7 Car Movies To Rev Your Engines Ahead Of ‘Furious 7’ Premiere

There are still a few days left before "Furious 7" rolls into theaters. Want to know what to watch while your engine idles? Check out a few of these classic films, which are chock-full of car chases, crashes and fender benders. Family is not included.

1. “The French Connection,” Netflix
Don’t try driving like this in New York. The William Friedkin caper stars the angriest Gene Hackman ever seen in a movie and a pre-“Jaws” Roy Scheider as two detectives trying to bust an international drug ring.

2. “Bullitt,” Amazon Instant
This 1968 classic is one of the most popular car movies in the genre. Starring Steve McQueen as a cop assigned to bodyguard duty, this movie rolls up and down the San Francisco hills in style with classic American muscle cars. (The very same favored by Vin Diesel’s character in the “Fast and Furious” series.)

3. “Mad Max,” Amazon Instant
The rugged Aussie landscape is no match for Max (Mel Gibson) when he must avenge his loved ones' deaths in the grimy low-budget 1979 movie that started a franchise. Definitely catch this one again before “Mad Max: Fury Road” hits theaters in May.

4. “Death Race 2000,” Amazon Instant
David Carradine must race for his life in the not-too-distant future, where the national sport tallies points by its fatalities. Keep an eye out for a pre-“Rocky” Sylvester Stallone.

5. “The Italian Job,” Amazon Instant
Michael Caine wasn’t always the source of sage advice as he is in the “The Dark Knight” series. In the 1969 comedy “The Italian Job,” he’s a bumbling con man struggling to pull off a heist. The 2003 remake starring Mark Wahlberg is available on Netflix, but I have a bit more of a tender spot for the original.

6. “Weekend,” Hulu+
Daring to try something a little artier than your average car movie? Give this absurd 1967 Jean Luc Godard vehicle a spin through a zany premise and many, many car crashes.

7. “The Blues Brothers,” Amazon Instant
Jake. Elwood. Sunglasses. Mission from God. This 1980 movie starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi has so much to offer, including some of the best car chase sequences in movie history. Bonus: Before “Furious 7” dropped cars from planes, “The Blues Brothers” dropped Illinois Nazis off an interstate. “Do you see the light?”

What car movies are you watching before “Furious 7” opens in theaters this Friday? Share your picks in the comments section below!