Need for Speed Seattle screening and Q&A with Aaron Paul and Scott Waugh

by Tyler, editor and reviewer

A few weeks ago we got to hang out with my pals Aaron Paul and Scott Waugh for a bit when they came to Seattle for a press screening of their new film, Need for Speed. We talked about fast cars, explosions, and what it's like doing stunt work while driving around cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Not impressed yet? What if I told you that I also got to hang out with Sir Mix-A-Lot before the movie started? Oh, yeah, this happened.

I didn't know much about the film ahead of time, but what I did know sounded awesome. I'm a huge fan of classic car films from the 60s and 70s, and anything that is modeled after those films I loved as a child instantly grabs my attention.

Based on the most successful racing video game franchise ever, the movie Need for Speed was written to capture the excitement of the game in a real-world setting, while bringing to life the passion for the road. 

While I was really excited to go see the film and do the Q&A afterward, I knew fast {and loud} cars weren't exactly my wife's thing. But, she agreed to go because she loves me so much. Also, I promised to buy her popcorn.

As a general rule I'm not a fan of CGI, but I'm also not a fan of watching millions of dollars worth of cars be destroyed before my eyes. So, while I absolutley love that they focused on doing real driving and stunts for the movie rather than relying on computers, I was also quite relieved to find out they used kit car mock ups for the crashes instead of destroying all the gorgeous cars used throughout the film. 

The director, Scott Waugh comes from a family of stunt men so he really knows what a difference these practical stunts can make to the feel of the movie. And on top of that, as a lover of car movies himself, there are a lot of nods to classic car scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, which I loved.

While I was pretty confident I would love the cars in the movie, I didn't know what to expect from the storyline. I must say I came away surprised at how great it actually was. With elements of friendship, loyalty, revenge, action, and comedy it really was fun to watch unfold. And, best of all, they didn't throw in a bunch of profanity or nudity, so I could even take the kiddos to see it so they can see some crazy driving and get an early start on their love of car films.

The Q&A after the film was also really fun and it was clear to me watching both Aaron and Scott talk that they are really proud of this film and all the work that went into it. The passion that they both had for street racing and for car movies definitely came through in the finished movie in a way many car movies these days seems to be lacking. Here's just a small clip from the Q&A so you can get an idea for what kind of energy they brought to the event.

I bet you're wondering how my wife enjoyed the popcorn, and the answer is that she enjoyed it very much. She also surprisingly enjoyed the film quite a bit and was talking about how much fun she had at the screening. Oh yeah, and she also insisted I include this picture.

 Pictures above {with the exception of the Sir Mix-A-Lot shot} courtesy of 7 On A Shoestring

Excited about the movie? Check out the full-length trailer below where you can see what kind of action is in store for you if you go see Need for Speed on the big screen. I think it goes without saying that this is definitely a movie worth springing for the theater experience. While watching it a home would be fun, nothing can compare to the full theater experience when we're talking this kind of action.

Like Need for Speed on Facebook: Facebook.com/NeedForSpeed

Follow Need for Speed on Twitter: @NeedforSpeed with the Hashtag: #NFSMovie

Visit the website: TheNeedForSpeedMovie.com