Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Bonus Episode: Best Road Trip Films (brought to you by heycar)

Episode Date: April 4, 2023

Thanks to heycar – this bonus episode is all about the best road trip films out there. Mark fills us in on his notorious road trips of the past, including his most memorable road trip which started in Moscow, and finished in Ukraine – all done in a Lada with a flat tyre.   You can hear the listeners' favourite road trip movies, plus Mark’s Top 5 of all time.   This episode is brought to you by heycar. heycar fun facts below: heycar offers a large range of quality checked used cars from select dealers across the UK all within a single app, all at your fingertips. All cars are under 8 years old with less than 100,000 on the clock. All cars come with a warranty and a 10-day money back guarantee. You can download the heycar app to find your perfect car. Or visit heycar.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something else. Well, hello and welcome to a brand new... I'm not sure about this word, but it does say mini-sode. Pardon? It says, welcome to a brand new mini-sode. So, like a mini-episode? Well, I guess that's what it is, but that word, you can't just make up a word like that. You can, I can. Well, no one is going to use that word ever again.

Impactful, yes. No. It's like your favourite Germanful. Yes. No. It's like your favorite German word, the German version, the English version. Yes. Which means, certainly, my therapist tells me you're pronouncing wrongly.

Well, I'm sure. Does she be pronouncing? How should I be saying it? I don't, she's German. I can't do it justice. But the version the best wrong, which means an improvement, which makes things worse. Yeah. But you see, that works because there are many situations

where that word is useful. Minisode, which is what we're about to do, all about road trips and road trip movies, that I can't imagine anyone saying, you know what, you know what, I need now? A mini-sode. A mini-sode of this. Anyway, we'll carry on.

Yeah, but you used to say that about podcast. No, no, no, no, you see that. So this mini-sode. You used to be a download. This very brief mini-sode, small episode, a brief episode, and a vella, if you like. That's your film. A supporting feature.

Brought to you by our friends at Heycar. This is like, yes, it's like, it's a little supporting features It's a small little Pixar moment. Exactly. And you are the Angle Poise lamp Where he's now going to bounce around the studio That's the way I think about it The only road trips that I go on these days are around the m25 and down the a23 to docking That's the only road trip that I go on.

Or I go on the train. But road trips. Although trains nowadays quite often involve road trips as your train becomes a bus. That is also true. But historically speaking, and as far as movies are concerned, they love a road trip. They love a road trip.

When did that come from then? Just because, I mean, very early on, you and I, we did a tour once with the movie doctors and we showed that the bust of Keaton stuff on the railways. Yeah. I mean, it's just like, you know, it's a way of moving a story forward, literally move the characters from one place to another and see what happens.

Or it's a simple way of sticking people in a confined space and seeing how they get on with each other. It's just a nice device. In the case of some films that you recommend, you can actually have sex with the car. This might not be what Heycar. Heycar might not want this, can you see? No, that's what I hate car.

Heycar! You don't want that. Oh, heycar. They don't want to go down that. It's unhelpful. That's when they mean road trips. They don't mean that kind of road trip. To tell this is not a road movie.

No, the gear stick is to be used to be a genre. They're moving on song. Changing gear, really. Anyway, but if I think of road trips, apart from movies, I just think of you because you do them. Like you buy yourself like some convertible and you drive across America. My singing songs with your guitar strapped over your back.

I have done that. Yes, I know, but you're the only person that I know that does that kind of thing. But also my most memorable road trip, which I know is what you were asking me. Thank you for bringing it up. I was getting there, I was steering it round. Was the time that I was doing the set report

for that film,water's not that one that the other one. Yeah I mean I can never remember whether it's Darkwater or Darkwater's I think it's got a blur anyway. We started in Moscow and we had to end up in Ferdossia in Ukraine and the first part of the journey was a train that took us to Odessa and then from Odessa to where we were going to, we went in a ladder which had four of us in it and halfway through the journey the ladder developed a flat tire. But there was no spare, there was three wheels on my wagon and we still had many many... Many Christie Minstrel, many miles to go. And so we ventured across country with a flat tire for hours.

Do you know, can I just say in parenthesis? Sidebar, as the kids would say. You know, the lead singer of the New Christie Minstrel's was on that song. I don't know. I don't know. Barry McGuire, who did either of Destruction. That was one hit. That was it. Well, Evo destruction too, the new Christie Minstrel's three wheels on my wagon, which you'll never hear on the radio because it has outdated cultural references.

Anyway, yes. How far did you go with the flat tire? It was about 60 miles. That because you were scared. No, no, we weren't driving. We were being driven by a driver. It was his car, but he didn't have a spare wheel. And not much of a driver. Is it? Many. Yeah. It was about two years later. I was in hospital with my back issues. I remember the doctor said,

when did this begin? I said, well, it's funny. You should ask the doctor. I've never been in a ladder. Do they still exist in a ladder? Yeah, yeah. And actually, weirdly enough, the rail-tambotters, the banner used to be used to have a ladder driven by our washboard player, Owl. And we use washboard. Where's my washboard? And we used to describe myself as the band that fits snugly into a ladder.

That's quite good. I do quite like that. It put the larger the call it, Mark. The larger the call it, Mark. You can have Mark and Ladder. Very good. The car that she had, she never got the steering on it corrected and so it pulled wildly to the left as did the band, as did the Soviet Union. Precisely. Anyway, so would that, do you have a guitar strap to your back at this point?

No, no, I had Nigel Floyd strapped to my back. I think on Balancer guitar would be more useful. Yes. I mean, Nigel is a nice guy, but you know, you don't want him to capture it. I actually enjoyed it even less than I did. As far as road trips in movies are concerned, we asked our venerable audience. Okay. Bella says, little Miss Sunshine,

I've watched it a few times now, never fails to lift me up. Mm-hmm. So they said, we're the dark film though, little Miss Sunshine. Mark asked, the straight story, a gem of a film. Someone called Obi-Mu,

excuse me, straight story, Forest Gump on the tractor. I believe you said them for. Obi-Mu, Queen and Slim and Broker are two of the most... Oh, Queen and Slim is, yeah, Queen and Slim is brilliant. And Broker is actually, yes, I suppose technically Broker is, yes, Broker would count. Obi says, can the perfect Rylane count? Most of it is on foot, but they are travelling for most of the film.

I don't think Rylane counts as a road movie. And yes, I don't think it does, because I think in order for it to be, well, I don't know, you know, because they said they wander. They don't really go from point A to point B. They just sort of wander from the South Bank and Brixton to Peckham.

Yeah, I don't think it's a road movie. Okay, there's your answer, but Harvey Morton, little bit sunshine every time, all the way back, which... The way way back. The way way back. The way we had to mention it. It's not a mis movie. Okay, there's your answer, Robbie. Harvey Morton, Little Miss Sunshine, every time, all the way back, which the way way back, the way way, the way we get to it's not a misprint. It is called the way way back always loved each time I've revisited it. Sally Lake, they'll undoubtedly be better known entries, but I'd like to nominate the film Africa United about a

group of kids traveling from Rwanda to get to the 2010 South African World Cup opening ceremony. It's a great little film full of unknowns and seems barely remembered now. Steve Schoen would fan dango from 1985. Of its time. Of its time, but I still like it. In what ways it...

Of its time? Well, it's a weird thing, isn't it? When people say something is of its time, what they mean is... Dated Cultural References. That's what they mean. They also mean it kind of has an age an age well he wasn't you said well We'll talk about you and I will talk about this when we're referring to when we're talking about Tetris in a while

Which you you know won't that's about going to Russia and coming back again But um there's a thing in that about the the way that the way that the future sounded in the past was a bit rubbish The way that the future sounded in the past was a bit rubbish. The way that the future sounded in the past. Okay, yeah. That they're versed of what they thought it was. Craig is suggesting, vanishing point, amazing soundtrack, definitely a document of the paranoid times.

It is absolutely ecastic. Shored says, My All Time Favorite Road Trip movie is the straight story, which is down to acting all the terrific characters on the journey and the emotional payoff of the destination. In second place, Mad Max Fury Road, I was going to suggest Mad Max Fury Road, which is also about road trip in less than ideal circumstances.

I mean, that's one way. That's why we're talking about the poster block elliptic world, where everyone drives a tank with a skull at the front, or Tom Hardy. You could check in, you know, Vin Vendor's Kings of the Road. I mean, that's definitely a road movie. Floyd Dean, I'm going with Cannonball run, bit problematic in places as a, another way of saying problematic is a great way of it. It's a lot of, through a lot of work in that sentence.

But so's nearly every movie from that decade. I think every 80s kid grew up watching this movie on VHS multiple times, bit dated, but still funny in places and it introduced me to the great Jackie Chan. Also, a woman wins, says Floyd Dean. Please don't. Dan Lomax, I love the sure thing, the movie of my teenage years, and an underrated Rob Reiner, classic. Rob Reiner.

And Lupec Aubrey. Paris, Texas is an unconventional road trip movie that is dear to my heart. Every time I watch the film, it has a different meaning. I first watched Paris, Texas in the 90s at the age of 21. I saw it as a story about a broken man in search of a lost love. I watched again age 50 with my adult son. Now I was moved by a touching and emotional father and son's journey towards

reconciliation and forgiveness. So that's a quite an interesting list of suggestions. Do you have a top five for us? Well, you know, it's maybe we've mentioned that. It's funny you should ask that. So I did, this is my top five, okay. My top five road movies. You ready?

Yeah. Everyone a banger. Number five, E2 Mama Tambien, which is Alfonso Quarón's coming of age, Roe, it's great. Yes, I could again. E2 Mama Tambien and your mother. So Diagoluno, Gagasia, Bernal, and of course, Alfonso Quarón. It's great, Diego Luno. E to Mama Tambien and your mother. So, Diego Luno, Gargassia, Bernal, and of course, Alfonso Cuarón then went on to be

one of the most famous international directors of Eves. Number four, you might have seen this. It happened one night from 1934, which is Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable on a grey hand bus. It films by Frank Haber, based on a short story called The Night Bus. And it's one of the kind of, the most brilliant screwball comedies. And it does exactly that thing that Roadmovie's meant to do,

throws two people who are completely ill-matched together on a journey that neither of them, particularly wants to be making. And then during the course of the, have you ever seen it? I have not. It's fantastic. It's all in love. Well, that would be giving it away, wouldn't it?

Well, give it away. It's not exactly a current. It's a screw ball romantic comedy. They fall in love then. That's what happens. Okay. You love things predictable. Okay. Number three, American Honey. This is the Andrea R. Amal film, which I think is kind of, you know, magical mystery to the US, breakthrough roles for Riley Keo, Sasha Lane, I'm, I'm going to be on this such a brilliant filmmaker and it's, it is one of those films

in which you do genuinely feel that you were going on the journey with the characters. Number two, hit the road. We've read this really recently with this is Panar Panar, he's Portrait of Iranian life on four wheels. Fantastic performance by that. That, you know, the, the young actor who's the kind of hyperactive kid in the car who never stops, never stops talking, never stops singing, never stops doing whatever it is that he's doing and I thought that was wonderful, but my favourite and I thought about this long and hard, and I thought about long and hard as to whether or not it actually was a road movie and I've decided it is, so, so, okay, go on, let

me guess what it's going to be, sound of music, no, Mary Popp, so you, okay, go on. Hang on, let me guess what it's gonna be. Sound of music. No, Mary Poppins. No, the exorcist. I mean, you can make an argument that the exorcist is a road movie because Father Mary goes from Woodstock to George Turnon, and he gets out of a cab.

But every, that makes it, or maybe everything, and if anything, you're aware of the things that's kind of thinking that it's not those. Okay, no. Although it's connected, it's the film that Freaking made after the Xs.

So my favorite road movie is Sorcerer, which is Freaking's 1977 remake of Wages of Fear, in which the story is, you've got these trucks, which have got very, very, very explosive dynamite in them that need to be transported from point A to point B. and in order to do that, they have to drive over very, very, very dodgy terrain like me in that ladder with only three, and you can't shake the dynamite because if you do, it will explode. So that's it. That's literally the plot. You start here, you need to get there, but without the van blowing up,

and it's just, I mean, I know everybody loves wages and fear, but I think Sorcerer is actually better. And I think that the bridge sequence in Sorcerer is, I remember that. Yes, I remember. I remember watching it. Very kind of sweaty. Astonishing, astonishing stuff. And a brilliant performance by Roy Shyder. You know, you're freaking originally wanted to sleep in the Queen, but it's Roy Shyder, who of course is, you know, so great and pretty much everything. I think Sorcerer is the definitive road movie. I think it's absolutely... It's not a road movie that you'd want to be a part of, though. You don't think, wouldn't it have been great to have been there at that time doing that journey?

When they finished the film, the studio looked at it and they thought it wasn't the film they wanted, because it turned out to be one of the great disasters. It'd be, you know, one of the great new Hollywood failures. And one of the executives said to freaking, look, one of the things we think you could do is, you could film the automata, the mileometer, and the automata going down. So we know how far the miles are, how far in the journey we are.

Freaking said, fine, that'll be about two million. So why? So well, I need to go back. I'll need to go back to the original jungle. And you know, he said, no, no, just, just, just film it on the, he said, I need to go back. I'll need to go back to the original jungle and you know, he said, no, no, just just just film it on the, he said, I don't do inserts. That's an expensive habit. So you're top five.

We know. Well, I, I mean, I've mentioned I wrote down Queen. I wrote down Queen. Queen is a really good choice. I wish I'd come up with that. Mad Max Fury Road. Yes, which is again a very good choice. I mean, no one has said Thelma and Louise, which is...

Which is the shalac. ...which is the shalac. Everyone is sharing Thelma. Listen to this mini-sode, and again, if you're going to do a mini-sode... ...Thelma and Louise. ...Also I'm going to do a double bill of Driving Miss Daisy and Green Book, just to annoy you. So you Oscar winners, two best picture winners. Yeah, and clearly in a car. Yes, and clearly going on a road trip

They are genuinely road movies, so there's a crowd and that your tagline for Green Book was Okay This time this time the racists in the front. Yeah Well, and their number one. Yeah Wizard of Oz. Can I get away with that? Oh, yeah, no, of course, yeah. Follow the other brick road, maybe. Yeah, absolutely. That's the other brick road movie. Follow the, actually, follow the,

that's in fact the perfect choice. Your list was better than mine. No, I don't think so. We're not quite annoyed by it. But mine was more, mine had films that people had heard of, and seen. I think many people have heard of it happen one night. No, that's true.

And also, the Sorcerer thing. Yeah, so I saw that on TV and you said, yeah, you absolutely have to watch it. And it was one night. No, that's true. And also the sorcerer. Yeah. I saw that on TV and using it. Yeah, you absolutely have to watch it. And it was very stressful. It's very stressful. Very, very stressful. Here's the payoff. Mm-hmm.

May I, Rene? This Minnesota is brought to you by a pay attention. Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. Is brought to you. Do I have to do anything? No, no, no, no. You did. You did. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no it's quite useful and also less than a hundred thousand on the clock. All cars come with a warranty and a 10-day money back guarantee. 10 days.

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