17 Mar 06
What is it about movie car chases that makes them so compelling? Do we want to be behind the wheel of cars that recklessly careen about on the screen, or is there some kind of catharsis going on, watching others risking their necks (and some severe doses of whiplash)?
Whatever the psychology of them, movie car chases are often the most memorable aspect of a film - and are sometimes the only reason a film is remembered long after its release date. After all, Bullitt is a decent film, but if it weren't for that car chase, it would probably only be thought of as a fairly unremarkable late-60s policier.
Jesse Crosse has made a study of the art of the movie car chase, which led to him writing The Greatest Movie Car Chases of All Time - and it pretty much does as it says on the tin
