What, Exactly, Is a Car Chase?

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  • Posts: 118
    If you include "car with agents tails someone" as in FRWL, every single Bond film including CR '67 and NSNA has a car chase--with cars!
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,331
    If you include "car with agents tails someone" as in FRWL, every single Bond film including CR '67 and NSNA has a car chase--with cars!
    It's been a while, but they're not trying to catch up, are they? Just tailing, so no chase there.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Agreed, @w2bond.

    @TheWizardOfIce: I’m not necessarily against having a car chase be labeled as “one car chasing another” but it seemed a bit limiting. On the other hand, I can certainly see wanting to limit it to that because, if you go by these definitions, the tank chase in GE is technically a car chase, yes? So maybe it really should just be cars chasing cars.
    EDIT: Nevermind. I think our "street-appropriate" requisite takes care of that issue.

    Another part of this definition occurred to me: We should probably mention duration (in terms of screen time). I hate to place an arbitrary number, but perhaps a scene must last a minimum of two (three?) minutes to be considered a car chase? I ask because Bond chasing LeChiffre in CR does, technically, meet all our criteria, but I would be hard-pressed to state that that movie has a car chase – because it’s over in 30 seconds. Thoughts?

    To address your points in order:

    1. I did think about that and wonder if it shouldn't be that if there is a car and some other road vehicle chase Bond must be the one in the car? Personally I would be inclined to hold firm and say it must be cars chasing cars otherwise we risk leaving ourselves wide open to things like the LALD bus/bike/car chase just being labelled a car chase.

    2. Short though it is the CR one is definitely a car chase so I would be rather wary of putting a time limit on it myself.
    If you include "car with agents tails someone" as in FRWL, every single Bond film including CR '67 and NSNA has a car chase--with cars!
    It's been a while, but they're not trying to catch up, are they? Just tailing, so no chase there.

    Seconded. The Bulgarians working for the Russians that tail Bond from the airport scene is definitely not a car chase.
  • Posts: 669
    @TheWizardOfIce: I think you're right that Bond must be in a car.

    Taking these amendments into consideration, I've tweaked the guideline list to read:

    --There must be a “pursuer” and a “pursuee,” and the latter must be consciously trying to stop/harm/capture/kill the former;
    --James Bond (whether he is the pursuer or pursuee) must be in a car, and the other vehicle (if not also a car) must be one whose purpose is also to drive on streets (in other words, a motorcycle or a truck and not a tank or a plane);
    --The vehicles must be driving inappropriately fast for the surroundings or terrain and pushing the limits of what the vehicle is capable of.

  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,331
    I think this works.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    I think this works.

    Seconded.

    I propose we send the bill up to the House of Lords for perusal before it gets added to the statute books

  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Egads! I congratulate you fine gentlemen on deciding what constitutes a car chase.

    *That was sincere, btw!
  • Posts: 676
    --There must be a “pursuer” and a “pursuee,” and the latter must be consciously trying to stop/harm/capture/kill the former;
    This is why that Rome sequence in Spectre doesn't feel like a car chase. They are basically just street racing.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Milovy wrote: »
    --There must be a “pursuer” and a “pursuee,” and the latter must be consciously trying to stop/harm/capture/kill the former;
    This is why that Rome sequence in Spectre doesn't feel like a car chase. They are basically just street racing.
    Yes. They were afraid to scratch either of the cars they just filmed a street race and called it a car chase.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    I think you're right that Bond must be in a car.

    Taking these amendments into consideration, I've tweaked the guideline list to read:

    --There must be a “pursuer” and a “pursuee,” and the latter must be consciously trying to stop/harm/capture/kill the former;
    --James Bond (whether he is the pursuer or pursuee) must be in a car, and the other vehicle (if not also a car) must be one whose purpose is also to drive on streets (in other words, a motorcycle or a truck and not a tank or a plane);
    --The vehicles must be driving inappropriately fast for the surroundings or terrain and pushing the limits of what the vehicle is capable of.

    @PDJamesBond

    I would shorten it to "inappropriately" instead of "inappropriately fast"

  • Posts: 669
    @w2bond: Good call! The word "fast" does seem a bit superfluous, doesn't it?

    I'm so happy that we've actually come up with a working set of guidelines that I really do wish MI6 had some sort of House of Lords that we could pass this on to!
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited June 2016 Posts: 9,117
    @w2bond: Good call! The word "fast" does seem a bit superfluous, doesn't it?

    I'm so happy that we've actually come up with a working set of guidelines that I really do wish MI6 had some sort of House of Lords that we could pass this on to!

    The first piece of post Brexit legislation = The Car Chase Act 2016!

    See we are taking back control of our laws already. Do other EU countries have a recognised standard for car chases? I think not.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,331
    At least an act that is useful and mkes sense, instead of all those EU rules...
  • Posts: 669
    To be honest, @CommanderRoss, I'm not entirely sure how useful it is :))
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,331
    To be honest, @CommanderRoss, I'm not entirely sure how useful it is :))
    that was the point ;-)

    anyway, it was fun, which makes it useful in that respect..

  • Posts: 669
    To be honest, @CommanderRoss, I'm not entirely sure how useful it is :))
    that was the point ;-)

    anyway, it was fun, which makes it useful in that respect..

    Ahaaa! You'd think I would have picked up on the sarcasm, but apparently I was in a very literal mood when I read that!
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    So, taking the exhaustive list compiled on page 3 of this thread, can that now be condensed down to an official car chase list, and maybe then compile a second list covering non- car chases in the series.
    And then, we all applaud and go home.
  • Posts: 669
    NicNac wrote: »
    So, taking the exhaustive list compiled on page 3 of this thread, can that now be condensed down to an official car chase list, and maybe then compile a second list covering non- car chases in the series.
    And then, we all applaud and go home.

    I think the "definitive car chase list" is one that TheWizardOfIce can tackle, since he wrote the original. If not, I'll write it up. I'll get started on the second "non car chase" list as well.
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