Go see RUSH

Niki Lauda & James Hunt

Since the news spread some 2 years ago that Two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard would be making a movie about Formula One racing in the 1970's, motorsport fans around the World have been anxiously waiting to see it. And so have I.

The movie portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed—handsome English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. Below you can watch a trailer.



Saturday I had the chance to go see it and I can honestly say that "Rush" is the best racing movie I have seen since the Ayrton Senna documentary and of course, Steve McQueen's epic movie "Le Mans".

So, go see it, and take your friends and families with you. The more the movie grosses, the greater the chance that studios will fund this type of movie genre. Go see it, if only to see Olivia Wilde on the big screen! Click here to go to Curacao's "The Cinemas" page.

Also on this blog, more on "Rush": Ron filming on the ring and Rush - The Movie.

Thanks for reading.

RUSH - The Movie

Just last weekend as I watched the legendary movie "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen, and I wondered why no one had made a similar in quality race movie in more than thirty years. Not that its bad, just that it has been so long since race fans had something good to watch.

Having said that, thousands of race fans and yours truly hope that Ron Howard's film "Rush" will be what we have been waiting for. The two-time Academy Award winner teamed up with Peter Morgan to produce this spectacular big screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt (aka Bad Boy) and Niki Lauda and the 1976 crash that almost cost Lauda's life.

Below the official trailer of the much awaited race movie.


The epic action-drama revolves around the two very distinct and contrasting characters of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the race track were monumental to say the least.

Based on a true story, the movie portrays the exhilarating story of two of the greatest rivals (a la Senna-Prost) the racing world has ever witnessed, on one side the handsome English playboy Hunt and on the other the methodical and brilliant Lauda. The movie follows the drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance.

Ladies and Gents, mark your calendar for September 20, 2013 is the scheduled release date for Rush in the U.S.A.

Thanks for reading and see you at the movies.

Photo credit: Collider.com

Le Mans - Steve McQueen's movie

Last weekend I received the latest issue of RTL GP (#4/2011). Thanks Mrs. P.

Browsing through it I came across one of my favourite topics, the endurance race of Le Mans. The article in question was about the filming of the movie by Steve McQueen called "Le Mans". The article is called "Niet te filmen" which loosely translates to "impossible to film". The article is about Steve's intention to make the best race film ever, but how the making of the film quickly turned difficult. 
Even though I did not like what I read, it was very educational. I didn't know that Steve raised himself without parents and that this led him to behave in a child-like manner. He was also egocentric and had a constant need of proving himself to others. In this case it was to professional race car drivers, such as Derek Bell. 
The article has a series of short opinions of those who were on set. I think it is best for me to translate a few and you be the judge.

Jabby Crombac, at the time a race reporter hired as a consultant:
"We ate breakfast at the Hotel Moderne in Le Mans. Steve ordered bacon and eggs and told the waiter he wanted two of each. I asked him: "Are you that hungry?" He replied: "No. But I was very poor and often went without eating. So now that I can I want as much food around me. It makes me feel good."

Derek Bell, driver commenting on the movable camera's mounted on the back of his 917, which were used to film the passing of cars at high speed:
"The first time that I went out and tried that contraption, as the camera began to move around, the nose of the car lifted of the pavement. I was doing some 100 mph and I could no longer steer the car. It was really frightening."


Steve McQueens' reaction to being given an ultimatum by the chiefs of Cinema Center, regarding the film that was long overdue and over budged. You can either stop filming or you can finish it, but without your $750K salary and your cut of the profits:
"We don't need a script, it's all in my head."

Elga Anderson, co-star (Swedish-born) and her thoughts on Steve:
"I found him to be quite a complicated man that did his very best to grow up."


Steve McQueen, on Elga, and how she got the job after they had been filming for 6 weeks and the first candidate Diana Rigg cancelled. 
"You haven't slept with the director. You haven't slept with the producer. You have slept with me. How in hell did you get this job?"

Derek Bell, driver, commenting on the prank he and Jo Siffert pulled on Steve while filming the race sequence. They had boxed Steve in and taken the bend at the white house and top speed: 
"His face was as white as the balaclava he was wearing. But at no point did he lift his foot of the gas pedal or make a mess of it. He could have backed off and gone slower through Maison Blanche, but he stayed with us. Afterwards he said in shivering voice: "Don't you ever pull that shit on me again!""


All of the racing scenes from the movie, 1 of 2.


Racing scenes, 2 of 2.

In my mind, Steve McQueen's own way of making this movie may have cost him his marriage, his fortune and his reputation. However, more than 40 years later there has yet to be a better racing film made.

I am so looking forward to attending this race again. The last time I was there, in 1998, I didn't know half as much as I do know.



video courtesy of Sportscararchives