For L.A. cop Jack Traven, the game began when someone put the city of Los Angeles to the ultimate test. Now...he's the only solution. Dennis Hopper...Keanu Reeves...SPEED. Get ready for rush hour.
Well, I'm not sure exactly when it came out, but my aunt told me the entire plot in about May of 1994 and she had already seen it. She took me with her again on July 22, 1994, as she always did take me to all movies she found appropriate (I was only 13) or extraspecially fun to watch. Let's just say, I enjoyed it. I doubt she ever realised it would effect me so much!
I thought about the movie for quite a few days after I saw it. I thought it was wierd when my sister told me that it starred the same guy that we'd seen in "Little Buddha" a few weeks before - the one with the inpronouncable name. Anyway, I went back to school in September and one of my friends was talking about it and I just had to add my two cents. I thought it was great. Eventually, Keanu and "SPEED" was the most enjoyed lunch-conversation. Those who hadn't seen it were of course left out. One of my friends offered to get me photos of Keanu and those first 4 was where my collection started. I bought my first magazine article and watched all the Keanu videos I could find at the rental store.
I'm not talking about just my obsession here though. That could get pretty long and drawn out. This is about "SPEED"!
Okay, so Keanu plays L.A.P.D. SWAT team cop Jack Traven. He defuses bombs and saves hostages and does all that other SWAT team stuff. Basically the movie is about a madman (Dennis Hopper) putting a bomb on a bus for money. If the bus goes above 50, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. If you haven't seen it you've most definately heard take offs. The script was written by Graham Yost (son of Elwy Yost - host of TV Ontario program "Saturday Night at the Movies") and Keanu apparently helped work out lots of character development (or rather lack of) problems. Director Jan De Bont's first film, I do believe.
I'll be first to admitt not many of these songs are actually in the movie. It would be cool if they had a soundtrack with some of the actual soundtrack. I love the theme. When I get it in my head it makes me feel so happy!
Okay the * is beside those which are in the movie. A prize to those that can figure out where they appear! (Just joking!) It's songs from and inspired by the motion picture
Tracks include:
1. *Billy Idol "Speed"
2. *The Plimstouls "A Million Miles Away"
3. *Gin Blossoms "Soul Deep"
4. Cracker "Let's Go for a Ride"
5. Blues Traveller "Go Outside and Drive"
6. Ric Ocasek "Crash"
7. Pat Benatar "Rescue Me"
8. Rod Stewart "Hard Road"
9. *Carnival Strippers "Cot"
10. Gary Numan "Cars ('93 Sprint)
11. Saint Etienne "Like a Motorway"
12. Kiss "Mr. Speed"
Keanu Reeves....Jack Traven
Dennis Hopper....Howard Payne
Sandra Bullock....Annie
Joe Morton....Capt. Herb McMahon
Jeff Daniels....Harry Temple
Alan Ruck....Stephens
Glenn Plummer....Jaguar Owner
Richard Lineback....Norwood
Beth Grant....Helen
Hawthorne James....Sam
Carlos Carrasco....Ortiz
David Kriegel....Terry
Natsuko Ohama....Mrs. Kamino
Daniel Villarreal....Ray
Simone Gad....Bus Passenger #1
Keanu Quotes:
"Tell me again Harry, why did I take this job?" ["Oh, come 'on. Thirty more years of this you get a tiny pension and a cheap gold watch. (Jeff Daniels as Harry)] "Cool."
["There will come a time, boy, when you'll wish we'd never met." (Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne)] "Mr. I'm already there."
"Give it up! You're out of options!"
"Harry - you told me to."
"Passenger relay - sir! I need you to take this; tell him what I see. There's a wad - pretty big." ["There's a pretty big wad."] "Brass fittings..." ["Brass fittings."] "I think I can reach the circuit wire." ["He thinks he can reach the circuit wire."] (some lines omitted) "F*ck me!" ["...oh darn."]
"Gold - gold band; fairly cheesey."
["A bomb is meant to explode. That's it's meaning - it's purpose. Your life is empty because you're trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? for what? Do you know what a bomb is that doesn't go off? It is a cheap gold watch, buddy." (Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne)] "You're crazy. You're fucking crazy." ["No. Poor people are crazy, I'm excentric. (to Annie) Let's move. (to Jack) You're staying. (to Annie) Through that door. (to Jack) You're staying. Bye Jack. Punk."]
Others:
"Thanks for pushing that button Bob. The light was on but 'ya never know, it just might be broken." (Rob Mailhouse as Young Executive)
"Jesus. Bob, what button did you push?" (Rob Mailhouse)
"I got a plan Jack, 'cause I'm smarter than you! I'm smarter than you!..." ["Yeah? Well, I'm taller." (Jack)]
-Keanu, though he doesn't like to admitt it, became a really big star with this movie.
-Keanu runs, jumps, slides, drives fast, shoots guns, fights, chews gum, hangs upside down, wears a uniform and does everything with such grace and skill and honour; it's just cool beyond words.
-You can watch it over and over and never get bored - most fans have I guess, so you know what I'm talking about!
-Rob Mailhouse "special appearance" in a movie with Ke that has nothing to do with Dogstar.
-Keanu's taller than Dennis Hopper. =)
-If there's anything that people enjoy making fun of, or copying, it's the plot of this movie. Just about anything is likely to blow up if it slows down. I've even seen it in an Archie comic.
The Internet Movie Database: Speed (1994)