50 MPH
Get ready for rush hour! 50 MPH is a podcast dedicated to the making and legacy of Jan de Bont’s 1994 summer movie blockbuster SPEED. Across 50 episodes, this one-of-a-kind oral history takes you on a breakneck journey from conception to execution, distribution and beyond. Join entertainment journalist Kris Tapley as he talks to the people who made it happen and discusses their memories of an electrifying thrill ride that defied expectations and became a global, star-making phenomenon. Through conversations with actors, executives, filmmakers, film scholars and film fans, 50 MPH will attempt to secure SPEED’s rightful place in the canon of action cinema on the way to celebrating its fast-approaching 30th anniversary in style. Don’t forget to fasten your seatbelts!
Episodes

3 days ago
17 MPH / The Passengers of Bus 2525
3 days ago
3 days ago
It's high time we met the passengers of SPEED's doomed city workhorse... ALL of them. 50 MPH goes deep into the film's ensemble with insights from the many character actors who filled out Bus 2525.

Monday Sep 25, 2023
16 MPH / Speed and the Action Movie Canon (with Nick de Semlyen)
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
In his new book "The Last Action Heroes," author Nick de Semlyen charts the rise and stall of the '80s action gods. This week 50 MPH talks to de Semlyen about the era that paved the way for SPEED and where Jan de Bont's film fits in the action movie canon.

Monday Sep 18, 2023
15 MPH / Dennis Hopper, Hollywood Hotshot (with Mark Harris)
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
An examination of the Easy Rider himself! 50 MPH talks to journalist and author Mark Harris (Pictures at a Revolution) about the life and times of one Dennis Hopper and what he brought to SPEED.

Monday Sep 11, 2023
14 MPH / The Perfect Foil
Monday Sep 11, 2023
Monday Sep 11, 2023
We still need a bad guy! And we won't get one until two weeks into production. The team recounts the whirlwind search for Howard Payne, a role that would be offered to any and everyone under the sun, from Robert Duvall to Christopher Walken. In the end, the film ends up with American icon Dennis Hopper. Hopper passed away in 2010 but his spirit is kept alive by those who remember him and his impact on SPEED.

Monday Sep 04, 2023
13 MPH / Jeff Daniels Needs a Job
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
We need a bad guy, but it's hard to discuss the villain of SPEED without also discussing the journey of Harry Temple, Jack Traven's LAPD SWAT team partner who, until the big 11th-hour rewrite, was actually revealed to be the mad bomber at the center of the story. Actor Jeff Daniels comes to the table with his memories and experiences as a character actor, at the time, desperate for a career turnaround.

Monday Aug 28, 2023
12 MPH / The Script Doctors Are In
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
With production imminent, the suits at Fox decide the script for SPEED needs a tune-up. In a sprawling, uncommonly candid account that takes you behind the scenes of the screen(re)writing process and the under-the-hood efforts that get a project camera-ready, screenwriters Paul Attanasio and Joss Whedon chime in along with producers Walter Parkes and Laurie Macdonald. All would be uncredited for their considerable contributions to the success of SPEED.

Monday Aug 21, 2023
11 MPH / A Crash Course in Sandra Bullock (with Kate Erbland)
Monday Aug 21, 2023
Monday Aug 21, 2023
From "America's Sweetheart" to Oscar-winning Hollywood titan, Sandra Bullock is the topic of discussion. 50 MPH talks to IndieWire executive editor Kate Erbland about the rise and continued dominance of a beloved actress who commands an audience to this day. And it all started with SPEED!

Monday Aug 14, 2023
10 MPH / A Star Is Born
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Monday Aug 14, 2023
With an action hero in the pocket, an action heroine is in order! But the search for unsuspecting bus-passenger-turned-driver Annie proves to be an exhaustive one lasting up until the brink of production. Hear all about the series of events that led to casting a ready-to-ignite Sandra Bullock.

Monday Aug 07, 2023
9 MPH / The Tao of Keanu Reeves (with Alex Pappademas)
Monday Aug 07, 2023
Monday Aug 07, 2023
It's time to contextualize our star and how SPEED set him up for the action-hero superstardom he enjoys to this day. 50 MPH talks to journalist Alex Pappademas, author of the book "Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant - The Movies and Meaning of an Irrepressible Icon," to discuss the enigmatic persona and his eclectic 40-year career.

Monday Jul 31, 2023
8 MPH / Next Action Hero
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
The search is on for SPEED's leading man. Once again, forget the A-list. John McClane ain't happening, and the studio has its eyes on Topper Harley. The guy from BILL & TED? He wasn't on anyone's wishlist. The team recalls the unlikely casting of Keanu Reeves and the forging of a new action hero.
