Hands up, how many of you knew there was an original Gone In 60 Seconds? Anyone? Me either, that was until I received the Gone In 60 Seconds (1974) Blu-Ray disc, and I’m glad I did.
Spectacularly it was Written, Produced, Directed by H.B ‘Toby’ Halicki, who was also the films leading star, Gone In 60 Seconds main focus was the car chase, one that eclipses most car chases in modern cinema. But it’s not even the car chase, which is one of the longest in cinema history – coming in around the 40 minute mark – which makes the film so impressive, it’s knowing it’s history, and how the film was produced, which really gives it the edge.
Halicki was a true car enthusiast, so much so he decided to make his very own film in an attempt to create the greatest car chase cinema had ever seen – and around that time, he did. He wasn’t a film maker, and that is evident through the beginning of Gone In 60 Seconds, the script is all a bit thin and just feels like it was created on the spot (some of it actually was!). Halicki wasn’t even a stunt man, but he did his own driving, and when you see some of the car accidents in the film keep in mind, they’re real, they weren’t planned, there wasn’t a stunt man driving. Everything that happened in the film, happened for real, including the destruction of 90 cars at a dealership – all of which Halicki had to buy from the owner of the car lot, a close friend of his who allowed him to use it for the film. Halicki also used real members of the public to star in the film, his own friends to star in the film and the Police and Firefighters you see, they’re real as well. Halicki was working on a shoestring budget, and the term Indie Film making may never be more appropriate when applied to Gone In 60 Seconds. I wish I’d known about the films history before watching it, because it gives a greater appreciation for what was done.
For a film of its age, you can see that transferr to Blu-Ray was a great choice, giving it new life. The story really does lack enjoyment however, and it’s easy to see why it was remade. We jump straight in to meet Chase (Halicki), an insurance investigator who leads a double-life as a professional car thief, along with his team, who are some of the best around. They’re hired to steal 48 cars in only a matter of days. It all sounds good, but it’s very rushed and there’s no real meaning and the majority of the film is just seeing how the team steal cars (very quickly) with no cool plans, no car chases and only 1 or 2 close shaves. The remake took the strong foundations and ran further with it. In the original, ‘Eleanor’ is just a car that keeps giving them trouble rather than having a significant meaning to Chase. While props have to be given to the length of the car chase, it can also be criticized. It can get pretty ridiculous and comical at times, such as everyone driving past a stray car in the middle of a road and then for no reason the last police car hitting it! (even though it would have a clear view of everyone avoiding it in the first place). Ever wondered why car chases aren’t longer in films? Because if they’re not done right, they get very boring. Once again you see here that Halicki isn’t a film maker, but instead a fan. With this said there are some pretty jaw-dropping moments, such as Chase driving full speed down a Highway, getting hit by another car and slamming into a lamp post at what must be 100mph+. How did they do that without CGI? Well, they weren’t meant to, and Halicki was knocked unconscious because of it, his first words once he regained consciousness, “did we get the shot?”. To me, this sums up H.B Halicki, he was willing to put himself on the line to capture a genuinely cool moment in car chase cinema history, a mentality that sadly cost him his life filming Gone In 60 Seconds 2, a few years later.
Blu-Ray Extras – The Car Crash King Featurette allows us to see Halicki in some of his other features doing what he did best, car chases. He was dubbed the Car Crash King and this allows fans of Gone In 60 Seconds to see clips of his other work. The Blu-Ray also provides an introduction by Denice Halicki which is very interesting and shares some of the history of the making of Gone In 60 Seconds. Interviews with other cast members, and a 45 minute feature on H.B Halicki himself.
While the original lacks a real story compared to the remake, it’s well worth a watch to see this chase scene in all of its Blu-Ray glory as well as the special features it has on offer.
Rating: Well worth a purchase even if the ending is a bit too convenient, slick but convenient. (6/10).
Gone In 60 Seconds (1974) is available to buy on Blu-Ray now from British distributor Kaleidoscope Entertainment.
Recent Comments