The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
DIRTBAG: RETURN OF THE RATTLER (2015)
Run Time: 56:00
FILM MAKERS
Vargas Films is Paolo Asuncion (director, editor) and Rattler Productions is Luis Baptista, Frank Pascual, and Erik Pascual (producers). They have been making moto-centric films and documentaries for almost 10 years. It started with their fascination with motorcycles and the motorcycle culture and the desire to capture the events around them as sort of a video diary – something to watch and look back at when they got older. In many ways, this is still the case as evidenced by their web series – The Handsome Asians Motorcycle Club – where they feature builds, rides, and individuals in the motorcycle community and their stories about life on two wheels.
On a more personal note, there is one reason that Paolo likes to present these films in public. At the beginning of the films, the audience sees a quick montage of a certain person that fades and becomes a logo that says “Vargas Films.” Paolo’s dad was an actor in the Philippines, and his screen name was “Vic Vargas.” Paolo grew up on movie sets but he never really caught the film bug until after his dad passed away. Getting their films screened in theaters is Paolo’s way of putting his dad’s image and his name up on a big screen again. It’s an homage and a thank you, and a way of making Vic Vargas live forever.
SUMMARY
The premise of The Return of the Rattler is simple. Four men decide to participate in the Dirtbag Challenge held annually in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Contestants in the challenge have one month to build a working and rideable chopper for less than $1000. Contestants must then ride the Frankenstein-esque chopper 100 miles without it breaking down. Seems like a simple enough task for seasoned bike builders… But what if one group of contestants had zero experience bike building? What would happen?
The movie is a hilarious look into four inexperienced bike builders as they construct their ‘Rattler’, their custom chopper that started as a beat up Yamaha XS650. Watch as the protagonists cuss, laugh, and argue their way through a unique and fresh learning experience. This movie is not necessarily about the Dirtbag Challenge, but the teamwork and creativity that goes into building a bike.
Dirtbag II features builds from other contestants in the challenge – a Honda CM400 with modified beer bottles for headlamps, a 750 Monster with a girder front end – and encourages viewers to get out there are start creating, regardless of prior experience.
RELATED MEDIA
The full film is available for purchase on DVD on the WEBSITE.