65: “The Whim of a Madman” – Speed

Cinematographer-turned-director Jan De Bont never met a mode of transportation he didn’t want to blow up, and it all started with SPEED (1994), the action-thriller that whittled Keanu Reeves into the wooden king of turn-your-brain-off blockbusters (see also: the Matrix and John Wick franchises). This high-concept hit has one of the most iconic movie plots of all time, with madman Dennis Hopper planting a bomb on a city bus that will go boom if the odometer falls under 50 MPH. Fortunately, a very plucky Sandra Bullock is on hand to help careen through Los Angeles’ notorious rush hour traffic and quip some snappy one-liners in her star-making role.

And if all those elevators, buses, and subway cars make you claustrophobic, you’re in luck! We’ve also booked a honeymoon suite aboard SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL (1997), De Bont’s Caribbean-set sequel that finds Sandra Bullock and Almost Keanu taken hostage on a cruise ship by yet another disgruntled psycho. (After a half-dozen mai tais, you’ll swear it’s Titanic!)

So join us as your favorite hotshots take a pop quiz that asks just one question — is Speed still worth the ride, or should we hit the brakes?

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email your episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes so more folks check out the show!

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