Snake and Mongoo$e

[az57chevy]

If you have been watching the recent drag races you probably heard that there is an independent movie out about Don Prudhome and Tom McEwen and their drag racing exploits. It is called Snake and Mongoo$e. Being an independent movie, they are slowly rolling out the picture in select markets based on where NHRA races. I saw some clips of it last year at SEMA. Here is some background on the movie

I heard today that Harkin's at Arizona Mills will start showing the movie on Friday 9-20-13. There is talk that Harkin's might pick it up for another theater and so other sites might show it as well. Presently the movie site doesn't list the Phoenix opening and Harkins won't post it until next week. So consider this advance notice.

Not sure how long it will be here but you might want to grab a seat quick. Pass the word.

[NDAGRUV]

THANKS for the update!! I had the good fortune of seeing Don Prudhomme race at a "local" strip when I was a kid. Also, since it was in the San Fernando Vally, other "famous" racers came to spread the Nitro around - such as "TV" Tommie Ivo ( he played multiple roles in film & TV and was even featrured as a regular in a TV program named "The Roaring 20's"). You may remember him as the owner/developer and driver of a Buick powered FOUR ENGINE DRAGSTER (amongst MANY other cars). THAT was a sight to behold!!! ALL four tires SMOKIN' down the quarter mile.............

Excellent "foder" for a growing young gasoline junkie such as myself.

The Raceway is known as "San Fernando Dragstrip" and is/was located in an old military airstrip site from WWII. LOVED that place!!

I understand that there are still some remnants of it, if you look hard enough. Guess I'll have to cruise over & see if I can still smell some Nitro hanging in the air!!!

AHHH, YOUTH!! To bad it's wasted on the young, or so "they" say.

[Shifty]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

[y2krtaf]

I really hope it makes it to more theaters!

Can't stand AZ mills...

I still have my Snake & Mongoose hotwheels dragstrip set

[Shifty]

I really hope it makes it to more theaters!

Can't stand AZ mills...

I still have my Snake & Mongoose hotwheels dragstrip set

Nice! I wish I still had all of my HotWheels and Matchbox cars....

[Chameleon]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

The very first funny car race I ever saw was the Mongoose and the Snake at Beeline. Standing right there pit side near the starting line, feeling the ground shake. Good times!!!

[Shifty]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

The very first funny car race I ever saw was the Mongoose and the Snake at Beeline. Standing right there pit side near the starting line, feeling the ground shake. Good times!!!

When was this...you must have been standing right next to me!

[az57chevy]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

The very first funny car race I ever saw was the Mongoose and the Snake at Beeline. Standing right there pit side near the starting line, feeling the ground shake. Good times!!!

Allegedly the first time they ran together with the Hot Wheels sposnsorship was here at Beeline

[Chameleon]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

The very first funny car race I ever saw was the Mongoose and the Snake at Beeline. Standing right there pit side near the starting line, feeling the ground shake. Good times!!!

When was this...you must have been standing right next to me!

Um, 1973? 1974? I think 1974.

Remember Blue Max? I loved that car!

[Shifty]

McEwen and Prudhome were teh heroes of teh first drag races I went to at Bee-Line, back in teh day...Sweet Jeebus, I feel olde.

I'll be owning this movie before long...

The very first funny car race I ever saw was the Mongoose and the Snake at Beeline. Standing right there pit side near the starting line, feeling the ground shake. Good times!!!

When was this...you must have been standing right next to me!

Um, 1973? 1974? I think 1974.

Remember Blue Max? I loved that car!

I'd have to go with '74 as well...

[az57chevy]

Got this notice hrough NHRA today

Should be a good movie, hope it stays around some and gets a wider screening.

[Two Fangs]

Got the same email yesterday. Tickets bought, going to the Sunday 11:10 matinee.

[Two Fangs]

Here is my review of the movie. I am not a movie critic, so I could miss the mark completely, but I figured I would give it a shot.

First off, I would have to say if you remember the era, it is worth the watch. The NHRA breaks out some pretty good stock footage for the race scenes that is a real pleasure to see on the big screen with the theatre surround sound.

But there are some things that those who go see the movie may pick up on.

The switch between the movie and stock footage is forced at times, and in some instances the cars used for the movie scene are not the same car shown in the stock footage at all. There are also things that show up in the background, modern alloy wheels on otherwise period correct cars, etc. that rubbed a bit of the movie magic off for me.

The cars, fire suits, and the racetrack are all too clean, plucked straight from the Petersen Museum for the scenes, the cars look they are just too pretty to race (or to ever have raced). Additionally, it does not matter which race track they are at, they obviously (sadly) used the same "pit area" set.

There are some really cool Easter eggs, like when the real Prudhomme shakes the hand of the actor Prudhomme and tells him he is a big fan, or seeing Roland Leong stroll across the screen as a spectator. There are others as well, but I am not going to spoil all of the surprises. The movie presents an adequate portrayal of two talented up-and-comers working to find a way to make and keep a living doing what they love in a young sport that was mostly associated with greasers and miscreants rather than businessmen.

The movie more or less starts and ends with the '78 US Nationals funny car final, and takes you through a brief history of the two racers that makes the 6 or seconds worth of racing, and the outcome much more than you would have likely known either as a spectator or a fan. For those reasons alone, I am very happy to have seen it.

Pros:

• Great stock footage
• Cameos and Easter eggs
• Scenes during the final credits are amazing
• Gives insight to one of the best rivalries in motorsport

Cons:

• Has a bit of a "B movie" feel, especially scenes where the actors are supposed to be driving the cars
• Cars used in scenes are not always historically accurate
• Switch from stock footage to movie footage could have been better

Regardless, just based on the story, content, and the memories it brought back, I give it a solid B.

[Shifty]

Even if you gave it a "D", I'd still go see it, as it was part of my growing up with a fascination of all things automotive...

Still, thanks for taking teh time for a very thorough review!

[TheCMSH]

When I saw the cast roster and Fred Dryer, aka "Hunter", aka "I haven't been on tv or in a movie for 10+ years" I kinda figured it would be at the B movie/straight to video quality.

I'm the same, I'll want to see it because if the history. Lots o Saturday/Sunday "Wide World of Sports" moments watching those two when I was a youngster

[Two Fangs]

As an added incentive, I don't know how many of these they have, but i received a sweet movie poster at the box office when I picked up my tickets.

[suprone]

I grew up right around San Fernando and had the pleasure of meeting some of those legends! The drag way is now and has been a swapmeet for years. Being associated with stock car racing at near by saugas speedway I got to meet some of those legends! A little known fact: Keith Black was Don Prudhommes engine builder of course! But little do people know that his first engine builder was Dave Zuchel! Engine builder driver/ p51 race pilot/engine builder! Talk about story's! The history education I got was priceless! Then there was Old guy I met by the name of Speed Mason! Who Don had weld up his first cars! But I'll save that for other day! Yeah! I'll go see the movie!!!

[az57chevy]

My review for you

Went to see Snake and Mongoo$e on Saturday. If you love drag racing and appreciate the history and the past this will be a great movie to see. Unfortunately it is only showing locally at Arizona Mills for now.

I saw a clip of this while at the SEMA show last year and it looked interesting then. If you follow NHRA, they have been pushing it heavily since the National’s.

I enjoyed the film immensely.

It tells the beginning of Prudhomme and McEwen when drag racing was something done on the weekends and you had a job Monday-Friday. Prudhomme was a car painter/body man at his Dad’s shop and McEwen was a machinist for Douglas Aircraft. The film does a good job blending archival film in with the new stuff. Had to laugh seeing a much younger Keith Jackson doing a spot for Wide World of Sports. Remember when you had to wait weeks to see a short episode of your favorite sporting event (interspersed with cliff diving from Acapulco)?

Plenty of actual cars are in the background including the Blue Max.

As with any historical film, you already know the ending. But people still went to see “Lincoln” right? I sense this was a labor of love for the filmmakers and hope it is a money maker for them. The only drawback I can see is that if you aren’t into drag racing the storyline might not be as compelling. Hearing Prudhomme talk about crewing for Tommy Ivo and driving for Roland DeLong, might not be as relevant if you don’t know the backgrounds of these characters.

When I see the Nike swoosh on NFL practice uniforms, listen to football broadcast from ATT Dallas Stadium and see ads on the basketball court it is amazing to realize this all might have stemmed from Hot Wheels sponsoring the Snake and Mongoo$e.

The cars and the haulers will be sold by Prudhomme at the Barrett-Jackson auction so you can see them up close in a few months. They are scheduled to be present for the Las Vegas auction as well.