Ebert review of Cars, mentions Studebakers

Decent enough review, but I think Ebert missed the point of Doc Hudson's having "retired" to Radiator Springs. Wife and I saw the movie last night on a big digital screen during opening weekend and it's just great. I'd encourage everyone to go see it; it far exceded my expectations.

As for the review, the car "Doc Hudson" had bittersweet memories of having to "quit at the top of his game," as he says in the movie. He tells Lightning, "I didn't leave them; they left me." The movie correctly emphasizes Hudson's prowness as a dirt-track racer, not as a straight-line drag race car, as Ebert implies.

The movie "CARS" was unusually well-researched, it would appear, and the Hudson portrayal is pleasantly dead-on accurate. That's an appreciated change from the editorial sloppiness that usually characterizes these efforts. Through the Hudson club magazine, I learned that they researched an accurately-built Hornet race car clone for the movie, and recorded it's unique 7X Race Engine sound for the movie...it's cool!

Go see it...and take your kids or grandkids. It's a fine introduction to 1950s Americana, presented such that even the youngest generations will enjoy it. Look for Studebakers, too, and report if you see any. I didn't, but the movie is fast-paced and there are characters of many

1950s cars all over the place, so I'm not saying there are no Studebakers in it at all. Ebert is correct, though; there are no prominent Studebakers. BP

There's lots of cool little snippets in that movie. I particularly enjoyed the mountain range towering over Radiator Springs, it's a close facsimile of the Cadillac Range in Texas. The landforms were interesting also--most appeared as the doghouses of cars complete with hood ornaments.

The Twin-H-Power decal on the hood of Doc Hudson was a nice touch.

I would have never caught this, but read where the spark plugs that light up outside Flo's are the actual firing sequence of a flathead F*rd V8.

Fun stuff!

Mark

65 Cruiser snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Well, Bob. Going by your personal review, it might be worth going to see right away. I havn't set foot in a movie theatre in almost 20 years; refusing to pay for high admission, overpriced concessions, and sticky floors. I've always waited for a good show to come out on video or, now, DVD to see in it comfort of my own living room. I'll have to see if my accumulated iCoke points are valid for CARS.

Craig.

Wouldn't that be a hoot Craig...... The first movie theater you've been to in decades, and it's another cartoon that got you to go in ..

Well, Bob. Going by your personal review, it might be worth going to

Now that I think about it, I DID go to a movie theater 10 years ago...to see three hours of Bugs Bunny! But it was at one of the 3 remianing independent movie theatres here that aren't aligned with any of the national chains. If I remember right, the admission price and the concessions weren't priced out of sight either. Biggest price I paid after watch three hours of Bugs Bunny was a sore stomach, and trying to breathe for two days afterwards. The 'indies' are the ones that do get my support.

Craig

Roger did own a Avanti years ago..Wonder if he still has it? He was on Johnny Carson along with Siskle sevral yeara ago and always talked about his Avanti and Studebakers in general.

The wife and I went on Friday afternoon to the senior matinee. Granted it is a movie aimed at kids, but the adults will notice many snippets of culture and opinion thrown in. The digital work is outstanding (ex.- reflections in paint, ripples in water, the mountain ranges that look like coffin nosed Cords and off course the Cadillac Ranch mountain range). If you go, you have to stay and watch every last credit and visual effect especially the VW flies.

It's a goodin' Dustybob

He also had a '57 Golden Hawk...

JT

mcavanti wrote:

>

Ah-ha, that explains his reference. Thx Alex!

Er, JT, thx

Pixar uaually does do plenty of research and is quite meticulous in their animation detail, that's one thing that many people are/were afraid would be lost with the Disney merger but it sounds like they will still have pretty much a free hand to make movies the way they have been as an indipendant and will also be resurecting part of the Disney hand drawn animation studio to boot.

Garry Hallgren a few yrs ago was working on a clay-mation project featuring Studebakers. As a gift, he gave me the prototype of one of the cars

are a nuber of these, that he made, a 50 Starlight, a Scotsman and I believe an Avanti.

Bill