MovieChat Forums > Red Line 7000 (1965) Discussion > Like most stock car films, a bit disappo...

Like most stock car films, a bit disappointing

posted 11 years ago by ARosser14
1 reply | jump to latest

I keep hoping I'll run across a great movie about stock car racing, but as of yet, it hasn't happened. This one had great prospects, being that it was from the '60s (one of my favorite eras of racing and Americana in general to look back on and learn about, since I was born in '86) and featured my favorite car from that era, Fred Lorenzen's No. 28 LaFayette Ford Galaxie. As with most stock car racing films, though, it wound up being a bit disappointing.

The racing was great, and I enjoyed James Caan's performance (along with looking at Marianna Hill). The rest of the film, including its plot? Quite forgettable.

Maybe someday, someone will put together a movie about stock car racing that captures the beauty of the sport (which this and to a degree Days of Thunder both did, the general lack of realism in DoT's racing is its big drawback for me though) and carries it along with a good plot. Beginning to lose hope, however.

[–] cultfilmfreaksdotcom 7 years ago

Yeah, it's nothing incredible, but I like the breeziness about it. Very relaxing, and seems natural. Like real people. For me, too contrived a melodramatic plot would get in the way. I do think there was a plot though: The aftermath of the dead driver is the base of the entire picture. And I do agree that race films in general tend to be a letdown. I even wanted to love Hawk's Jimmy Cagney flick The Crowd Roars. This one's much better than that, and Cagney's one of my favs. I think people have a tough time putting together storylines as "cool" and interesting as the revved up action of the racing. Everything else feels slow in comparison to the moments on the track. Oh and, Devil's Hairpin, with Cornel Wilde, is another one that misses the mark. But... this one, I don't know. It took me several viewings but I just kinda started to dig the naturalness of it all. I felt part of the location; as if I were hanging out with the characters as opposed to watching them in a movie.

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