Bullitt Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Scenes We Love: 'Bullitt' (Yes, the Car Chase)
Filed under: Scenes We Love »
Bullitt, released 41 years ago next month, is a fairly ordinary crime drama about an unorthodox cop unraveling a conspiracy that led to the murder of a witness. What it's famous for is a 10-minute sequence in which the cop, played by Steve McQueen, is followed by -- and then chases, at terrifying speeds -- the two men responsible for the murder. Nearly every movie car chase since then has been compared to the one in Bullitt, and rightfully so. Watch it, after the jump, and behold its tire-squealing awesomeness.Consider also how different it is from chases scenes in modern movies. The average shot length for this 9 1/2-minute segment is 3.7 seconds, with many shots lasting four or five times that long. I don't think any car chase in a Hollywood film made in the last 20 years has done that -- quick-cutting is the norm now. And while that frenetic style has its place (I love the car chase in The Bourne Supremacy), it would be hard to argue that Bullitt's chase sequence would have been improved by faster cutting. The long shots let you see where the cars are in relation to each other and to their surroundings. Several shots give you a driver's-eye view of the action, and it's like riding a roller coaster. You couldn't get that effect with a series of split-second shots. (Bullitt won the Oscar for its editing, by the way.)
McQueen did his own driving for all but a few shots. (Legend has it he intentionally leaned toward the open window so that viewers could see it's really him.) It's clear there's no fakery in the high speeds, either: Those cars really are going that fast, and they are just barely avoiding countless wrecks. (Another difference between this and most modern car chases: There's very little collateral damage, up until the end.)
Cinematical Seven: Movies to Watch While Stuck in an Airport
Filed under: Action », Classics », Comedy », Cinematical Seven »
Can everyone guess where I am right now, and what I'm doing? I'm very thankful that the New Orleans airport has free wireless available while I wait for an airplane crew to show up for my flight, so I can return to sunny Austin. In the meantime, I have a laptop and Internet access and a stack of DVDs to watch. I am prepared. I can watch movies indefinitely if necessary, especially if I can get Hulu or Netflix's Watch Instantly cranked up.
I have a few suggestions for packing / purchasing / (legally) downloading movies to watch on your laptop or other device in an airport or on a plane. Pick at least one or two movies that are old familiar favorites. Sometimes when you're stuck in a terminal with poor food choices, a "comfort movie" can be your very best friend. In addition, I find it difficult to listen clearly to movies on an airplane or even in a noisy terminal (you don't want the sound too loud, so you can hear updates on your flight's delay), so it's best to pick something where you already know what's going on and don't need to catch every last nuance of dialogue. Big goofy action films and physical comedies have an advantage over talkier films where you have to pay attention.
In compiling this list of specific recommendations, I tried to avoid the overwhelmingly obvious choices for watching movies in airports -- personally, I don't want to watch disaster films at times like this, or even spoofs of disaster films like that timeless comedy Airplane. The Terminal and Snakes on a Plane also a little too close for comfort. I thought instead of lighter fare, with scenes that emphasized the fantasy world of airline travel, good or bad, and the magic of escapism. Next time, I'm tucking a few of these in my laptop bag myself.
Brad Pitt Rumored to Star in 'Bullitt' Remake
Filed under: Thrillers », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Brad Pitt », Remakes and Sequels »
The latest Brad Pitt casting rumor is definitely not up there with the recent He-Man nonsense, but unlikely as it may be, at least this one seems more plausible. Monsters and Critics is reporting that Pitt will star in a remake of the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt. According to the sources, "Brad shares a lot of the same passions as Steve Mc Queen -- including a love of motorbikes and fast cars -- so it was a dream role for him." When the film premiered in 1968, it solidified McQueen's reputation as the ultimate "man's man," and the famous car chase is still arguably one of the best ever seen on film. It was reported by this incredibly shaky source that Pitt had been interested in the project since 2003, but this is the first that anyone has heard about a remake in a long time. Supposedly, the looming threat of a SAG strike has spurred executives into action, and they have green-lit the production. Uh-huh.Let's point out one more time that this is a wild rumor, so even if it is true, I doubt we are going to see Pitt tooling around in a *
*Correction: McQueen drove the Mustang GT 390 Fastback, it was the villains in the Charger.
Steve McQueen's Widow Wants Daniel Craig for a Biopic
Filed under: Action », Drama », Casting », Western », Daniel Craig »
I'm not sure how much we need a biopic about Steve McQueen, who was arguably the coolest movie star ever, but that isn't stopping the actor's widow from suggesting the person to play him. Barbara McQueen Brunsvold, who was McQueen's third wife and who was only married to him for less than a year before he died, wants Daniel Craig to portray the Bullitt star if there's ever a movie about him. She recently co-authored a book of photographs of her and McQueen's three-and-a-half years together, titled Steve McQueen: The Last Mile. Whether she hopes to sell the rights to her story is unclear. McQueen, who died of cancer in 1980 (well, technically of two heart attacks following surgery), has been the subject of many books, including one by his first wife, actress Neile Adams, called My Husband, My Friend: A Memoir, and one by actress Barbara Leigh called The King, McQueen and the Love Machine: My Secret Life with Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and the Smiling Cobra, either of which is probably more detailed about the time periods in which Craig would most suitably appear.
Though Craig doesn't look too much like McQueen, I have to agree that he may be the closest thing possible; plus, he's almost as cool. Brunsvold states that Craig, "kinda has that swagger, the good looks -- if I wasn't married I'd date him." The only other actor who might be be able to pull it off is Colin Farrell, who supposedly idolizes McQueen and credits him as his greatest influence. Anyway, because this isn't a real project just yet, there isn't much point in giving the suggestions much thought. But here's an uninteresting and useless bit of trivia, at least: McQueen starred in the original version of The Thomas Crown Affair, which was remade with Pierce Brosnan in the lead. Brosnan and Craig have both played James Bond.
[via Fark.com]
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
_thumbnail.jpg)
