Car Fetish Movies

[Ed Hocken]

Plus Smokey and the Bandit asks the eternal question of who in the fuck thought it was a good idea to ban Coors beer?

And features Mister Jackie Gleason as the best goddaamn representation of the Fat Southern Sheriff.

Sheriff Pepper can eat a dick as far as I'm concerned.

[Chris Miller]

Maximum Overdrive.

Boy, when you think about it, Stephen King had a problem with cars. Maybe he had a vision of his future.

[Ed Hocken]

Maybe the cars got tired of his shit, we don't know.

But speaking of car fetish, don't tell me Blues Brothers can't work in this category?

[BillyG]

Definitely don't need to be a gearhead to dig car movies. Also, I love the shit out of every single Fast and Furious movie. I think Mad Max and Ronin can work perfectly well without the cars.

[Matt]

But does 'Maximum Overdrive' fetishize the cars? I haven't seen it in a while, but all that I really remember from it (apart from it being shitty) is the big truck with the clown face in the front. It was distinctive from an appearance point of view, but was it something that a car enthusiast would drool over?

[Ed Hocken]

Christine works better

Also, American Graffiti; THAT is a movie that doesn't work without cars.

[Matt]

I think Mad Max and Ronin can work perfectly well without the cars.

'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' proved that you could make that formula work without cars (for the most part), yet it's also the weakest entry in the series. It doesn't emphasize the car culture/fuel culture of the prior two entries to the same extent.

A big part of the appeal of 'Mad Max' IS the cars (and, to some extent, the motorcycles).

Pursuit. OK, I get that.
Interceptor. OK, WAAAY cool. Let's see what HE does.
The Black V-8 Ford Falcon. Look at the blower, man! Look at the blower!

[Ed Hocken]

What helps with Mad Max, is that the Aussies have a car culture. Because there's room to drive around.

[BillyG]

Mad Max is definitely heightened by the cars/bikes, but as said early, at it's heart it is a western replacing horses for cars. It's nothing something like Gone in 60 Seconds where the cars are the only reason it exists.

Death Race?!

[Matt]

What helps with Mad Max, is that the Aussies have a car culture. Because there's room to drive around.

An interesting point. I also find it fascinating to see a car (V-6 or V-8 Ford Falcon) that you generally NEVER see in American film. I'll never forget watching that with my brother and wondering just WHAT those cars were. It added a bit of a mystique to the film.

[Ed Hocken]

I got that last remark from Tarentino and Not Quite Hollywood actually.

Another movie that doesn't work without the car:

REPO MAN

[Chris Miller]

But does 'Maximum Overdrive' fetishize the cars? I haven't seen it in a while, but all that I really remember from it (apart from it being shitty) is the big truck with the clown face in the front. It was distinctive from an appearance point of view, but was it something that a car enthusiast would drool over?

It involves Big rig trucks coming to life and demanding blood...and diesel...so, yeah?

[Matt]

Valid point, especially for the semi-truck gearheads. If 'Duel' can count, then this film can count.

[PHEDG]

Grand Prix and Le Mans

[Ed Hocken]

Valid point, especially for the semi-truck gearheads. If 'Duel' can count, then this film can count.

At some point, you'll run into the "Trucker" subgenre of the 1970s.

Convoy anyone?