine.
Houston on May 10, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Best Car from a TV series: '71 Cuda from "Nash Bridges"
bigrig on May 10, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Here goes...
music- "HIGHWAY STAR"-Deep Purple
movie- "HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS"
t.v.-"DUKES OF HAZARD"
movie car-there's too many to choose, so I'll list a few of my favorites..
1."LAST OF THE V-8 INTERCEPTORS"
2.any "muscle car" in them Fast& frivelous movies
3.vette from "corvette Summer"
4. Joe Dirt's Daytona..........
Mochi Mochi on May 11, 2008 at 11:16 PM
Be careful what you wish for... I did not realize what I was getting into when I asked for the thread on best car movies. Now we have all of these great categories - and music too. In some cases I can pick a clear winner. But in other's - not so easy. Music is the hard one - film is the easy one. Here goes, we'll see where we end up.
Best Driving Music:
The problem here is that it all depends on where you are and what kind of driving you are doing:
Best music for putting the pedal to the metal:
AC/DC - Back in Black
Best music for crossing the continental United States by state:
New York: Born to be Wild (steppenwolf)
New Jersey : Magic Bus (the who)
Pensilvania : Baba O'Riley ("teenage wasteland" the who)
West Virginia (Daylight) : Bad Company (bad company)
Ohio (Night) : Ready for Love (bad company)
Illinois : Highway to Hell (ac/dc)
Missouri (Daylight) : Sympathy for the Devil (rolling stones)
Missouri (Night) : Paint it Black (rolling stones)
Oklahoma : Factory Girl (rolling stones)
Texas : Brown Sugar (rolling stones)
New Mexico : The Seeker (the who)
New Mexico (night) : Walking in the Rain (flash and the pan)
Arizona (night) : Behind Blue Eyes (the who)
Nevada : Life in the Fast Lane (the eagles)
California (desert at night) : California (flash and the pan) / Hotel California (the eagles)
California (daytime the mountains) : Oye Como Va (santana)
California (sunset at the coast) : California Dreamin' (The Mamas and the Papas)
Best music for driving in Scandinavia (its that euro-pop thing):
Abba (...there I said it)
Earth Wind and Fire (...you had to be there it was perfect - please don't hold this against me)
Music for driving to the canyons - think of getting prepared for a transforming experience, what would you listen to? Me... I listen to:
String Quartet No. 2 - Company, by Philip Glass
Music for intense driving in canyons:
Honda 1.6 liter, 4500-6700rpm
Here's a link to a great little youtube video - nice roads, nice car, good music, fun ride:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AV6wDF-MN3I&feature=related
next time movies...
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 12:21 AM
Best Mashup of Car Chases (great sound track! should add this to the best driving music)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=rl8UyeKz2kU&feature=related
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 12:22 AM
Best Car Chase (movie or TV) :
1968 - Bullit
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-7IEPTAoTg
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 12:24 AM
More great great car chase movies...
1969 - The Italian Job
Italian Job 1969-2003 Mix
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-Oywyk0-k&feature=related
1969 Into:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=vpq1_AphUSY&feature=related
1969 Trailer
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=8dCaMPDonqM
1981 Diva (car and feet vs. malagutti moped)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3BwG45I03NA&feature=related
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 12:25 AM
and more great chases:
Frech Connection (car vs subway)
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=e2HBSuM_fLQ
Ronin
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=K1e7djNVipc&feature=related
Mad Max
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=gQhZaCE3e8g&feature=related
The Seven-Ups:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=hg4QtYizPKM
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 12:27 AM
I second Dean's nomination for Best Car-Oriented TV Show
"Speed Racer" the original - with out a doubt ;)
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 01:03 AM
Best Racing Movie:
Le Mans
This movie probably could not be made again. It is a masterpiece. All other films of this variety have used CGI or car doubles. Even "Grand Prix" used formula 2 cars. Le Mans is a movie all about racing. The cars are all full-on the real thing. The majority of footage was shot during the 1970 24hrs race. The camera car was an unofficial entry and it actually finished 9th. The camera car finished 9th!!!!
I just went back to watch it again (correcting my post from a few days ago) it is not even burdened by a love story - it is racing or waiting - that's all. An existential meditation on racing with some of the best racing footage ever shot. Steve McQueen wanted a story about racing and that's what he made. There is no rear screen projection. The film was as real as they could make it. When they needed to stage shots and crashes they used "cheaper" Lola T70s as stand-ins for the Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512.
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well.When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting."
here's the 1st of 11 parts posted on YouTube. The video is slightly squished - but it's a great reference.
part1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Hg7oYMtpQ&feature=related
first lap - for those who want to skip ahead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M3dLBL1Nzk&feature=related
get the DVD its worth it.
My runner up is GrandPrix
This is a great film, but it is overburdened by plot. However it may have the nest title sequence ever made for a racing film. Thank you Saul Bass master of title and graphic design:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=ovzFXnIXWlM
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=_it_LDxxIKY&feature=related
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 01:10 AM
music, cars, and film... yeah - one more mashup sort of.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=xmffIeOOuPs&feature=related
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 01:21 AM
I second Cookie The Dog's Owners' pick for:
Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series -- Emma Peel's Lotus Elan S2 from "The Avengers"
And add in John Steed's blower Bentley
Also don't forget the Batmobile (real and old skool)
Best Car Prominently Featured in a Movie - So many !!
The new batmobile (yeah I know it's not real... soooo... then)
The original mini in - yup - the Italian Job :)
(I'll refrain from duplicating 1st place nominations for the Porsche 917 in leMans)
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 01:26 AM
This thing needs to be in a movie: Renault Sport Espace F1 1995 Concept Car
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=fEDwfk8EYR0&feature=related
I want one of these really badly.
I'm not sure exactly what's being said (it's in French) but I think it's something like "freeking fast mate!"
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 01:57 AM
Lotus Super 7 - The Prisoner
Changed my mind re: Best Car Prominently Featured in a TV Series - I now pick lotus super 7 in the prisoner...
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=KZUz88-xoqY&feature=related
for details on KAR120C go to:
http://www.the-prisoner-6.freeserve.co.uk/lotus1.htm
Cookie the Dog's Owner on May 12, 2008 at 06:31 AM
Mochi: the Super 7 is nice, but the Elan S2 comes with Emma Peel and her catsuit. No contest.
OldCarGuy on May 12, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I appreciate all of the above, but hey guys, who could forget...
Gone in 60 Seconds (original 1974)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KX0ESCnCE
(gotta love the hair in that movie)
Mochi Mochi on May 12, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Catsuit... catsuit... E m m a P e e l catsuit. I vote catsuit.
Mochi Mochi on May 13, 2008 at 12:09 PM
best singing car : Renault F1
La Marseillaise:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=WXV-4XNdxw4&feature=related
God Save the Queen at Donnington:
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eoe8hEzdZ8&feature=related
Since I have diverged into almost anthropomorphic territory and showered this post with all kinds of links and random nomination - I think it's worth nominating Herby the Love Bug for something... it did have racing and chasing, and it was a star! Loved that when I was 7 :) Best car film star?