Five Great Racing Movies

Senna (2010 Dir: Asif Kapadia)

The life of Ayrton Senna was no ordinary thing and in 2010 British director Asif Kapadia finally shed light on one of F1's finest. Treading a fine line, Senna shows its subject as both hero and villain who although one of the finest drivers of his time was at times one of the most stubborn. Best of all, it goes deep into the Brazilians psyche and undercovers a deeply conflicted soul. Possibly the finest movie that motorsport will ever produce.

Rush (2013 Dir: Asif Kapadia)

Winner of this blog's Film of The Year in 2013, Ron Howard finally succeeded in bringing an excited F1 movie into the 21st century. Replaying the sheer drama and chaos that was the 1976 season, the battle between playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and calculated Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) was captivating. Effortlessly capturing the drivers vastly different persona's, it also brought forward the painfully recover of Lauda after his fiery crash at the Nurburgring. Live action racing has a front runner.

Le Mans (1971 Dir: Lee H Katzin)

Steve McQueen's love of Le Mans was well known throughout his life, so who better to star in a motion picture version. Story wise there is little other than McQueen looking his trademark cool self, but on the track is where the picture really sizzles. Driver Michael Delaney is still guilt-ridden over the death of a rival but the thriller of racing is still an addiction. Drawn into a battle with rival Erich Stahler, the pair of do battle on for the crown of sportscar racing.

Grand Prix (1966 Dir: John Frankenheimer)

Before Rush, this picture was considered the pinnacle of F1 films by director John Frankenheimer. Demonstrating the kamikaze feel of racing in the 1960's, star James Garner makes for an interesting centerpiece as American Pete Amon. A former star who is fading away, Amon has competition from world champion Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand) and recovering team Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford). Featuring cameos from greats Stirling Moss, Juan Manual Fangio and Graham Hill, Garner was the real star as he did all his own driving which drew admiration for many drivers.

Days of Thunder (1990 Dir: Tony Scott)

Tom Cruise and Tony Scott's second outing together may have unimpressed critics, but the action on the track is still great. This may be Top Gun in a Chevrolet but together Cruise and Scott make you want to attempt Daytona on impulse. The early action scenes between hot shot rookie Cole Trickle and underhanded champ Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) set up the late drama. However, it is his rivalry with cocky new boy Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes) that provides the real interest. Try watching the final Daytona 500 sequence with grinning from ear to ear.

Why Hollywood Needs More Train Disaster Movies

Who doesn't enjoy a couple of hours of big and silly action? Well some people probably... but the rest of us who sometimes like to disengage our brain and enjoy are always right at home with a train disaster film. What makes this kind of movie so great is that there is always an against the clock feel that pushes the story along. For those of us who grew up with Thomas the Tank Engine and his group of other talking friends (before CG ruined it!) we are accustomed to things going wrong on the rails.

Sadly this type of film is only seldom seen these days, which is a shame because it makes for a explosive feel as a pair of brave men struggle to keep the old girl on the rails. Here are some examples of what makes this genre so great.

Runaway Train (1985) 

Under the stewardship of Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, this 1980's effort still ranks as one of the most under-rated and thrilling action movies of the decade. The story revolves around notorious and violent criminal Manny (Jon Voight) escaping jail along with naive accomplice Buck (Eric Roberts). When they board a departing train, all seemed to set succeed only the old engine pops his clogs immediately upon departure- with no way of stopping the train! The impending disaster succeeds in elevating our sympathy for this pair of unlikeable characters and until the bitter end we are sat tensely in our seat.

Unstoppable (2010) 

One of the final movies of the well loved Tony Scott's careers, this movie saw thrills and spills by the bucket load. When a reckless rail employee (Ethan Suplee) lets a 39 car train speed onto the main line, it is left up to veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and newbie conductor Will Coulson (Chris Pine) to chase it down before it heads for disaster! Ridley's brother never always wowed critics, but his movies always provided get actions and this effort was one his fans could be proud of, particularly the closing stages as Engine 1206 speeds off in reverse to prevent lives from  being taken.

Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 

While not strictly a train disaster movie, David Lean's classic movie is essential a big countdown clock until the major event. The allies are planning to blow up the bridge that the conflicted British officer Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) has toiled to build. The moments before the explosion hits are still heart stopping to this day as all manner of unseen obstacles seem to get in the way. But the demolition sequence is still a visual wonder and as we see the engine plummet to earth, you still have the urge to cheer loudly! And to think... the production team spent 8 months building it!