Welcome to another episode of Death Don’t Do Fiction, the AIPT Movies podcast! The podcast about the enduring legacy of our favorite movies! This February we’re kicking off our “Fast February” series, where we cover the movies that made Vin Diesel a star and taught the world to live their lives one quarter mile at a time, The Fast & Furious franchise! In this week’s episode, Alex, Tim, and returning guest Bill Mueller discuss the one that started it all, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious!

Limp Bizkit! Ja Rule! Cheesy lines! Chunky boots that would make Guy Fieri jealous! A fittingly quick and entertaining pace! Recognizable Los Angeles locations! Questionable car talk! Exciting new home video technology! Legally purchased DVD players! Overheated manifolds! Reckless contempt for carpooling! Shockingly organized crowds of young, illegal street racers! A guy playing guitar at a party! Product placement for Pizza Hut, Corona, and most-notably, the nitrous oxide brand NOS! A great high-speed heist to open the movie and plenty of (mostly) real stunts and action! Occasional surreal, anime-influenced racing scenes years before the Speed Racer movie came out! A versatile cast of young actors on the verge of stardom, including Vin Diesel with a rare shred of humility, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez laying the foundation for one of cinema's most iconic female action heroes, and Matt Schulze making the most of his very punchable face! A 2001 time capsule which may have borrowed heavily from Point Break, but still has great chemistry between the two leads with some impressive world building and story mechanics, and would surprisingly go on to become one of the biggest and most influential action franchises in movie history!

In addition, Alex shares his spoiler-free thoughts on Spring Breakers, The Beekeeper, Lucio Fulci’s dance-themed giallo Murder Rock, and Sam Raimi’s return to horror, Send Help!

You can find Death Don’t Do Fiction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave us a positive rating, subscribe to the show, and tell your friends!

The Death Don’t Do Fiction podcast brings you the latest in movie news, reviews, and more! Hosted by supposed “industry vets,” Alex Harris and Tim Gardiner, the show gives you a peek behind the scenes from two filmmakers with oddly nonexistent filmographies. You can find Alex on Twitter, Bluesky, or Letterboxd @actionharris. This episode’s guest, Bill Mueller, can be found on Bluesky. Tim can’t be found on social media because he doesn’t exist. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Death Don’t Do Fiction crew, they can be reached at aiptmoviespod@gmail.com, or you can find them on Twitter or Instagram @aiptmoviespod.

Theme song is “We Got it Goin On” by Cobra Man.