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"This collection will mainly appeal to fans of the genre of late 50's, juvenile delinquent flicks with a bent for fast cars and kids who are just out for kicks.Mind you, these are not high quality digital remasters or anything like that, but at least the fragile condition of these films is explained in the disc's opening. I can live with that (although I'd gladly pay for pristine copies of any films from this camp...) The worst print of the lot is "Hot Rod Girl", which has what appears to be drop-out lines heavily in the first 10 minutes which are not present in the Goodtimes VHS print. Regardless, I was happy to replace that horrid tape version with this superior DVD edition. The other two films, "The Big Wheel" and "The Fast and the Furious", look fine as can be expected. I can understand the difficulty in obtaining good prints of such old drive-in flicks, but it was very disappointing that neither trailers nor poster art could have been dug up, since I know for a fact they are out there. I have to assume these were put together from 16mm TV prints, so another diappointment is the full-screen format. (sigh)Usually, these budget compilations are abominable quality and I am happy to say that these are at least watchable and there are no technical distractions. The movies are great and the price is right."
1 great movie & 2 good ones!
Robert M. Bratcher Jr. | Houston, Texas USA | 02/07/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The Big Wheel is the best of the 3. Good acting by all the stars & plenty of that edge of your seat exciting auto racing! Bought this disc because of this movie as I like Mickey Rooney and he was very good in this role.Hot Rod Girl is part drag racing part teanage JD movie. It was interesting to watch. Decent acting by all.Fast And The Furious is the Roger Corman 1954 original about a man who breaks out of jail then joins a race to Mexico in order to not get caught by the police.All 3 movies are in black & white and seem to come from 16mm sources. Expect mono sound and some scratches and occasional splices which are very normal for older film prints.Sound is very good on this DVD but the picture looks slightly soft (like VHS does) due to the compression needed to fit 3 movies on one disc. Still I enjoyed watching this disc and I'm sure you will to if your a racing fan as I am."
The Big Wheel gets the Green Light!
Rae73 | Sydney, NSW Australia | 03/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
""The Big Wheel" is a must see for all racing fans. This classic story of a son living up to his fathers name and reputation is as relevant today as it was in the Forties.Mickey Rooney gives a fine performance in his own imitable style aided by a strong support cast including Thomas Mitchell, Michael O'shea and Mary Hatcher and starring the legendary Indianapolis Raceway as the backdrop. Even if you aren't a race fan you'll enjoy the classic racing footage that'll have you on the edge of your seat.5 cheers for "The Big Wheel"."
Cars, Cars, Cars
Henry Alfaro | United States | 03/31/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The other reviewers focus on this DVD's technical aspects. If you were raised on over-the-air B/W TV, as I was, these films look fine. Hey, you can pause on any frame and there are no "commercial breaks."
This compliation provides many interesting historical insights. Of particular interest are the productions, the cast, and most of all, the cars.
Scene after scene is filled with vintage cars in action. The technical aspects and actors take a "back seat" to the cars. Anyone with an interest in vintage British Sports, Indy, or Hot Rod cars will find this compliation well worth the small price of admission."
Great for Mickey Rooney and Race Car Fans
Corn Boy | 09/09/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I saw The Big Wheel as a kid and remembered that not only was it a good, albeit "simple" Mickey Rooney movie, it was also an interesting movie about vintage car racing. I bought this movie to watch with my 83 year old mother who loves old movies. My fear was that the movie though good in it's time, would not relate to today's standards of high drama. I'll have to admit that the plot was simple, yet enjoyable as a typical Mickey Rooney flic. But what was most fascinating to me was the excellent historical footage of Indy car races during the 1940's. If you think that race car drivers are courageous heroes today, watch this movie. I am a race car fan of all types and can not believe the lack of saftey features during that time. Forget about fire retardant driving suits with gloves etc. These guys wore short sleeve everyday shirts and no gloves. I'm surprised they wore helmets but nothing like todays head gear. What struck me the most was the fact that seatbelts were not even worn. Historical footage of early Indy 500 races showed drivers regularly being thrown out of burning cars. Any car that was headed for the wall either went over it or through it. I wonder how many men died at an average Indy type car race in that era. Footage of spectacular firey crashes were abundant in this film. Even if you are not a Mickey Rooney fan or don't even like old movies, you owe it to yourself to see this film for it's historical content if you are a car racing fan."