Many of you may have heard of, and some may even have seen, a 9-minute film called Rendezvous (or to give it it's full title, C'etait un Rendezvous), in which a gentleman named Claude Lelouche drives from one side of Paris to the other, dodging traffic, pedestrians, garbage collectors, pigeons, and completely ignoring every red light along the way.

I have a very grainy umpteenth-generation copy on VHS, and I was delighted to discover today that an enterprising company in the UK has located and restored the original 35mm print and transferred it to both VHS and DVD.

Folks in the UK can order their PAL copy right now from http://www.spiritlevelfilm.com/ for GBP14.99 incl VAT.

I dropped them an email, and was told that they're going to be releasing a US version in NTSC in about three weeks. I'm counting the days - it'll help ease the pain of waiting for the RX-8.

I love that movie :cool:

I hope the DVD is priced well. The video was expensive at about $7 a minute.

I love the part when he's on the cobblestone road and he goes up on the sidewalk to pass the garbage truck while the garbagemen jump for cover.

If you like racing movies pick up the IMAX Super Speedway movie.. Very cool.

Do you know of any others? Someone once told me they saw a show that featured a similar video with a Porsche that was wrecked during filming.

What was the car used? I believe a 12 cyl Ferrari but not sure which model. He eventually was busted for that movie I believe.

RotaryStalker

Nissan ripped off 'C'etait un Rendezvous' for their 'The Run' promotional DVD. It's a 350Z crossing Prague at speed to reach a girl. Good fun but far from original, however the 'Stunt-Nuns' are wonderful.

If you're looking for a good source for racing or "speed" movies in the US (to help hold you over till your RX-8 arrives), try...

http://www.duke-usa.com/

I first saw Rendevous about 20 years ago and was told it was filmed from a Ferrari 275. I later read somewhere that it was really a Renault of some type (like an Alpine or R5 Turbo). I don't know which story is true - perhaps someone who's an expert on Ferrari and/or Renault interiors of that era would be able to tell.

Originally posted by shkeller55
perhaps someone who's an expert on Ferrari and/or Renault interiors of that era would be able to tell. The "official" line was indeed that it was a 275GTB, but I too have heard the Renault Alpine speculation. Considering the camera was mounted on the front bumper of the car, there's not a lot of interior to be seen. ;) Hopefully the DVD will contain some further insight from Monsieur LeLouche himself.

I just hope that the soundtrack on the DVD is the authentic original. The copy I have now is different from the original version that I first saw many moons ago, with several tire squeals obviously added in places where there ought not to be squeals.

"Considering the camera was mounted on the front bumper of the car, there's not a lot of interior to be seen. "

Oops! It HAS been a long time since I've seen it; the details escape me now. I think I read that you start losing your memory when you get old, but I can't really remember. :D

Digging around a little, I found Claude Lelouch's comments on the film on his web site. The Google translation is here (http://216.239.39.120/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.ifrance.com/claude-lelouch/rendezvous.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dclaude%2Blelouch%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26 ie%3DUTF-8). One thing I'd love to see is a map of his route - I recognise the Champs Elysée and L'Arc de Triomphe of course, but I'd love to follow along on a map as he blasts through those streets.

Does anyone know the file name of it so I can download it on kazaa. So far i have had no luck. If someone has a website where it is availiable for download that is even better.

I think the tire squeals were added to cover up the screams of pedestrians as they jumped for their lives to make it more politically correct. Could be wrong though...

RotaryStalker

Just saw this becasue someone brough the DVD to my office, amazing! Ordered my own copy at once. It makes 'The Run' look sanitised and stupid.

So how do you order? Can you use a regular US credit card?

RotaryStalker

Saw some of this on top gear.

100% fake.

Camera mounted very low down, to give the impresion of speed.

Engine nouse/gear change in no way matches the visuals. hear it accelerate up 4th - 5th etc and the car is slowing?

Also looks like it sdoing 30-40mph in the parts I've seen.

Look at the pedestrians, there not paying any attention. Even in paris if a 'rari screams past at 100mph people look.

There is a similar thing in amsterdam that is real tho.

Originally posted by RotaryStalker
So how do you order? Can you use a regular US credit card?

RotaryStalker

Yes. They will ship to the USA and the disc is region-0 so you can play it.

Rob got a link to the amsterdam one?

RotaryStalker

Originally posted by RobDickinson
Saw some of this on top gear.

100% fake.

Camera mounted very low down, to give the impresion of speed.

Engine nouse/gear change in no way matches the visuals. hear it accelerate up 4th - 5th etc and the car is slowing?

Also looks like it sdoing 30-40mph in the parts I've seen.

Look at the pedestrians, there not paying any attention. Even in paris if a 'rari screams past at 100mph people look.

There is a similar thing in amsterdam that is real tho.

I disagree. I saw the DVD today and it had a whole room full of people mesmerised. The engine noise matched the images and the speed was intense. It may be staged, not enough is known to verify either way, but it's certainly not faked.

I saw the original (on film, not videotape) around 20 years ago in a room with around 50 Porsche Club of America autocrossers. Not a one thought it was faked.