Ok American Graffitti & Hollywood Knight what else

Well, I got to agree with that and disagree, the era was great, though the muscle car era really started in 64, and as far as I was concerned, the muscle cars kind of ruined it. Until they came along the fast cars were hot rods built the old way, and usually driven by more experienced drivers. When muscle cars became available to everyone, a lot of them ended up in the wrong hands which lead to unbelievable carnage. But the worst part was that many of the guys who wanted to go fast stopped building cool cars and started buying factory shit, and cruisin' began to become more and more boring, and the unique owner built hot rods began to disappear.
And anyone who doesn't get AG just wasn't there. There's almost a home movie quality to it that would have been ruined by a bigger budget. AG was a masterpiece I believe partly by design and partly by fortunate chance, and like fine wine it gets better with age, and someday, should be shown in every American high school history class as an example of the highest point in American history. I raised 2 kids, and I wish they could have grown up then, and every time they see AG, they say the same thing.

 

That's why I posted "No offense to anybody", Big Dad.. In '62, I was finishing 7th grade so I'm not exacty a spring chicken at 56. Just because my opinion of American Grafitti...nothing played out that way here in Ohio, differs from everybody else's here, doesn't make me a bitchy old broad...or does it?

Sorry to everybody.....

Jan

 

Don't apologize, you're 56 and didn't get to experience it, that's a real shame. For me that movie is a time machine
BTW,
has anybody seen the insurance commercial with the kids doing a "Chinese fire drill"? We actually used to do silly stuff like that!

 

HOW'BOUT HOTROD MUSIC? Like a little model A with a lincoln motor or TRAMPLED UNDER FOOT!

 

anyone mention "return to macon county"?

 

I just remembered another movie after reading some comments about Hollywood Knights being an American Graffiti knock-off.

A failry recent movie called 'There goes my baby" (I think that's the title?). This movie is a rip-off of both American Graffit and Hollywood Knights. You can watch the movie and kow exactly what the next scene will be.

 

Until they came along the fast cars were hot rods built the old way
I disagree. Some of my high school friends built (not bought) some pretty fast cars. Maybe they didn't scrounge junk yards for old parts but they still built some fine cars. Including sbc in a Volkswagen Beetle.
As to scrounging junk yards I can't tell you how many Ford and Chevy transmissions we pulled from wrecking yards for parts or replacements...those weren't for muscle cars.

There's almost a home movie quality to it that would have been ruined by a bigger budget. AG was a masterpiece I believe partly by design and partly by fortunate chance, and like fine wine it gets better with age, and someday, should be shown in every American high school history class as an example of the highest point in American history

The film was about George Lucas' last day(s) of the summer of 1962 in his hometown Modesto California (Where I presently live). The Modesto area has a long tradition of hot rodding and Amercan Graffitti has kept it growing. For a snapshot of what goes on around here every summer regarding cars and hotrods go here: http://www.rocknrod.com/photmain.htm

 

American Graffittii was actually the first film I ever seen at the theatre at age three. Its one of my earliest memories I can recall probably due for the fact my parents and I sat through two back-to-back screenings since my dad was 'floored' by it. To say the least it has been more than a bit of inflluence on my love of the car culture that along with fond memories of others films of the period like 'the Love Bug' and 'Chtty-Chitty-Bang-Bang'.
My dad always raved about it being dead-on and there was no reason to doubt it since I did the same things in the 80's with just different music and camaros and chevettes (much to my disappointment) instead of leadsleads and deuces-its all relative.
George Lucas (director of A.G.) would surely have a hand in futher shaping the imagination of generation Xers with Star Wars later on which propelled many like myself to draw Darth Vader, X-wings, and Tie fighters like they would never go out of style. After my dad found out both movies had the same creator, he became a little bit more acommidating with all the Star Wars hype I made him endure.
Interestingly, the AG soundtrack album is the only recording that has been in the family at one time or another in all formats 8-track, vinyl, cassette, and cd. The fold out pinup record sleeve got hung on my wall more than a couple of times through the years and probably influenced my early 'interest' in drawing pinup...no..wait..no, it was Oh,Wicked Wanda in the stash of Penthouse hid in the basement. Ha Ha

 

I don't if I over looked it, but I can't believe Vanishing Point hasn't been mentioned.

There is also ones like Hot Rods To Hell. Tommy Ivo was in a couple. One of them was called Ghosts of Dragstrip Road or something like that. There were tons of old JD B movies with cars and bikes.

 

Jeesh. "I don't know" and I believe it is Ghosts Of Dragstrip Hollow.

 

Susan George was in "Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry" with Peter Fonda. The one with Lynda Carter topless was "Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw", some decent car chases. The one with Adrienne Barbeau topless was "Swamp Thing". She was also in "The Cannonball Run".

 

As a kid that graduated high school in 1963 from Artesia H S Artesia, Ca. the AG movie was dead on (other then there would have been more cars with white wall tires). I cruised Bellflower Blvd. Bellflower, Firestone Blvd. Downey, Tweedy Blvd. South Gate, Whittier Blvd. Whittier.
You want to see cool rods and kustoms check out the Beach Movie series of Annette and Frankie of the early 1960's.

 

Oh yeah. Beatnik Bandit was in one of those. That same one had some road racing footage from Riverside. Cool stuff.

 

Tell me about it

 

i've been buying some hot rod movies from this web-site, maybe this will help! a lot of 32's and messages from the adult's about street racing is bad !

http://www.thevideobeat.com/

 

I agree with Joe on this one.
Not the greatest acting but some incredible traditional car footage.
It's worth watching if you can find it.

Oh, and Ron, we used to pull "Chinese Fire Drills" all the time! I haven't thought about that in a long time...

 

and another i just thought of. "sometimes they come back"
not exactly a hotrod movie but its got a bitchin 55 chevy in it full
of zombie greasers and perfect flame throwers.......

 

This is not a hot rod movie, but its a very good lowrider movie called "Boulevard Nights", I believe it takes place on Whitter Blvd. in Whitter, Ca. I think it can be ordered on DVD at any movie store.

"Drive a cool short - make mine a kustom"

Cruiser 49

 

Is that IVO's T in the beginning of the Lively Set? Yes, the acting is bad in it, but what a gearhead! Probably the first Turbine P.R. that Chrysler did.

 

Funny, nobody has mentioned Corvette Summer, or did I miss it? My sister dated the guy that built that car. I remember walking home from school in Ohio and seeing that Vette in my driveway. The guy told me about the moving coming out about the car.

 

crazy larry and dirty mary

 

Nobody has mentioned Christine yet?! The '58 Fury is the best lookin' car in that movie but there is also Buddy Repperton's silver Camaro and Arnie's friend, Dennis's Charger. Sad to think about how many of those Furys bit the dust during the making of that flick.

Adios,

Scott

 

www.varaces.com has all the movies....

 

Remember the 'Deathmobile' that was in Animal House?

 

Ramming speed! Ha ha! I love that movie. "Back To The Future" has a lot of old cars too.

 

Here's a cool site on the Better off Dead Camaro,
http://www.betteroffdeadcamaro.com/

 

another one i thought of, its not a movie but its great.
it was a tales from the crypt episode called "king of the road"
bradd pitt drivin a chevelle and the old drag racer turned cop gettin challenged to rac to save his daughter, so he gets out his old 57 chevy,
BLACK no front bumper, THE CAR WAS TITS!!
i cant find a copy of it anywhere though.....

 

obviously...

 

First off Graffiti Is the Best! Now a couple I didnt see on the list
1 More American Graffiti (not great but some cool dragstrip stuff)
2 Gone in 60 seconds (gotta like a good car chase/crash)
3 The Giant Gila Monster (old rods before they were real old)
4 Hot Rod Girl (see Chuck Conners)
5 The California Kid (see the Graffiti Coupe engine and speedo)
6 Used Cars (funny with tons of mid 70's cars and bare t!ts)

 

A few mentions have been made of one of my favorites.



Great cars, hot girl and bad acting. It has it all.