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Gone in 60 Seconds [VHS]
 
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Gone in 60 Seconds [VHS] (1974)

H.B. Halicki , Marion Busia , H.B. Halicki  |  PG |  VHS Tape
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)


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Product Details

  • Actors: H.B. Halicki, Marion Busia, Jerry Daugirda, James McIntyre, George Cole
  • Directors: H.B. Halicki
  • Writers: H.B. Halicki
  • Producers: H.B. Halicki
  • Format: Color, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Number of tapes: 1
  • Studio: Bci / Eclipse
  • VHS Release Date: November 28, 2000
  • Run Time: 105 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000055ZNI
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,018 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When car nut and aspiring B movie maverick H.B. "Toby" Halicki released his debut film, he gave top billing to his car, a yellow 1973 Ford Mustang named Eleanor. That's a good indication of Halicki's priorities in the original car-crunching, tire-squealing drive-in classic Gone in 60 Seconds. Halicki wrote, produced, starred, and did all of his own extraordinary stunt driving in the picture, the story of a career car thief who makes a deal to steal 48 cars for an overseas smuggler. OK, it's not Shakespeare. The plot is perfunctory at best, and Halicki's all thumbs when it comes to directing his wooden cast, but he gives a crash course in the mechanics of the car-theft biz and tops it off with one of the greatest car chases of all time: a 40-minute finale that roars through five Los Angeles-basin towns and destroys 93 cars in the process. It's a masterpiece of stunt driving, down-and-dirty photography, and sharp, furious cutting; the unsung hero of the picture is editor Warner Leighton, who paces the film perfectly and never lets it stall. Forget the messy Nicolas Cage in-name-only remake, this is outlaw auto cinema at its purest. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

You ve seen all the chase films - now see the one that started it all. A runaway theatrical hit in 1974 GONE IN 60 SECONDS defined the genre of the car chase film and became an instant classic. Now it s back - fully restored and digitally remastered. The Assignment: to steal 48 luxury cars and sport vehicles. The Challenge: avoid getting caught! When the cops finally catch up with master thief Pace Maindrain he rocks them through a 40-minute full-throttle chase wrecking half of Los Angeles making his escape. With unstoppable action and edge of your seat suspense Gone In 60 Seconds slams you on a rocket ride you ll never forget!System Requirements:Written directed by and starring: H.B. "Toby" Halicki. Running Time: 98 Min. Color. Copyright 1974 c H.B. Halicki Productions.Format: VHS MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG UPC: 741027117110


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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
174 of 192 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
First of all, I love this movie. I was quite surprised to discover it's release on DVD, and needless to say, I grabbed it. There is no doubt that this disc is loaded with extras, but sadly, the claim that the film has been "fully restored" is extremely misleading. The advantage of these review forums, is to provide insight, from someone who has already bought the product, to those interested. And, that's what I'm here to do.

Here are the DVD's special features, as listed: LETTERBOXED PRESENTATION (1.85:1), REMASTERED SOUNDTRACK (in Dolby 5.1 and DTS), NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE, AUDIO COMMENTARY: Jack Vacek (Cinematographer) and Warner Leighton (Editor), 3 TRAILERS (The original theatrical trailers for "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" and "THE JUNKMAN", and another for the remastered version of "GONE IN 60 SECONDS"), EXTENSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTO GALLERY, DVD-ROM CAPABILITIES, INTRODUCTION with Denice Halicki (H.B. Halicki's widow) and "Eleanor".

Sounds very enticing, right? That's what I thought. Hell, to be honest, I really didn't care about the extras, as long as I could get H.B. Halicki's original classic on DVD! Naturally, I immediately put the DVD in. Then, my dissapointment began.

Now, what the packaging WON'T tell you, and what I'm about to, is that this isn't, in fact, a "fully restored" version of the film, but rather, one that has been doctored. Unfortunately, the entire film has been RE-SCORED with crappy music, supposedly aimed at "updating" this classic film, thereby dumping ALL the music from the original cut. Yep, the catchy opening title "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" tune is gone, along with the "SUPERMAN" tune, and everything else, as well. Needless, to say, I am very disappointed. Why do people feel the need to mess with movies, like they do? I don't think H.B. Halicki would have been proud with what his widow has done with the rights to the film, so far.

I probably wouldn't have minded this DVD release, if it had offered the original mono soundtrack on a separate audio channel, like most other remastered DVD's offer. Then, I would have been fine with it, as long as I could have the version I wanted to see. Instead, anyone with hopes to get a brand new copy on either DVD or video of this classic car theft film, in it's original format, are pretty much screwed. And, that's too bad. So, my advice is to stick with the original out-of-print MEDIA Home Entertainment release. Believe me, that tape will still be in great demand for years to come.

One more thing, there is a website: www.gonein60seconds.com. Perhaps, this would be a great place for true fans of the film to file their complaints. And, who knows, maybe someday we will see the original version released in a respective manner on DVD.

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88 of 97 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
First of all, I've loved this movie since I was 6 years old. My mom and dad saw it in the cinema -- more than once -- while they were dating in 1974. To say the least, this title holds special significance in my whole family. Which is why it's great to see it re-released on both VHS and DVD for all to enjoy.

For those of you who, like me, have every scene, every line, every sound effect of the original movie committed to memory, you will be shocked when you play the "remastered" version. For one thing, the picture is beautiful. It's never looked so good. And the soundtrack has never sounded so good, either -- because it's been completely redone from scratch. That's the other thing. The sound effects are all new. Gone are the authentic, live-recorded engine sounds, tire screeches, and other hard effects. Gone also is the original music, including my favorite tune, "I Do Hope The Man Doesn't Catch Me", and the title song, "Gone In Sixty Seconds". For someone looking for a true re-release of the authentic, original film, this is disappointing. But for me, someone who already owns an original copy of the old MEDIA videotape release of the film, I see this remastered version just as a fun modernization of one of my favorite flicks.

The new sound effects are beautiful. I am a sound designer among other things, and some of the new crashes and guttural V8 engine sounds made me drool. They may not be true-to-life anymore, but they are great in their own right. It's almost surreal, seeing all these old muscle cars, but hearing crystal-clear digital stereo effects. By contrast, the disturbingly mono original dialogue track underlaid beneath them sounds almost ridiculous! Fortunately, there is no need for much talking during the 40-minute chase, easily the highlight of the film.

In short, to really enjoy the remastered version of Gone In 60 Seconds, you've got to take it for what it is -- a modern "refreshment" of the original film. It's been remixed to appeal more to the same young crowd who enjoyed the 2000 remake with Nicholas Cage. If you are a true Gone In 60 Seconds fan, however, don't stop here. Go in search of the original 1974 film in all its glory, on its original video cassette. A true fan must indeed have both, for the audio differences between the two versions are so distinct, you could almost consider them two separate films.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Looks Great, Sounds Awful January 28, 2001
Format:DVD
Like the early CD releases of classic albums, sometimes technology gets a little overzealous and tries to re-invent something that doesn't need re-inventing. Unfortunately the DVD release of Gone In Sixty Seconds is about the worst example I've seen yet of the phenomenon, taking the bottom spot away from the botched remixes of all the old ZZTop albums of the 70's. This is a five star film for me, one of the ten greatest films of the seventies. A DVD edition should be a boon to all fans of the film, and while it does provide some insights with the director's commentary and the additional features, for some reason the "restorers" seemed to be trying to compete with the new (and extremely mediocre) Nicholas Cage version of the film. The totally redone musical sound track is utterly awful. It doesn't fit anything in the film at all, doesn't befit a film of the 1970's, and stomps all over some wonderfully scored moments in the original. Even the title theme song has vanished, replaced by an electronic mumbo-jumbo that sounds as if it was lifted from a bargain porno film. The plusses are that the movie can be seen for the first time in letterbox format, the visual looks fabulous, and the commentary and extras are interesting, but I was so disgusted with the opening scene I immediately jumped ahead to discover that the entire sound track had been doctored. This is not a restoration, it's just a mess. I am still hoping for, and waiting for, a true DVD restoration of the film. I doubt if we'll see a Dolby surround-sound version of "Citizen Kane" any time soon... heck even my kids know that high-tech sound wasn't around back then and certainly not on Halicki's budget. Some films, horrific as it may sound, were actually recorded in monophonic! This DVD release is as much of an insult to the original as if Hank Williams Jr, Garth Brooks, and Barbara Mandrell re-did all of the songs in Robert Altman's Nashville. It is an insult to the fans of this film who have kept it alive all these years. My pan n' scan VHS copy is in a safe place for now, just in case I want to see the real thing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Greatest Car Crash Movie Ever Made
The original Gone in 60 Seconds is not many things. It's not a technical masterpiece. It's not a showcase of great acting. It's not a big budget major studio production. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Hank Peace
Original Gone in 60 Seconds
I really enjoy this movie. I looked for years for it and I still think it is by far a much better movie than the newer version with Nicolas Cage although he is a great actor. Read more
Published 2 months ago by granma
Gone in 60 Seconds
What can I say that hasn't been said? I saw this film when it came out, and because of that I never saw the "other movie with the same name" for I knew it couldn't replace the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael GreenWest Coast British
i don't have the product!
I don't have the product, please i need to know the tracking number. thanks!
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Published 2 months ago by Lorena Navarrete
Great film
This film is great. It rates up there with the best of car chase flicks! A little slow starting out but once you're into the action it's fabulous. Read more
Published 5 months ago by mgosselin
The original 'Gone in 60 seconds'
I purchased this as a gift for my husband who kept seeing the new one on tv but never the old one.He enjoyed watching it again and said that the old cars were the best part.
Published 7 months ago by Deedra
Gone in 60sec.
If you want a car chase movie without C.G. graphics then you must get this movie! This is the movie that we have all forgoten. Read more
Published 11 months ago by mustang man
more fuel efficient than a prius...
after watching this movie ill go buy a 1973 mustang, the car lasts forever on a single tank even tough you push it to the limits ;) awesome, chase and awesome movie. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ricardo Morales Nemez
How one makes an action movie
I have the 25th ann. edition and I don't mind it with the remastered soundtrack. I wish the DVD producers would've had the original version on the b-side though. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Francis P
Longest Chase
Not only is this the longest chase scene in a movie (40 minutes) but Halicki did all his own driving and even continued after the 120' long 30' high jump that did some serious... Read more
Published 15 months ago
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