Urban Gear Works

Over the next twelve days, Urban Gear Works will be posting a wish list for the auto industry. For Day Five, there's a slight detour into the land of cinema:

More Car Movies: Rush, Go Like Hell, and Snake & Mongoose

2010's outstanding documentary Senna by Asif Kapadia proved that American audiences would, in fact, pay attention to a film about F1 racing. Composed entirely of archival footage, Senna also proved that motor racing could provide more than enough excitement and drama without resorting to a fictional script.

Now, Ron Howard (himself a major figure in the history of automotive cinema) has put his name behind Rush, a film detailing the razor-edged, nearly fatal rivalry between Formula One legends Niki Lauda and James Hunt. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, the plot won't be recounted here, but it should suffice to say that, like that of Ayrton Senna, this is a story that needs no Hollywood embellishment. Already in post-production, this film made the wish list because of what its success could mean for other films.

One of those other films is Go Like Hell. Based on A. J. Baime's excellent book (recommended reading for anyone who loves racing) by the same name, Go Like Hell is the story of the clash between motorsports titans Enzo Ferrari, Henry Ford and Carroll Shelby. When Enzo Ferrari snubbed Henry Ford's attempt to purchase the firm that bore his name, Ford turned to Shelby to construct a racing program that would beat Ferrari in the most grueling of competitions: the 24 Hours of LeMans. Michael Mann, director of critical and box-office successes like Collateral and The Last of the Mohicans, has been picked to direct the film adaptation. Sadly, the last news reports on Go Like Hell indicate that the project is on temporary hold, awaiting the success or failure of Rush. The book was a page turner, and the movie simply needs to be made.

Finally, in a completely different part of the racing spectrum, we have Snake & Mongoose. The story of 70's funny car racers Don Prudhomme ("The Snake") and Tom McEwen ("The Mongoose"), this film is already generating buzz despite lacking the big name endorsement of the two previously mentioned. For as much fun as drag racing is to participate in or watch live, making nine seconds in a straight line interesting is no easy task. Urban Gear Works is eagerly awaiting the finished product!

Read Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four