GRAND PRIX (1966)

Centering around a fictionalized version of the 1966 Formula One season GRAND PRIX tells the story of four drivers and all of their adventures both on and off the race track.  Of course you got the expected girl troubles and rivalries, but all of that stuff is only so-so.  The main attraction here is the racing scenes!  Filmed in 70mm with cameras actually strapped to race cars going fast as fuck it's almost enough to take your breath away.  I bet people who saw this in a proper theater back in 1966 couldn't believe their eyes.  I know I couldn't and I ended up watching all of the racing scenes multiple times.

James Garner is an American driver looking to make a comeback but when some gearbox trouble inadvertently leads to the injury of another driver he does the only honorable thing and starts sleeping with injured guys wife.  At the same time French driver Yves Montand is cheating on his wife with a reporter (Eva Marie Saint).  There's as a young Italian driver, but he's pretty boring, even though his girlfriend is hot as fook! 

Toshiro Mifune speaking in English (even though his lines are dubbed), Jessica Walter looking young and sexy, great title sequence by Saul Bass, Yves Montand speaking in English, James Garner doing all of his own driving, nice musical score, strong direction by John Frankenheimer.  I really enjoyed GRAND PRIX and even the melodrama between the races wasn't so bad thanks to believable acting and the beautiful photography.

GOING APE! (1981)

The owner of a popular circus dies. He leaves his prized orangutans (three of them) to his adult son, Tony Danza. He also leaves $5 million with the stipulation that if any of the three orangutans die then the money goes to a local evil zoological society. Naturally, the evil zoological society hires some bumbling assassins to murder one of the apes. All kinds of wacky hijinks ensue like people falling off a building into a large fountain, car chases and a food fight.

If you’re already familiar with early 1980’s comedies, then you probably have a pretty good idea what you’re gonna get with a (family?) movie called GOING APE! Zero nudity, cheap laughs, average acting, dumb as hell story, moderate pace. Overall, the entire thing is just kinda blah. I found my handsome brain wandering a lot. Also, I really disliked the scene with the younger orangutan tied to a log and going towards a large saw blade. I know that it’s acting, but still, this is a comedy and the image of a baby going towards a saw upset me.

Worth watching, I guess, if you’re interested in earlier stuff by Danny DeVito or Jessica Walter, but I just found it forgettable. I did enjoy the vintage Los Angeles scenery and the multiple familiar faces in supporting roles including Al Leong, Ted White, Frank Sivero, and Art Metrano.