Bullit vs. The French Connection

dd74 · 10-09-2006, 04:14 PM

I saw both movies back to back. I liked the French Connection much more. Better characters, better story. Popeye was a badged freak even by today's standard, but something has to be said for Frank Bullit's detached coolness.

The car chases? I dunno. A toss up. I got tired of the same green VW bug in the three downhill perspective shots during the Bullit chase. But McQueen hitting the rev limiter in the Mustang with each shift was terrific.

The story? Hmmmm...both were good. I lean toward FC because the characters made it pop a bit better.

Anyway, two absolute classics.

Opinions? Thoughts?

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

If you took the chase from Bullit, and spliced it into FC, I'd be happy.

Seriously they're both strong movies on their own merits, and go a long way to showing the different style of acting and directing. Kind of like asking if I'd like to have the red 930, or the black one.

legion · 10-09-2006, 04:28 PM

Just think, FC was the reason Nixon declared his "war on drugs". Billions of dollars and 30 years later, we're almost winning, we just need more time and money.

strupgolf · 10-09-2006, 05:25 PM

Just seeing the anticipation on McQueens face and the build-up to the chase scene is the best in movies for me. I dont care if there are many of the same cars, the mustang is the best.

Moneyguy1 · 10-09-2006, 05:35 PM

It's always just a little more time and a bit more money.......

Brian 162 · 10-09-2006, 06:10 PM

It's hard to pick which one is better. I hope Hollywood doesn't make a re-make of either film.

DavidI · 10-09-2006, 06:13 PM

I like the character Mac played. He was calm, cool, and collected in Bullit.

David

tabs · 10-09-2006, 06:57 PM

The stuntman/actor who drove the Charger in Bullit was the same guy who did the Chase scene in FC, he also played the Dectective that Popeye killed at the end of the FC.

dd74 · 10-09-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian 162
It's hard to pick which one is better. I hope Hollywood doesn't make a re-make of either film.

Sadly, there's word of a Bullit remake in the pipe works. Probably starring someone of great talent like Brad Pitt. Who knows? I won't see it for the same reasons I wouldn't see the remake of "The Getaway."

1) No McQueen
2) Not directed by Peckinpah.

Remake of The French Connection? There's no way. While McQueen's Frank Bullit is somewhat of a contemporary character, Hackman's Popeye Doyle has the sort of grit that's disappeared from America, IMO. The 40 yr. old studio exec wouldn't even begin to understand a person like Popeye.

Hugh R · 10-09-2006, 08:40 PM

Both were good, FC looked more real in the chase scenes. Gene Hackman is in my mind a better actor. "Did you ever pick your toes in (and I'm going to mispell it) Poquipisi"

Steve Carlton · 10-09-2006, 08:48 PM

dd74 · 10-09-2006, 09:05 PM

The strange thing about the Charger driver pictured above is I think he was also the Fed agent assigned to help Popeye when they were going after the drug importers.

I don't know. Both characters looked similar to me, and I couldn't really find anything in what credits I saw of both movies.

dd74 · 10-09-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh R
"Did you ever pick your toes in (and I'm going to mispell it) Poquipisi"

Yeah, it's hard to spell, especially with how fast Hackman says it: Poughkeepsie is the spelling.

But that "picking your feet" was just sick. I mean, WTF?

Hollywood can't remake that stuff. No way, no how. Can you imagine some clown like Ashton Kutcher being allowed a line like: "When's the last time you picked your feet in Poughkeepsie?"

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Yeah thats Bill Hickman, who was the driver of James Dean's trailer following Dean that fateful day in 1955. One of the guys in this forum knew him, I think Singpilot was his neighbor or something... Hickman was a legendary Hollywood stunt driver who often doubled in small parts as an actor, usually playing a "heavy". I dont know if he was in the French Connection, but it wouldnt be surprising if he was.

(Sonic leaves to do a Yahoo seach on FC and comes back)...

Yeah! Hickman was in FC too. Check this link
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0067116/

Anyway, I thought the car chase in FC was pretty cool...that 70s Oldsmobile wobbling back in forth on those narrow roads trying to chase that train... pretty realistic.

There was something on A&E channel once, where the directors of FC were talking about the car chase and comparing it to the one in Bullet. I think it was a show on great car chases of all time in the movies.

Just about anything that Gene Hackman did in the 70s was great.
I particularly like "The Conversation" with Hackman as an intelligence device salesperson who accidentally taped a conversation that he wasnt supposed to hear. The movie featured a young pre-Shirley Feeny, Cindy Williams as the female lead.

Very underrated gritty 70s movie...as is "3 Days of the Condor" which is a must see as well.

BTW...I think Brad Pitt would be an excellent choice for the new Bullet. He could pull it off, the guy is as versitile of an actor as there is right now...

but...no one could possibly recapture the silent understatement that Steve McQueen pulled off on the screen. Very few actors could carry an entire seen with just his eyes, except McQueen and also Harrison Ford.

dd74 · 10-09-2006, 10:50 PM

Hickman was in the SevenUps, too. There was a helluva car chase in that too.

Friedken evidentally paid off officials in Coney Island to film the car chase scene for FC. The Brooklyn City Commerce wasn't about to let it happen there.

Pitt - yeah, maybe he could pull it off -- partly pull it off. I doubt it though for just what you said about McQueen. Just take all those confrontations with Robert Vaughn (Chalmbers) when he went on about how important he was, and McQueen just looked at him, was terrific.

But the best, I thought, was when McQueen went back to the hotel room where the mob hit took place, and he's looking at the diagram of the shooting, the freeway outside the windows - just looking and thinking - I don't think anyone can pull that off today in such a way as to make it not look like acting.

tabs · 10-10-2006, 12:01 AM

Sean Penn could pull it off...

Steve Carlton · 10-10-2006, 04:34 AM

I think McQueen set the bar pretty high in his own, unique way. Be a shame to try and remake something that's already as good as it's ever going to be, IMHO.

gaijindabe · 10-10-2006, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dd74

Friedken evidentally paid off officials in Coney Island to film the car chase scene for FC. The Brooklyn City Commerce wasn't about to let it happen there.

Yes, it was supposed to be the Bronx, but shot in south Brooklyn. If you have ever driven under those EL tracks - you know they would not move an inch if you hit them..

VINMAN · 10-10-2006, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gaijindabe
Yes, it was supposed to be the Bronx, but shot in south Brooklyn. If you have ever driven under those EL tracks - you know they would not move an inch if you hit them..

Was shot in my old neighborhood. Lived about 400 feet from those tracks.
Remember them filming it, my dad took me to watch.

Brian 162 · 10-10-2006, 04:40 PM

How about Ashton Kutcher as Bullit, and Jennifer Lopez as his girlfriend. I smell Oscar. LMAO!!