Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

 
1. What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Peter Bogdanovich

2. The Blues Brothers (1980) - John Landis

3. Bullitt (1968) - Peter Yates 

4. Dirty Harry (1971) - Don Siegel

5. Death Proof (2007) - Quentin Tarantino

6. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - George Miller

7. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - Guy Hamilton

8. Duel (1971)  - Steven Spielberg

9. Drive (2011) - Nicolas Winding Refn

10. Nightcrawler (2014) - Dan Gilroy

Other movies with car chases reviewed by Film Excess to date (in alphabetical order)

21 Jump Street (2012) 
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
The Car (1977)
The Dead Pool (1988) 
Die Another Day (2002) 
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) 
Fast & Furious 5/Fast Five/Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist (2011)
Get the Gringo/How I Spent My Summer Vacation (2012)
Jack Reacher (2012)
The Last Stand (2013)
London Has Fallen (2016) 
The Town (2010) 

[22 titles in total]

Previous Top 10 lists:

The best action movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
The best adapted movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
The best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date    
The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
The best B/W movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
The best true story movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Top 10: Best 'box office success' movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
 

Do you agree on the list?
Make your opinion known in a comment

She's Funny That Way (2014) - Bogdanovich's probably last film isn't that funny

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This poster for Peter Bogdanovich's She's Funny That Way appears promising enough, if maybe a bit bland

 

A New York escort confesses to her psychologist how she over a brief period of time has made the acquaintances of a group of internally tangled persons...

 

She’s Funny That Way, written by Louise Stratten (City Island (2009, actress)) and great New-Yorker co-writer-director Peter Bogdanovich (What's Up, Doc? (1972)), is an attempt at an [Woody] Allenesque comedy. Regrettably, it doesn't work, mainly because it isn't funny enough, and also because it is hard to get sufficiently interested in the story's affluent characters and their problems.

Imogen Poots (Green Room (2015)), - who is British, - is charming as the escort and utilizes a heavy New-York accent that matches Mercedes Ruhl's in The Fisher King (1991). Jennifer Aniston (Along Came Polly (2004)) as the shrink has funny-bones and the kind of energy that is lacking from the performances of Owen Wilson (The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)) and Rhys Ifans (Mr. Nice (2010)), who play a couple of fools. Kathryn Hahn (Bad Moms (2016)) tries but also isn't particularly funny here. Keep your eyes peeled for several star cameos.

The style of She's Funny That Way is a peculiar blend of intellectual, verbally oriented comedy and the screwball kind that Bogdanovich famously and hilariously reanimated with What's Up, Doc?. The blend doesn't gel. But She’s Funny That Way is a Movie, and especially a Bogdanovich fan will still find it feasibly entertaining.

 

Related posts:

 

Peter Bogdanovich: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject)

What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Screwball comedy revived for a wonderful show

The Wild Angels (1966) - Young biker rebels deliver a counter-culture punch in Corman's hands (co-writer) 

Watch an official trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 6 mil. $

= Unknown (but likely a big flop)

[She's Funny That Way premiered August 29 (Venice International Film Festival) and runs 93 minutes. The script was written in 1999-2000 by Bogdanovich and ex-wife Stratten as a comedy collaboration to keep their spirits up during financial troubles, originally intended to be starring John Ritter (who died before production) and Cybill Shepherd, (who still plays a small role.) It was shot in New York in 29 days, starting July 11 2013, with some of the roles only getting cast during shooting. The North American distribution rights were acquired by Clarius Entertainment, who then dropped the film for unknown reasons, at which time Lionsgate Premiere picked it up for a small theatrical release and as VoD, (which is not accounted for in the box office figure above.) The film ran for 3 weeks, topping in 26 theaters in North America, were it grossed just 111k $ (1.9 % of the total gross). The biggest 3 markets were Russia with 822k $ (13.7 %), Italy with 597k $ (10 %) and Poland with 585k $ (9.8 %). Without a cost figure (and the VoD performance unknown), it isn't possible to make out the film's theatrical performance for sure, but if it was made cheap, on for instance a 5 mil. $ budget, the film would likely still rate as a big flop. She's Funny That Way is rotten at 39 % with a 5.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of She’s Funny That Way?

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films

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1 Time Film Excess Award Winner:

Best Documentary: Alex Stapleton

1 Time Film Excess Nominee:

Best Documentary: Alex Stapleton (won)

An exciting poster for any cinophile, for Alex Stapleton's Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel

Corman's World is a biographical documentary about entrepreneur/filmmaker Roger Corman (The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)) and his long and colorful life as producer and director of American films, spanning more than half a century.

Thank God the documentary about movie genius Corman is as good a film as he deserves. With interviews from a seemingly infinite line of the old (and some more recent) stars from behind and in front of the camera, loads of pictures and clips from Corman's films, and a general tone that never condescends its audience, be they fans or totally new to the subject, Corman's World opens up the world of Roger Corman for us: From the bold fiasco The Intruder/The Stranger (1962), covering his Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, the blaxsploitation, the production of the day at hand, Dinoshark (2010), and lots in between.
Corman is still active as a producer, with both Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf (2015) and CobraGator (2015) in post production. He is a tireless genre-rider, an inspiration and a pioneer.
With fine uses of effects and music, by French band Air, Corman's World, made by Alex Stapleton (Raising an Olympian (2012), TV-series documentary) is both touching and invigorating, just as its brilliant subject.
It has my strongest recommendation. 

Related posts:

2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films - according to Film Excess 

Watch the trailer for the movie here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: 6,468 $ (North America only)
= Uncertainty
[But this can hardly be counted as anything but a huge flop, regrettably though as it is. The figure above is the only one that I can find online. The film played at Sundance and Cannes, and has hopefully since found some earnings through TV, video and streaming.]

What do you think of Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel?
What is your favorite Roger Corman movie?

The Wild Angels (1966) - Young biker rebels deliver a counter-culture punch in Corman's hands

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Artsy, wild-colored poster for Roger Corman's The Wild Angels

The Wild Angels is a sub-genre-creating counter-culture gem from genre maestro Roger Corman (The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)). It created the outlaw biker genre that culminated three years hence in Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider (1969), which became a massive hit and a mainstream pop-cultural reference.
As with most biker films, the narrative is pretty thin in Angels:
'Blues' is the president of the Hell's Angels Venice California chapter, and he orders his guys out to look for some missing choppers at a warehouse controlled by some Mexicans. After a fist fight breaks out, the police butts in, and the bikers have to flee the warehouse on their Harleys. The president's right hand man 'Loser' unfortunately gets chased and shot by a cop who then drives off the road, killing himself. 'Loser' gets broken out of the hospital by his biker compadres, SPOILER which kills him. 'Blues' and the rest of the gang stage a funeral at a far-away funeral parlor, but end up assaulting the minister and trashing the place instead, and their wild ways eventually make the burial of 'Loser' almost impossible.
Angels was wildly popular at the time and stroke fear across parents' hearts in the Western world, as their wild kids suddenly seemed to adore violent bikers wearing swastikas.
The film is provoking, because it presents the aimless drifters in a fascinated, positive light. They are the heroes of the film, but at the same time, they are pretty ridiculous and morally reprehensible with their disregard for everyone besides themselves and their stupid ways in general. Different things will outrage each person most, be it the Nazi symbols they flaunt everywhere, the rape of the girlfriend of 'Loser' at his funeral (!), the way 'Loser''s corpse is dragged around and fed a smoke at his funeral, the violence, or the disrespect towards religion, as they abuse the minister at 'Loser''s funeral. They're pretty terrible.

Peter Fonda tells the minister what they want at his friend 'Loser''s funeral: To be left alone and get wasted and have fun

At the same time, their unity is fascinating: They seem very poorly dressed by the surrounding society. They have no norms or objections but just accept acting out in most every circumstance they find themselves in.
Peter Fonda (Easy Rider (1969)) is charismatic as the president 'Blues', and Bruce Dern (Nebraska (2013)) is good as 'Loser'. The women are Nancy Sinatra and Diane Ladd, portraying 'Loser''s girl. Ladd was Dern's wife at the time, which probably helped her play the part.

The details:

A lot of Angels' attraction also comes from its awesome rock soundtrack by Mike Curb (It's a Bikini World (1967)) and Davie Allan (Night on Earth (1991)), which runs like an electric zeitgeist-fueled current through the picture.
The version I have on DVD is very well-restored picture- and sound-wise, and the film was no blight to the eye like the terrible, topically related Hells Angels on Wheels, which is technically and dramatically nowhere near Angels in terms of quality.
I know that this review is more positive than most that have been written about of The Wild Angels. (Leonard Maltin, to take one critic, has written that the film is "OK after about 24 beers.")
- I have a very soft spot for Corman and the confrontational approach he uses in some of his films like this one and for instance Shame/The Stranger (1962). I also have a soft spot for his more colorful horror and suspense pictures, but that's another story.
The by Film Excess beloved Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show (1971)) co-wrote the script for Angels with Charles B. Griffiths and did second unit direction and other jobs on the picture.
The Wild Angels serves as an impeccable historical source to understand youth rebellion in the 60s and the crazy flux of values that was present at the time for these youths, often replaced by anarchistic or nihilistic tendencies.
It is not a very likable bunch in the film, but I enjoyed it anyway. It is made with persuasion and power. And, personally, I like it better than the super-praised Easy Rider (1969), which makes martyrs out of its two drug-toking, anarchistic bikers. Angels is more fun, raw and makes more sense to me.

Related reviews:

Hells Angels on Wheel (1967) or, The Troglodyte Outlaws!
Peter Bogdanovich: What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Screwball comedy revived for a wonderful show
Bruce Dern: Nebraska (2013) or, Father and Son

The provocative opening title with a swastika against Peter Fonda on his Harley

Budget: 0.3 mil. $
Box office: 15.5 mil. $
= Huge hit

What do you think of the biker pictures and The Wild Angels in particular?
Which Corman-film is your favorite?

What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Screwball comedy revived for a wonderful show

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Even the credits and poster work is brimming with spirit and right on the money for Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc?

Four highly important plaid overnight bags get mixed up in San Francisco around a musicologist doctor, who is in town with his fiancee Eunice to compete for a grant.

Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl (1968)) is the sprawling stranger who begins to impersonate the doctor's wife, hilariously played by master comedienne Madeline Kahn (Blazing Saddles (1974)). Ryan O'Neal (Barry Lyndon (1975)) is the very cute and confused Doc in the middle. Both Streisand and O'Neal look sweet as pie, and they also have great screen chemistry. They are sexy and funny in What's Up, Doc?, often at the same time.
But this is not merely a mix-up romcom, but also an homage to all the old, classic screwball comedies as made by Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby (1938)), Frank Capra (Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)), Preston Sturges (The Lady Eve (1941)) etc. in the high days of Old Hollywood. Gender-related mix-ups with gags of all kinds involved, it is a genre I have sometimes thought too silly to be really funny, but in great New York filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich's (Targets (1968)) able and very enthusiastic vision, I am laughing and rejoicing in the calamities again and again.
Great Hungarian cinematographer László Kovacs (Easy Rider (1969)) supplies great crips pictures, and Bogdanovich has cast an incredible supporting cast to one outrageously funny character after the other. It all concludes in a memorable and quite elaborate chase through San Francisco and then a court room scene that simply puts the capital H in Hilarity.
The Streisand character is especially cartoonish, deliberately, SPOILER and the film's ending pays appropriate homage to Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes.
What's Up, Doc? will make you laugh and make you happy and perhaps also a bit nostalgic. It is written by Buck Henry (Catch-22 (1970)), David Newman (Superman (1978)) and Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)), based on Bogdanovich's story. It is one of my all-time favorite comedies and one that I can watch again and again and fall in love with all over every single time.
Bogdanovich is a somewhat under-appreciated American filmmaker and actor. He has made several good films, especially The Last Picture Show (1971), which, - on the other hand, - is an incredibly depressing film. He has also made many film documentaries, montages and books on filmmakers and actors. I just finished reading his Who the Hell's In It, which is an incredible joy to read for anyone who loves film and film stars. It features chapters on Bogdanovich's encounters/relationships with stars like John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart, James Cagney, Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish etc., including comments on their major achievements. - A great book from a great guy.

Related posts:

Peter Bogdanovich: Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject) 
The Wild Angels (1966) - Young biker rebels deliver a counter-culture punch in Corman's hands (co-writer)

Watch the very unorthodox, unpretentious and funny trailer for the hilarious comedy, What's Up, Doc? here

Cost: 4 mil. $
Box office: 66 mil. $ + 3 mil. in 1973 re-run rentals (North America only)
= Mega-hit (returned at least 17.25 times the cost)
[What's Up, Doc? premiered 9 March (New York) and runs 94 minutes. It was shot in New Jersey and California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, from August - December 1971. It became the 3rd highest grossing film of the year in North America, behind The Godfather and The Poseidon Adventure. The only international figure I have available is from Sweden, where the film was also a major hit with 1.1 mil. admissions there. The film's success closely tails the subsequent major hits Jaws (1975) and Star Wars: Episode VI - A New Hope (1977), said to have started the blockbuster term. The 1982 video release of the film garnered another 28.5 mil. $ in rentals. Bogdanovich returned with Paper Moon (1973). Streisand returned in Up the Sandbox (1972), O'Neal in The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973). What's Up, Doc? is fresh at 90% with a 7.4/10 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of What's Up, Doc??