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Jeff,just after he finds out its a red car(stunt)

posted 19 years ago by kjones1067
19 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie approx. 10 times. After Jeff finds out the car he is driving is red, he gets out and walks backwards across the highway, a car coming the other way swerves and narrowly misses him. Jeff(the actor who played him) didn't even flinch as a car was coming from behind him at around 60 mph.
He must have had total faith in the stunt driver. Any mistake by the stunt driver and...well... no more Jeff! I wonder how many times this stunt was filmed. Anybody know?

Jonesy

[–] oxblood 19 years ago

Ive got the dvd and during the commentary i think Kurt says it was done in one take with no effects. A very risky move and Gerritt Graham didn't even realize how close the car came to him.

[–] kjones1067 19 years ago

Thanks

[–] Heinsbergen 19 years ago

Yeah, this shot was absolutely awesome. I was sitting there with my mouth open. Just spectacular. No digital effects, filmed like that one location.

I've heard better singing from a mongoose with throat cancer

[–] Falzone_Salv 19 years ago

You sould consider getting the DVD, just to hear the commentary. It is hilarious. Robert Zemeckis says he would never to any stunt like that ever again, along with a lot of other stunts in the movie. Now he would do it with special effects.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] steveicm 19 years ago

Cinemajunkie
Gerrit really is an under rated actor. He is a big part of the chemistry that made this film so damb awesome. The bar sceen where Gerrit's character Jeff climbs under the latter, breaks the mirror, etc. In a desperate effort to jinx the football game.
Gerrit ruled, as Marshal Lucky in the pirate telivision commercial, shooting up cars on the competitions lot. His lines flow out of him so naturaly
"We Blew the Sh*T out of that over priced Mother F*%ker, just like we blow the Sh%t out of all high Prices, Down here at New Deal Used Cars" !!!
I love the pirate commercial, durring the football game. When the lights come on Jeff realizes the car is Red. Once agian, Gerrit resights his lines so briliantly
"What the f#ck is this Lenny !!! I'll be god Dambed a red chariet, to carry my ass straight to Hell!!!"
Gerrit really did preform the stunt with the car. Durring the DVD commentary, the directors claim he did not know the car was that close.
they said they weren't gonna try it again.

If you dig Garrit in this role, check him out in the Movie "Walker"
IT's done by Director Alex Cox. Gerrit Plays the ultimate sleeze ball.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] ezpg 19 years ago

Just watched this again on TV and i forgot how close that car gets to him!

WOW! They don't make 'em like they used to huh.....

[–] TheReelMcCoy 17 years ago

Same here. I was thinking earlier during the desert race scene that the insurance companies sure have gotten a lot stricter nowadays. But then the scene where the car almost hits Gerrit. Whoa! Now way in HELL that you could do a scene like that today...
Can't wait to hear the commentary. :)

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] charliesafari 17 years ago

Ah there was a reason for this, all the stuntmen were using loads of cocaine during the shoot (this was the 70's remember, and they did everything faster and crazyer than they were supposed to!!!

Roy L Fuches white Cadillac that he rams into the front of the car lot was a rental that they fixed and returned the day after!!!!

check out the hillarious Kurt Russell/ Bob Zemeckis commentery on the rereleased dvd.

I come in peace, Shoot to kill!!!

[–] tdf5g 17 years ago

The DVD has one of the best commentaries I've listened to. It is hilarious.

Also check out Gerrit Graham as Perman Waters in the original Cannonball film.

[–] charliesafari 17 years ago

Yep total genius, its great to hear the obvious affection Bob Zemeckis and Kurt Russell both still have for the film.

I haven't seen the cannonball run for years, but must have watched it a 1000 times as a kid :)

I come in peace, Shoot to kill!!!

[–] steveicm 17 years ago

I'm a Cinemajunkie !

Once again I can't help but say "What a briliant Sceen. Such Amazing stunt work !

I gotta look for more of this actors work.

[–] onleft23 13 years ago

no doubt gerrit graham killed in this flick
w/o exaggeration i think his acting part here is
among the top ten alltime supporting acting roles
ive ever seen

i mean the pirate commercial scene alone shoulda won
him an oscar tho i know the dialogue precluded even a nom
im just talking based on performance and truly
graham is brilliant in that take

saw it at the movies and i thought for sure it was a breakout part
how/why it didnt lead to bigger things i'll never know

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] robocat893 11 years ago

I have seen Used Cars so many times and I get chills each time I see this stunt. If Gerrit or the stunt driver made even a slight miscalculation Gerrit would be dead. It's that simple! Anyway you would never see a stunt like that today.

Hey, wait. You're not surprised I'm a talking rabbit?

[–] cljohnston108 10 years ago

Just watching the movie now for the first time in 30 years... and that stunt sent me running here to see if there was anything on the IMDb Trivia about it.

Can't believe the cojones on Gerrit Graham for doing that!

[–] snelling 9 years ago

I think the scene succeeded because Graham never saw the speeding car actually coming toward him.

"I will not go down in history as the greatest mass-murderer since Adolf Hitler!" - Merkin Muffley