And then we jumped the intersection
Just thinking about a neat idea for a videogame, where you drive your car really fast through a downtown area, one with some great hills. No real goal in mind, a driving game. Except that the idea is a classic, from a movie.
Had the chance to watch that movie this afternoon. Not for the first time (nor the last; it’s on again in a few hours). A movie shot about forty-five years ago, with Steve McQueen. Yes, indeedy… Bullitt. Wherein a Mustang beats a Charger. I’ll leave it to the iron hounds to decide if this is reality or dream sequence. Just sit back, for close to eleven minutes, in a big chair with surround sound and keep your eyes on the screen. Feel your stomach jump!
There’s a lot on background information available. About the cars, the drivers, the route (real and imagined). Movies are rarely shot in one take, and the chase scene has been analyzed (obsessively). The speeds, approaching 180 kph (110 mph). The cumulative damage to the cars, as the sequence goes on. The “saw that car several times already” notes. Maps, on Google. The final disposition of the cars (not a local used car dealer’s lot).
I wonder if you could even get filming permits, should Hollywood decide to do a remake. Would the chase scene be a lesson in CGI technique? Sadly, we can’t get away with the stomach in your throat kind of driving any more; the cars won’t handle it. I can remember when any fast driving got compared to Bullitt. My kids will never understand the significance.
