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Gone in 60 Seconds
USA 1974
produced by H.B. Halicki for H.B. Halicki Mercantile
directed by H.B. Halicki
starring H.B. Halicki, Marion Busia, Jerry Daugirda, James McIntyre, George Cole, Ronald Halicki, Markos Kotsikos, Butch Stockton, Phil Woods, J.C.Agajanian jr, Parnelli Jones, Sak Wamamoto, Edward Abrahms, Christopher J.C.Agajanian, Gary Bettenhausen, Wally Burr, Billy Englehart, Jonathan E. Fricke, Edward Havens, Hal McClain, Jack Popejoy, Jack Vacek, Bud Wackeen, Bunny Walsh, Christine Wright
written by H.B.Halicki, music by Ronald Halicki, Philip Kachaturian, stunt coordinator: H.B.Halicki
review by Mike Haberfelner
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For whatever reason, carthief and insurance investigator Maindrain Pace
(H.B.Malicki) has taken the challenge to steal 48 cars in a ridiculously
short time upon himself and his associates - and despite some minor
setbacks (like a tiger in a car), everything goes smoothly, too. But then
there's this car full of heroin, which Pace decides to burn rather than
get rich from selling the heroin ... and that pisses Pace's lawyer Eugene
(Jerry Daugirda) off. Then Pace's wife Pumpkin (Marion Busia) notices
that one of the stolen cars, a Ford Mustang Mach 1, wasn't ensured, and
since she's such a good person, she persuades Pace to give the car back -
which means he has to steal another Ford Mustang Mach 1 in its stead - and
he knows where to get one, but unfortunately Eugene knows that too, so he
tips off the police ... and what ensues is a 40 minute carchase in which
Pace's Mustang gets bruised and battered almost beyond recognition (though
it still drives) while an amazing number of other cars are simply crashed
in various ways. Repeatedly, Pace gets into tight spots as well, but in
the end, he gets away, and even finds another Mustang in perfect condition
to exchange for his own car ... Considering this film is today
hailed as a carchase classic, the first things you realize are the
amazingly thin and rather stupid plot, its episodic structure and leading
man H.B.Halicki's lack of charisma. But if you are able to sit through the
rather dull first half of the movie, you are richly rewarded with one of
the most exciting carchases there are, clocking in at 40+ minutes that
presents more and more inventive ways to crash cars, and seeing the lead's
Mustang getting more and more out of shape along the way alone is simply
exhilarating. So forget the first half of the film, it's not worth it,
just enjoy the chase. In 2000, this film was remade by Dominic Sena,
with Nicholas Cage in the lead - but why producer Jerry Bruckheimer
thought it would be a good idea to remake a film that's solely based on an
elaborate setpiece is left at anybody's guess.
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