The Cannon Ball Run is a cross-country car race famously portrayed in the campy 1981 movie "Cannon Ball Run." But it isn't fictional. Tune in as Josh and Chuck take you on a wild ride through the real (and colorful) history of this infamous race.
AI Summary
Get ready to learn about the wild real-life inspiration behind the Burt Reynolds comedy classic Cannonball Run! Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating story of automotive journalist Brock Yates, who in the 1970s organized an underground cross-country race that challenged America's new 55 mph speed limit and safety-first mentality. They explore how this reckless yet oddly principled competition evolved from a protest against what some saw as overly cautious driving culture into the stuff of automotive legend, complete with Ferraris hitting 172 mph, creative police-dodging tactics, and eventually corporate sponsorship that turned the serious race into something much more comedic.
And the Band Played On
1993
2h 20m
★ 6.5
"Have you ever seen him in the band played on? My brother worked on that. — Josh mentioned this HBO movie about the AIDS crisis when discussing events from 1981."
— Josh
Beverly Hills Cop
1984
1h 45m
★ 7.2
"It was one of the first movies we rented. Sure. Along with Beverly Hills Cop. — Chuck mentioned this as one of the first movies they rented, comparing it to Cannonball Run."
— Chuck
Death Race 2000
1975
1h 20m
★ 6.1
"He was in, uh, let's see, uh, deathmatch 2000, death race 2000, death race 2000 — Chuck mentioned this film as one of the Cannonball Run imitators that came out before the actual Cannonball Run movie."
— Chuck
"he did, um, Hooper, which is a great movie. Is it? I haven't seen that one. — Chuck mentioned this Burt Reynolds movie directed by Hal Needham when discussing Needham's filmography."
— Chuck
"Is that why he always wore the Toledo mud hens hat and mash? — Josh referenced the TV show when discussing Jamie Farr's hometown connection to Toledo."
— Josh
"Richard Pryor contracted Dana Carvey in moving. Really? Great movie. I didn't see that one. I thought it was a stinker. — Josh referenced this movie when discussing how people would contract others to drive cars across the country."
— Josh
Pulp Fiction
1994
2h 34m
★ 8.5
"have you seen Pulp Fiction? Of course you have. Sure. You remember Zed? — Josh referenced this Tarantino film when telling a story about a strange encounter with police officers."
— Josh
Sharky's Machine
1981
2h 2m
★ 6.1
"So by this time now, you can see why Bert Reynolds would have chosen more of a comedic route. Sure. Than, uh, Sharky's machine route. — Chuck referenced this more serious Burt Reynolds film to contrast with the comedic approach taken for Cannonball Run."
— Chuck
Smokey and the Bandit
1977
1h 36m
★ 7.0
"He did a Smokey and the Bandit too. Oh, it did. Brock Yates wrote that. — Chuck mentioned this film when discussing Hal Needham's work with Burt Reynolds movies."
— Chuck
The Cannonball Run
1981
1h 35m
★ 6.2
"one, Mr. Bert Reynolds is about to dash across the silver screen. That's right. In a little movie called Cannonball Run. — The main topic of the episode - the movie that was based on the real Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash race."
— Chuck
The Gumball Rally
1976
1h 45m
★ 6.1
"there was a second one that had Gary Busey in it or a third one that had Gary Busey in it called the gumball rally. — Chuck mentioned this as another Cannonball Run imitator movie that featured Gary Busey."
— Chuck
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