Here’s a predicament. Suicide is illegal under Islamic law, and Mr. Badii, living in Tehran, is searching for someone to bury him after he commits suicide. Specifically, he wants to be buried under a cherry tree. This film by Abbas Kiarostami won the 1997 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
On Mr. Badii’s search to find someone to provide his wish, he runs into a Turkish taxidermist who drives him around the dusty roads of Iran while trying to convince the suicidal man of life’s beauty. Critics liked it. Time wrote, “The talk flows persuasively; the picture pulses with art and humanity.”
Repo Man
Everyone is after the Orange Crush-colored ’64 Chevy Malibu in 'Repo Man', but one team is paid to track it down. Emilio Estevez plays Otto, a repo man in-training, as it were, by the quirky Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), a longtime repo man showing the rookie how to play the game. Car repossession is a dangerous gig. Most people don’t want to lose their vehicles, some of those people are 6’10” and aggressive. After the Feds put a bounty on the car, every other repo man in the LA area is after the vehicle too. It seems aliens may be involved with that Chevy, and the CIA is on a mad search to find it.
The film received rave reviews from critics. It’s a distinctly LA film that hits home with Bud’s running commentary. Filmed mostly on location, 'Repo Man' is an unconventional film that took spectacular risks that paid off spectacularly. The organic and original comedy hits spot on with a continuous string of hilarious surprises.
Mad Max
Mad Max Rockatansky is legendary. He’s a badass cop who survives an apocalyptic disaster in the Australian outback. 'Mad Max' is a 1979 futuristic sci-fi taking place during the not-to-distant future after the collapse of society. It’s a ruthless world and he’s seen the worst of man. The worst of the worst is a bloody, murderous pack of motorcyclists who were furious after Mad Max gutted one of their guys. In retaliation, the biker gang slaughtered Max’s entire family. He has nothing left to do but go savage on them to avenge the murders.
Written by James McCausland with director George Miller, the film sparked a massive franchise with Mel Gibson as Mad Max. The modified black Ford Falcon, a ferocious V-8, is Max’s vehicle of choice that is a constant in the franchise. The car stunts are epic.
Mad Max 2
'Mad Max 2' is another movie dense with automobiles. It’s one of those sequels that rivals the original. Released in theaters as 'Road Warrior' in 1981, it follows up on the original 1979 Mad Max story inhabiting a post-apocalyptic desert landscape where everything is scarce, especially the fuel that powers each machine across the vehicle-heavy wasteland. The cars aren’t recognizable, this movie is full of modified machines from a dystopic future.
Mad Max, played by Mel Gibson, is stranded in a wilderness of dust and dirt and lives as a nomad having lost his wife and child. Cruising in his modified Ford Falcon, a ruthless-looking black V-8, road battles are a common theme, and Max faces villain Wez (Vernon Wells) in one of the epic road battles. He also pairs up with Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence). Plots to acquire black gold, oil in other words, drive the action. It’s one of the most classic action-adventure sci-fi films ever made. It’s a must-see.
Senna
'Senna' is a British documentary released in 2010. It reviews the life of Brazilian motor-racer Ayrton Senna (hence the title), as well as his untimely death after sustaining fatal injuries at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The film was directed by Asif Kapadia, who chose to focus on Senna's career from his 1984 debut race until the crash that ultimately killed him.
The film also reviews Senna's rivalry with racer Alain Prost. Despite the fact that Senna was famous in his time and was publicly interviewed in several different occasions, Kapadia chose to use footage provided by Senna's family and video recordings of Senna's races.