JoBlo gets behind the wheel at the Motion Picture Driving Clinic for the home video release of John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick franchise has done a masterful job from the fine folks at 87eleven Action Design. The fight sequences are always sublime. As are the car chases. And John Wick: Chapter 4 features one of the most memorable ones on the streets of Paris. The scene is an absolutely thrilling moment to watch play out. Whether on the silver screen or the small. And yet, one can only imagine what it would be like to get behind the wheel and do the stunts yourself. And this past Sunday, JoBlo had the opportunity to do just that.
Early Sunday morning, journalists and influencers gathered together, making their way to Rosamond, CA. The group headed over to the Motion Picture Driving Clinic at the Willow Springs Raceway. The second we got off the shuttle, we heard the roar of motorcycle engines racing on a nearby track. This, and the smell of fuel and intense wind added to the excitement. And a little fear for those not used to doing a 180 in our cars. Frankly, the fear turned into excitement pretty damn fast.
Stunt coordinators, Scott Rogers, and Stephen Dunlevy were on hand to chat with the group. The two talked about working with Keanu Reeves and finding the right car for the driver. And Chad Stahelski’s talent as a filmmaker came up. He makes it all work with the experts he brings on creating the levels of action on display. Yet we were all there to get behind the wheel and train. And with the fantastic instructors and professionals behind the MPDC, we had a blast.
The course, typically three days, was given to us in only a few hours. And yes, there was a race for the four of us with the fastest times – I wasn’t one of them. We had training on how to perform an emergency brake lock up and a 180. And shite got real the second we got behind the wheel. It was terrifying to head straight for the wall and punch down on that emergency brake. After “mastering” that, we got into spinning a 180 and I felt the adrenaline rush. The MPDC folks did an excellent job. And driving on the same track Keanu did was pretty rad.
Speaking of Mr. Reeves, if you’re a John Wich fan, you’ll likely want to pick up the Blu-ray or the 4K version of the latest chapter in this badass franchise. John Wick: Chapter 4 is available everywhere!