Rubber, Road, Brains and Souls: 5 Killer Car Flicks That Will Never Be Forgotten
Steve Barton
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Number 2 – Death Proof: I’m likely to catch some hell for this, but that’s a-okay in my book. (You know how people say, ‘YOU’RE OKAY IN MY BOOK’ or ‘AND IN MY BOOK THAT’S NO GOOD’? Well, I actually have… a book.) In my opinion, Death Proof offers forth some of the greatest dialogue I’ve ever heard (you’ve seen me harping on this one in the past). But that’s only the beginning. The array of lust-worthy classic cars (an amazing Dodge Challenger, a ’71 Nova and my personal favorite of the lot, Mike’s ’69 Charger, to name a few) on display is more than enough to get just about any man riled up, but the roles these vehicles play in the film are what really sets the entire piece over the edge. Stuntman Mike may be a villain, but it’s that fuckin’ car that really sends chills down the spine. And the moment in which Mike’s Charger and the “borrowed” Challenger go head to head… well, that’s not only homage to past great features, it’s a contemporary, brilliant juxtaposition of man and machine. Who woulda thunk it? Metal, so paralyzing!
Number 1 – Christine: In this subgenre it doesn’t get any better. John Carpenter, the absolute perfect trio of performers and a stunning 1958 Plymouth Fury that wants nothing more than true love, and loads of homicide all come together to create cinematic magic. Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s amazing novel is one of the greatest films of the 1980s. Damn near everything is right about Christine, and it’s surprisingly faithful to King’s work. John invested extra care in this production – perhaps out of respect for King, perhaps because he was in the absolute prime of his career and could seemingly do no wrong – and it shows. The lighting, the vengeance of Christine and the downward spiral into madness that Arnie Cunningham experiences… it all feels so astoundingly organic. This could be your best friend, sucked into some strange paranormal Hell where nothing but fixation and vengeance matter. Again, technically, Christine is a superb piece of art that rapidly builds into a gut-wrenching conclusion that now (and then, I suppose) feels all but unavoidable.
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Categorized:Lists
