''Red Cars'' is an
artist's book
Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects.
Overview
Artists' books have employed a ...
realized by Canadian film director
David Cronenberg edited by Luca Massimo Barbero, Domenico De Gaetano & Donato Santeramo, in collaboration with Volumina. The project is an interpretation, in the form of an artbook, of the screenplay ''Red Cars'' that he planned on turning into a film. The resulting book, "largely missed by critics", was published in 2005.
[Browning, Mark (Spring, 2008)]
"David Cronenberg: An Author Looking for a Text."
''IQ Magazine'' Online edition published by Scribd. Retrieved on: 2012-01-07.
The plot is about the
1961 Formula One Championship rivalry between
Ferrari drivers
Phil Hill and
Wolfgang von Trips
Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Reichsgraf Berghe von Trips (; 4 May 1928 – 10 September 1961), also known simply as Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips and nicknamed 'Taffy' by friends and fellow racers, was a German racing driver. He ...
. It includes a script for the yet-to-be-made movie. The book is hand-bound with an aluminum cover. It was published as a coffee-table book and limited to 1000 copies, as a "self-conscious object d’art." Cronenberg describes it as a "way for me to create my film without actors and film crew this book linked to a website and to an exhibition."
[
An avid race fan, Cronenberg has said that the planned big budget film about ]auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
stalled due to the demands of Formula One head, Bernie Ecclestone. In 1986, Cronenberg was asked by then Paramount Pictures executive, Ned Tanen Ned Stone Tanen (c. September 20, 1931 – January 5, 2009) was an American film studio executive. The films he produced were some of the most popular films of the 1970s and 1980s, including the 2 key Brat Pack films '' The Breakfast Club'' and ...
, to develop a Formula One movie. Paramount sent Cronenberg to Australia and Mexico to do reconnaissance of Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
races. Cronenberg explained: "I had meetings with Bernie to talk to him about how we might structure a Formula One movie that was modern at the time and could we, for example, invent a team and have a pit for our team." While Ecclestone was at first receptive to the proposals, according to Cronenberg, his requirements would have been expensive: "ultimately it would have come down to money."[Macnab, Geoffrey (13 September 2011)]
"Cronenberg's F1 movie blockbuster given the red flag by Ecclestone."
''The Independent''. London, UK. Retrieved on: 2012-01-07.
References
Films directed by David Cronenberg
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