This amazing scene comes from an italo-actioner of a movie called the Sicilian Cross (aka Street People) starring Roger Moore (most handsome Bond) and Stacy Keach. Some movie chases succeed despite their choice of automobile, i.e. to Live and Die in La… plain jane Caprice sedans, others are enhanced by the automotive participants.
This is definitely the latter, a mid seventy Ford LTD (typical cop car) and a 75 or 76 special silver edition Thunderbird. The 72-76 Thunderbird shares its basic engineering and chassis with the Lincoln Mark IV of which I have much experience. They go like stink but corner like the designers never heard of a curve.
So to my amazement the stunt diver manages to drift this Thunderbird like some tuner boy's Toyota, you have to see it to believe it. Motivation comes from a 460 (that's 7.5 liters for you Euro types), rubber is 235/75 R15 radials.
Check out the video below, love the way Roger Moore is hanging on for dear life, oh turn down the sound so you can just hear the engines and tires but play this instrumental track at the same time:
Bullitt is good but not my favourite, here is an interesting French take on the Steve McQueen theme (hat tip to Cass) Le Marginal:
You've just sent me off to youtube for some chase indulence. I ended up on "Restless natives", not for super quality chases but for sheer fun.
ReplyDeleteLove all the white and orange Ford Escourts.
ReplyDeleteIt's the Suzuki SJs full of Japanese cameramen that always make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHi April!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the hat tip... but that was new (albeit spectacular) to me! I think I sent you a link to Diva (), another French film from around the same time.
While I of course would never dare to suggest your opinion is anything less than received wisdom from a higher authority (Lee Iaccoca, I would imagine), I *do* humbly offer what even you may agree is the *funniest* chase scene ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3-Y6UdDNWU
I laughed so hard and so long the first time I saw this that my stomach hurt for days afterward. But it was so, so worth it. :c)
And this is its animated counterpart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY6rQP4n1DU
I still laugh myself silly every single time I watch either of these!
== Cass
Thank you for the Le Marginal suggestion - I will have to add that to my Netflix queue...
Thanks Cass watched both, forgot how funny the Raising Arizona chase was and had not seen the Wallace and Gromit one. Needed a good laugh today :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, April. I've needed to laugh a lot lately as well!
DeleteWhile The Wrong Trousers is the best, all of the Wallace & Gromit shows are worth watching, as is their feature film.
While this isn't a car chase, it has the same anarchic spirit, and is hysterical as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq1gLRX7ge8
It never, ever gets old. :c)
== Cass
Just saw this and thought of this discussion:
Deletehttp://vimeo.com/43127008
:c)