This 1969 film is not half as famous as it should be, and here is why more people should know about it – let’s start with how this was one of the first movies to be realistic when it comes to racing and the passion of the people involved. Then, there is the fact that this film inspired Paul Newman, who stars in it, to start a racing career of his own.
Actually, there is another film called ‘Winning’, a documentary, which follows Paul Newman’s racing career. We can only hope that, for Paul Newman, the whole backstage intrigue depicted in the movie didn’t happen in real life.
Days of Thunder
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are only two of the stars playing in this raging motors film, but that's hardly the best part about it. The movie also has guest appearances by actual NASCAR racecar drivers! Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a young racer intent on having a NASCAR driver, and Kidman plays Dr. Claire Lewicki, a neurosurgeon and Trickle's love interest.
The plot here might not be as groundbreaking as some might hope (it was criticized for its similarities to 'Top Gun'), but whatever it lacks in originality, it makes up for in great cars. There were even NASCAR professionals inspecting them and driving them for the racing scenes. Also, Tom Cruise is known for his preference of doing his own stunts, but in this film he had to step aside from that for insurance reasons.
Midnite Spares
Another Australian film on this list is 'Midnite Spares'. Released in 1983, this car flick also serves decent portions of comedy. The tale being told here is that of Steve Hall, a young racer (did you notice how all the racers are young? It's almost as if older people aren't interested in adrenaline or something) whose father disappears.
Hall then finds out about a group of people running a "chop shop" operation, and that those people might have something to do with his father's disappearance. Of course, there is also a romantic side to the story, as well as epic racing scenes, but we'll leave those for you to watch.
Apex: The Story of the Hypercar
Supercars and hypercars are not the same, and once you watch this documentary you'll understand exactly why. This film documents the very creation and initial development of hypercars, and it does that by going through all the people who take part in that creative process.
Car designers, engineers, manufacturers, and even sports journalists get to share their insights about the field and their passions. With a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this film looks like it could appeal to more than common racing fans.
Winning
This 1969 film is not half as famous as it should be, and here is why more people should know about it – let's start with how this was one of the first movies to be realistic when it comes to racing and the passion of the people involved. Then, there is the fact that this film inspired Paul Newman, who stars in it, to start a racing career of his own.
Actually, there is another film called 'Winning', a documentary, which follows Paul Newman's racing career. We can only hope that, for Paul Newman, the whole backstage intrigue depicted in the movie didn't happen in real life.