The ultimate race movie showcase

Even those of us that hate cars and all the petrol headed bravado that goes along with it, even those people have watched and most likely enjoyed a race movie at one time in their lives. If you don’t believe me, check out this race movie showcase and be ready to realize that deep down, you might just have a secret love for these metal machine movie hero’s.

Herbie Fully Loaded: 2007
Before she turned into a nutter Lindsay Lohan made this Herbie remake, and in good old Herbie style the sassy little Beetle enters a auto racing competition against some of the world top stock cars… ooh what will happen. Maybe he’ll turn gay and get sent to jail for being an idiot, who knows.

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The Love Bug: 1968

In this original Herbie the crazy little bug turns a down-on-his-luck race car driver into a race legend and helps him get back the girl of his dreams.

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Speedway: 1986

Speedway was one of the last truly musical films that Elvis Presley did, in this one he is a race car driver with the beautiful Nancy Sinatra as his love interest.

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Genevieve Race: 1953

This is a story all about the old Brighton to London car run, and revolves around two drivers trying to out wit each other to her to the finish line first.

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Thunderbolt: 1995

Also known in the U.S as Dead heat, this was a Hong Kong produced movie that had it fair share of things you would expect from a Jackie Chan film, extreme car race sequences and well crafted fight scenes. Although Chan had been injured in a previous movie Rumble in the Bronx and could not carry out a lot of his own stunts.

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Speed Racer: 2008

Made by the Matrix’s Wachowski Brothers and described as Scalextric on crack, this movies revolves around the Race family who are super charged petrol heads. This is a typical boy meets girl in ridiculous fast car, girl wants to honor dead brothers memory .. etc etc.

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Michel Vaillant: 2003

This French film captures what happens in one of the most expensive sports, showing cars travelling at 220mph it is based on the Comic of the same name.

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The Fast and the Furious: 2001

Meant to be loosely inspired by a Vibe magazine article about street racing in New York City, this was the First in a long line of movies using the same name and or actors. It quickly developed a cult following which pushed the movies out into a money spinning franchise. Basically a cop Brian O’Connor is trying to stop the street racing and fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto is a bit miffed about this.

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The Fast & The Furious Tokyo Drift: 2006

Now set in Japan you get more really really fast cars on Japans streets, lots of petrol enthusiast fans with short skirts, the Yakuza running around shooting things and more high octane street racing than you can stomach.

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Fast and Furious: 2009

Confronting a shared enemy now FBI agent Brian O’Connor and fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto team up and fight some naughty drug barons and drive around in California with women in their cars.

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Days of Thunder

Pint sized Tom Cruise plays maverick race driver Cole Trickle in his mission to the Daytona 500, the scenes are taken from actual race footage and the corny romance and bromance story line does actually pull you in.

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Grand Prix (1966)

Said to be the greatest race movie of all time, Grand Prix starred Rockford files, James Garner and takes the audience inside the world of Formula one racing. It shows racing at it’s most dangerous considering some of the drivers shown on the movies, most likely died in their next races.
One reason to watch this movie is that in the scene that Garner is trying to win the championship and driving a burning car, the director wanted a shocked look on the face of the extras so blew up the tea wagon right on cue.

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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: 2006

Will Ferrell plays a NASCAR champion driver who is overtaken by a newcomer in the form of Sacha Baron Cohen;s gay French Formula one racer. The cast go improvisation throughout and Will Ferrell reins in his crazy a little to make for a funny movie. Check out the baby jesus scene on YouTube.

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Monte Carlo Or Bust (1969)

Full the brimful of comedy icons like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and Terry-Thomas and Eric Sykes, if you liked Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, then you will enjoy this road movie.

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The Great Race (1965)

From genius Blake Edwards comes the duo of Some like it Hot Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in a Wacky Races type race movie. This is a great one to watch with Gran over a nice cup of tea and slice of cake

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Death Race 2000: 1975

Blood thirsty criminals, modified cars with guns, knives and saws and you have a blood bath of a race movie. All set in a futurist prison where to win the race means winning your freedom, the Running Man meets Mad Max.

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Le Mans (1971)

For both race fans and McQueen wannabees this is automotive McQueen pornorama. the tag line for the movie says it all “”Steve McQueen takes you for a drive in the country. The country is France. The drive is at 200 MPH!”

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The Cannonball Run: 1981

Another watch with mother, this slap slick race movie features the comic talents of Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise as his annoying bumbling sidekick with a multiple personality disorder. It also stars a very young Jackie Chan as the Subaru driver.

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It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)

Last but not least, this film features a host of celebrities in another oddball race, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, Ethel Merman, Terry-Thomas and Sid Caesar all star in this race to find the fortune of a dying man they all discovered by the road side.

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Race With The Devil: 1975

This is a little gem that was not available on DVD some time but is now, starring Peter Fonda it is about a two families vacationing in their RV’s in Colorado. Problem is they are witness to a Satanic sacrifice and soon find themselves pursued by cult members and an unsympathetic local community sheriff doesn’t help matters. car crashes, explosions ad silly chanting this is a must see for 70’s Kit-ch road movie

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Guest Post: Geordie is an active blogger and has been guest blogging for a number of years now, her interest in this topic came from her fathers wanted to buy a Mitsubishi asx 4wd, “he seamed so happy with it all, I thought I might find out what the hell it was”.