Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Hey guys, if you want to REALLY enjoy this flick, watch the horrific remake first. You had to be young in the mid 70's to remember the hype that went with this flick. A total B-Grader that had audiences (including me and my 19 year old wife) queued up around the block.

Considering its microscopic budget, H B Halicki delivered precisely what audiences wanted to see - truck loads of cars smashed up! No more no less! No-one handed over their (then) $5 expecting to see Sir Laurence Olivier do Hamlet, they just wanted some serious fender-bending and this they got!

Admittedly I suspect most people who own the video or DVD these days fast-forward to the actual 40 minute chase each time they load it up. I am actually watching it as I compose this critique! (Right at the sequence at the end where Harley pulls off the big swapperoo at the car wash!) Absolute stand-outs are the incredible smash on the freeway when Halicki takes out the power pole at 80 mph plus and the unimproved-upon final scene as the Mach-1 leaps several cars at the intersection. That shot, lovingly photographed from multiple slow-motion camera angles was worth the ticket price alone. The climactic scene in the 2000 version is just plain wimpy!

The plotline for the film is remarkably simple. Man steals cars for a living! For trivia fans who may NOT know. H. B. Halicki died during a stunt filming the sequel GONE IN 60 SECONDS : THE JUNKMAN which features arguably the greatest car stunt of all time. (Sorry, not telling!!)

Fmovies: Most movie buffs will be more familar with the remade version starring Nicholas Cage. This movie however is so different and far far away from the remake. The format is the same. Very slow moving for its first segment with lots of jumping around and pointless scenes which have no relation to the plot and a minimum amount of dialogue. The finale of the movie is probably the ultimate in car chase scenes in history. A lenghty car chase with many smash ups on involving police cars. ( these were real members of the public who agreed to appear in the movie, but the cars were specifically bought, 150 in total) is a joy to watch and reminiscent of an episode of TV series "CHIPS".

Worth a look for those who want to make a comparison to the recent movie or those into high automative thrills so to speak. I like it beacuse it was so badly acted, so bad that it becomes enjoyable hokum. The DVD which I rented of this a few months ago while in Canada has behind the scenes footage which is worthy of note. Look out also for Gone in Seconds 2 made in 1982 starring Christopher Stone

Background: Because I am nearly deaf, I depend upon videos and DVDs that are captioned or have subtitles. Most videos made within the past 10 years have captions and DVDs often offer BOTH of these capabilities. As you probably have guessed, I do not go to movie theaters to see a movie because I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Over the years, I have garnered an extensive collection of both videos and DVDs. All of them either captioned or having subtitles.

Current: My introduction to this movie was inspired after renting the 2000 DVD with Nickolas Cage, which I though was a terrific movie. While searching for the 1974 H.B. Halicki video, I found that it was not captioned, so I was thrilled to recently find the 25th Anniversary DVD which was released in 2000, assuming that it would at least have subtitles. Surprisingly, it is neither captioned NOR does it have subtitles. Unfortunately, I did not realize this until I attempted to view the movie. I could not return it because I had opened the package. What a disappointment.

I could not understand the dialogue and was a bit confused as to why the heist team ended up destroying the cars, I decided to check the plot at IMDb. It told me of a different reason for all of the cars being stolen as compared to the 2000 version, and that was helpful. Thank you, IMDb! So I decided to watch it anyway, because I was looking forward to the final chase scene, which had been described as even better than the N, Cage 2000 remake.

I loved this movie - EVEN IN SILENCE! I really enjoyed seeing the fashions from the 70's, hilarious as they now seem to me. Did I really dress that way? Yes! Seeing the older cars was wonderfully nostalgic. And the heist methods were ingenious. The final chase scene was terrific. Although I couldn't understand the dialogue, I laughed in a few places that seemed comic to me. Possibly not hearing what was being said made the movie even more enjoyable than it really was.

I recommend this movie very highly, even as a silent film.

Gone in 60 Seconds fmovies. It's fun to see cars get stolen and smashed throughout the movie, even the 40-minute conclusion up to the film's surprise ending. There really hasn't been a truly unique car-smashing movie like this ever since it was first released. This one rates a 10 on the fun scale!

It's amazing what could be done with a tiny budget and no digital effects. I watched this after having seen the trashy remake, and expected a similar degree of dumb wisecracks and hackneyed sub-plots.

I was impressed, however, to discover real talent behind the camera. The plot is simple: a car thief has to steal 40 fancy cars in a very short time. Using a combination of skill, insider knowledge of the insurance business and just sheer brass, the protagonist and his pals start their automotive harvest. Everything seems done and taken care of, when everything goes to hell at the last moment, leading to what surely be the longest car chase put to film.

The best thing about this movie is its low-budget feel. Many of the early scenes are almost mimed, with voices overdubbed later; you don't see actual dialogue, just hear it on top of the action. But as things progress, it begins to show more polish, and by the time we get to the big chase, you get what appears to be the entire 7th Cavalry Division in squad cars chasing one li'l yellow Mustang.

A very smart touch during the big chase was to frequently cut to the aftermath of car crashes, with wounded cops and civilians being dragged from burning cars and hustled away in ambulances -- it added an edge to the film, to show there are actually consequences to these actions (and how often is that shown on the big screen?).

Aside from the marvelously-choreographed action sequences, there are many moments of great wit, which I won't describe so's not to spoil them.

All in all, a brilliant piece of film-making, made not with glitz, glamor, star-power or special effects -- just sheer talent (and pretty cars, o'course!).

In this day of "so called" independent film making, the majority of

which is backed by big studio money and ruined by the meddling

of "suits", it's so refreshing to see a truly independent film! "Gone

In 60 Seconds" was written, produced, directed and distributed by

the same man, H.B. Halicki, who also stars AND did most of the

stunt driving! This is truly a film the likes of which we will never see

again, thanks to our over-protective, sue-happy, society of wimps

and victims. Several comments are made about the acting in this

film. I would say that for none of the cast being professionals, they

handled themselves very well. And as for this being Halicki's first

film as a director, he must've known a few things and/or had some

great tech people working with him because the film is cut

together so wonderfully. Then too there is the sheer guilty

pleasure of see cars obliterated. I wish I could've seen this on the

big screen. So, if you're looking for a film with a lot of meaning,

skip this one. If you just want to enjoy a well crafted little film, and

see lots of Plymouth police cars get crunched--run out and get

GONE IN 60 SECONDS (but drive safely, please)!