The Vintagent Selects: The Ice Knights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiUx1X3Gml0

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

THE ICE KNIGHTS (2021)

Run Time: 9:34
Director: Sergey Roy
Photography: Michael Shegulin
Editor: Vito Rubtsov
Key Cast: Peter Tyushkevich, Egor Stepanizhov, Mikhail Kholodov

FILM MAKERS

“Life should be a journey to the grave, not with the intention of arriving safe and in a beautiful, well-preserved body, but rather to drive in with a skid, in clouds of smoke, completely exhausted and worn out, loudly proclaiming - This is a trip! ” Hunter S. Thompson

THE ICE KNIGHTS is a long-awaited video about a trip to Lake Baikal last spring. Three knights, three motorcycles, three last days of ice on a magical lake. Many thanks to everyone who supported the team!

SUMMARY

"We always had love for the motorcycles. Building bikes, traveling, doing MX, but flat track was a real game-changer for us. We built three flat trackers: a Soviet-era IZH Planet Sport, a Triumph T120R, and a KX450 DTX, and found an old speedway track 300kms away from Moscow. As the Summer season is only about three months in Russia, we also discovered Winter ice track racing, which is a great fun actually. So that’s how we got to Lake Baikal. The world's biggest and deepest fresh water lake, in East Siberia near Mongolia, with a perfect flat ice in Winter, where they hold a motorcycle mile festival (something like Bonnevile Salt Flats but ice!).  Lake Baikal is one of the top 10 must-see destinations in Russia, we always wanted to get there but for various reasons it didn’t come to the point. This time everything worked out perfectly.

We had a flat track event in Moscow with Motul, “In Dust We Trust”. The only flat track in Russia. So we loaded all 3 bikes to our Sprinter and drove 800kms from Saint Petersburg to the capital. The fun thing that our mechanics Rodion and Alexander are brothers and were born in the small place - Tarasa, 2 hours drive from Irkutsk (big city two hours drive from the Baikal), and due to the Covid situation here they haven’t been home for a while. A 5100kms trip from Moscow to Baikal wasn’t a big deal for those two.

Got couple of first places and the next day after the event Rodion and Alex headed east. Peter, Mikhail and Me (Egor), Video and Photo guys decided to take a worst you can imagine (six hour flight with non-folding seats and no meal) to meet our mechanics on the spot. Just before the flight my buddy sent me a video of 2 heavy trucks drowned under the ice on Baikal but it didn’t change my attitude much as the trip to Baikal was postponed couple of times and we decided to go.

We landed in Irkutsk rented a car and drove down to the lake. It is a middle of a spring and the whole way down the road we were watching the fast, clean river on the right and we laughing that it would be a great swim and a long flight home) later locals told us that even when its -50 the river looks the same way) But there was sense in our joke when we got to the place Listvyanka (small village on the bank of the Lake) where we decided to stay. We passed the place where trucks drowned, that’s kind of a scary thing you don’t want to see when you are planning to have fun on the track. Ice wasn’t that crystal blue and wasn’t easy to slide. It was about +10C and it was melting. Still conditions were good, but the time was against us as the ice was already soft.

Locals were talking stories of people falling in thawed patches and seriously warned us not to ride out. In winter there Is a highway on ice and about 600 cars drown each year. But we had bikes locked and loaded and nothing could stop us. 2 days of sliding nonstop. The ice situation got worse every hour and after I almost got caught in the huge crack we decided to stop!  It was scary like hell hearing all the breaking noises under the wheels but it was worth it.

We made some shooting, got really good images and definitely had some fun. Some breakdowns that we managed to fix right on the ice thanks to Rodion and Alex, but that’s what you always have when you deal with old bikes) The last day we decided to spent with guys parents’ house they were super kind to shelter our squad and we felt the full power of Russian hospitality and national dishes)

Baikal has its own energy. Don’t know how to describe it, but when you see it you can feel its mighty power. These expanses, snow-capped mountains in the horizon. I think that’s why this place is full of legends and spiritual things, it’s a real mecca of Shamans and Buddhists (official religions in this place). We plan to get back here next winter to slide its hard and cold ice."

- Egor Stepanizhov

RELATED MEDIA

IG @anker_racingteam


 

 


The Vintagent Selects: The Poster Maker

https://vimeo.com/560195513

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

THE POSTER MAKER (2021)

Run Time: 6:19
Director: John Christenson
Director Of Photography: Eric Schleicher
Editor: Joseph Mcmahon
Key Cast: Lorenzo Eroticolor

FILM MAKERS

John Christenson is a photographer and director who's exhibited his own work in both solo and group shows in the US and Europe.  He is also the founder and curator of the traveling art show Oil&Ink which brings together some of the best artists working in 2D art with a focus on the motorcycle scene.  John's passion for motorcycles, film and art has brought him all over the world meeting and making some lifelong friends.

SUMMARY

One of those friends is Lorenzo Eroticolor who is the artist featured in this short film titled 'The Poster Maker'.  Lorenzo has been a part of the Oil&Ink show from the beginning and has become a great friend.  I had the idea to shoot a short film based on the life of an artist and it only seemed natural to feature Lorenzo in the first film.

The film was shot in and around Paris documenting the life and art of Lorenzo.  His life and art are completely intertwined which shows through in the posters he creates.  Lorenzo prints his work with Nicolas Draeger, a 6th generation master printer in his shop Anthese Lithographie in Paris.  The story I set out to tell in this film was to give a glimpse into Lorenzo's life and his passion for not only the artwork he creates but also his family, friends and of course motorcycles. - John Christenson

RELATED MEDIA

John Christenson / Oil&Ink Expo
Lorenzo Eroticolor



The The Vintagent Premier: Earned: The Story Of Keith Hale's Ducati 750SS

https://vimeo.com/559597864

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

EARNED: THE STORY OF KEITH HALE'S DUCATI 750SS (2021)

Run Time: 27:32
Producer: Moto Borgotaro
A Film By: Roberto Serrini
Key Cast: Keith Hale, Peter Boggia, Tim Parker

FILM MAKERS

'Earned' is a collaboration between two long time friends. Serrini, a filmmaker "reinventing the genre of motorcycle films, with people who are truly lovely", and Boggia, a professional mechanic specializing in rare and European motorcycles, and owner of Moto Borgotaro. Read more about the duo HERE, watch their 2015 film Moto Borgotaro HERE, and keep an eye on Italy In Bocca... because there's always a motorcycle.

SUMMARY

Director Roberto Serrini’s documentary about Keith Hale and his singular, continuous ownership 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport.

The Ducati 750 Super Sport was the first of it’s kind. A factory race bike that the public could buy. Only 401 examples were produced and every one built was personally supervised by Fabio Taglioni. When Keith Hale first heard the sound of the 750 SS in 1974, he knew he had to own one at all costs. Although only 22 years old at the time, even then he knew it was not just another motorcycle. After taking out a bank loan and begging the Fresno, CA dealership to sell him their only 750 SS in 1975, he went on to use this race bike like no other before him, or since.

The prices have skyrocketed in the last 15 years for these incredible motorcycles, and are often kept in garages never to be used again. Keith’s bike represents the unmatched excellence of a period in motoring history, unto itself. This was the era that gave birth to the modern sportbike — more robust high revving engine, open exhaust, better braking, and looks that rival any Lamborghini or Ferrari.

This is the story of the 100,000 mile race bike that has been in continuous ownership for 47 years.

RELATED MEDIA

Film Website

Roberto Serrini

Moto Borgotaro


 

 


The Vintagent Selects: All The Pretty Things

https://vimeo.com/547803591

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

ALL THE PRETTY THINGS (2021)

Run Time: 6:23
A Film By: Roberto Serrini
Producer: Moto Borgotaro
Key Cast: Oliver Rassinoux, Scarlet Capella, Keith Hale's Ducati 750SS

FILM MAKERS

Consider this an experimental teaser for the documentary 'Earned: The Story Of Keith Hale And His Ducati 750SS'. Like two sides of a coin, these films are worlds apart, but joined as one. Enjoy!

SUMMARY

We must not forget one thing about Keith Hale’s 750ss… it’s a motorcycle. While his story is poignant, soulful and singular, we wanted to celebrate this bike for the very same reasons he dedicated his life to it; because it’s cool as hell.

While we had the philosophical origin story of this amazing machine we were missing the passionate fun it inspires when you are around it, so I wanted to capture that bon-vivant attitude in a little bright film filled with all our favorite things. Inside you’ll find handmade helmets, vintage drink caddies, and rare, whimsical watches. All objects like Keith’s bike that generate smiles and wonder. These objects are as much characters as the wonderful people in the film, all of which have dynamic, interesting stories, none of which acting is considered part of their repertoire. These are just all very pretty things, hence the title.

Ever story has two sides to it. For this bike there is rich and wonderful human connection along with a pure and simple joy of being around it. Sometimes you need two stories to tell such a gigantic, wonderful tale.

RELATED MEDIA

Earned: The Story Of Keith Hale And His Ducati 750SS

Roberto Serrini

Moto Borgotaro


 


The Vintagent Classics: Angel Unchained

https://vimeo.com/557383905

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.

ANGEL UNCHAINED AKA HELL'S ANGEL UNCHAINED (1970)

Run Time: 1:26:00
Director: Lee Madden
Key Cast: Don Stroud, Luke Askew, Larry Bishop, Bud Ekins

FILM MAKERS

Just remember man. Speed kills.

Catch motorcycle stunt man Bud Ekins himself, as 'Speed' in this oddball biker flick classic.

SUMMARY

I’d ask you what a good pacifist would do, but I don’t care

The film opens in an amusement park. Bikers riding teacups… classic. Until it of course spirals into a brawl. Angel, the VP is tired of gang life. He leaves his colors at the park, for Shotgun to take on, and hits the road. At a small town gas station, the local cop is hassling some hippies. Angel takes their side and the cop backs off. One of the girls, Merilee, offers him food at their commune nearby, in trade for a ride on his bike. He obliges. Angel likes the commune… and Merilee. He chops wood, works the crops, skinny dips, and even learns to pot. It seems like paradise. Until all of a sudden, the commune is overrun with rednecks on dune buggies! They give the group one week to get out of town. Angel tries to talk to the locals, but it doesn’t go so well, so he heads back to the one place he didn’t want to go… his old biker bar haunt, looking for backup.

He invites the boys up to the country. He tells them of the cowboys vs hippies dilemma. After a bit of friendly ribbing, the boys agree to help out and everyone hits the road to the commune. The bikers settle in and all seems groovy… until they get into the special stash of hallucinogens that is. They get greedy of course, and want the recipe for Whamo (special cookies) but the hippies refuse. Shotgun’s got Angels ex old lady as a mamma now, but that doesn’t stop him from making the moves on Angels new old lady Merilee. He doesn’t get far and the biker on biker feuding starts to build tensions. They want out but they’re not leaving without those ‘special cookies’.

But when the Dune buggy riding, lasso looping cow-pokes send a message to the commune by roughing up one of the girls, a plan is devised to give the bike gang the Whamo if and only if they stick around long enough to fight the cowboys. Cut to dune buggies vs scrambler dirt bikes in the desert… and the fight is on! In the end, the hippies wins the war against the rednecks. The bikers are paid in Whamo and Angel is free to stay on at the commune to learn the art of pacifism with his old lady. - Corinna Mantlo for Cine Meccanica

RELATED MEDIA

Read more at Cine Meccanica

Watch the FULL MOVIE


 

 


The Vintagent Selects: Stanley Woods The Movie

https://vimeo.com/423711758

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

STANLEY WOODS THE MOVIE (1992)

Run Time: 49:12
A Film By: Alistair Spence for the BBC NI
Narrator: Robert Hardy
Cast: Stanley Woods

FILM MAKERS

Aired on the BBC in 1992.

SUMMARY

A look at the life of the legendary Isle Of Man TT, 10 time winnerStanley Woods.

RELATED MEDIA

A Chat With Stanley

Stanley Woods & Patricia


 


The Vintagent Selects: Halcyon #110 "At close of day..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUjNzhbxzuk

The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.

HALCYON #110 "AT CLOSE OF DAY..." (2021)

Run Time: 2:34
Read By: Dan M. | Halcyon 250 #110
Creative Director: Grant Longenbaugh
Cinematography: Ryan Blaske, Jordan Swartzendruber
Editor: Ryan Blaske

FILM MAKERS

At Janus Motorcycles, we make simple, beautiful machines that are a joy to own and ride. We draw on the Northern Indiana spirit of manufacturing to create a personal, unique, and relatable product. We utilize our global marketplace to source reliable, tried-and-true components. We build to order and sell directly to our riders, cultivating a connection with each and every owner.

SUMMARY

Dan is a dear friend, Halcyon owner, Vietnam Vet, widower, and an all-around badass. In this Janus feature, listen to him read "Do Not Go Gentle" by Dylan Thomas.

Special thanks to the Dylan Thomas Trust

RELATED MEDIA

Website

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The Vintagent Classics: Born Losers

https://vimeo.com/574410053

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.

BORN LOSERS (1967)

Run Time: 1:53:00
Director: Tom Laughlin
Writer: Elizabeth James
Key Cast: Tom Laughlin, Elizabeth James, Jeremy Slate

FILM MAKERS

Born Losers introduced Tom Laughlin as the half-Indian Green Beret Vietnam veteran Billy Jack. Since 1954, Laughlin had been trying to produce his Billy Jack script about discrimination toward American Indians. In the 1960s he decided to introduce the character of Billy Jack in a quickly written script designed to capitalize on the then-popular trend in motorcycle gang movies. The story was based on a real incident from 1964 where members of the Hell's Angels were arrested for raping two teenage girls in Monterey, California.

SUMMARY

Billy Jack is introduced as an enigmatic, half-Indian Vietnam veteran who shuns society, taking refuge in the peaceful solitude of the California Central Coast mountains. His troubles begin when he descends from this unspoiled setting and drives into a small beach town named Big Rock (Morro Bay). A minor traffic accident in which a motorist hits a motorcyclist results in a savage beating by members of the Born Losers Motorcycle Club. The horrified bystanders (including Laughlin's wife, Delores Taylor, and their two children in cameo roles) are too afraid to help or be involved in any way. Billy Jack jumps into the fray and rescues the man by himself. At this point the police arrive and arrest Billy for using a rifle to stop the fight.

The police throw Billy in jail and the judge fines him heavily for discharging a rifle in public. He is treated with suspicion and hostility by the police. Meanwhile, the marauding bikers terrorize the town, rape four teenage girls (Jane Russell plays the mother of one of the girls), and threaten anyone slated to testify against them. One of the girls, played by Susan Foster, later recants, saying she willingly gave herself to the biker gang. (Foster would go on to play a larger supporting role in Billy Jack.)

Co-scriptwriter Elizabeth James plays Vicky Barrington, a bikini-clad damsel-in-distress who is twice abducted and abused by the gang. The second time, she and Billy are kidnapped together. After Billy is brutally beaten, Vicky agrees to become the gang's sexually compliant "biker mama" if they release Billy. At the police station, Billy is unable to get help from the police or the local residents and must return to the gang's lair to rescue Vicky by himself.

Billy, armed with a bolt-action rifle, captures the gang, shoots the leader (Jeremy Slate) between the eyes in cold blood, and forces some of the others to take Vicky, who's been badly beaten, to the hospital. As the police finally arrive, Billy abruptly rides away on one of the gang's motorcycles.

The anti-authority sentiment continues up to the end when a police deputy accidentally shoots Billy in the back, mistaking him for a fleeing gang member. He is later found, nearly dead, lying by the shore of a lake. He is placed on a stretcher and is flown to the hospital in a helicopter as Vicky and the sheriff give him a salute.

RELATED MEDIA

Read more at Cine Meccanica



The Vintagent Classics: No Limit

https://vimeo.com/542857697

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.

NO LIMIT (1935)

Run Time: 1:20:00
Director: Monty Banks
Writer: Walter Greenwood
Key Cast: George Formby, Florence Desmond, Howard Douglas

FILM MAKERS

No Limit is a British musical comedy starring George Formby and Florence Desmond. The film, which was directed by Monty Banks, was made on location at the TT motorcycle race on the Isle of Man. It was the first of eleven films that Formby made with Associated Talking Pictures.

Although Formby had already made two moderately successful films (Boots! Boots! and Off the Dole), No Limit was the film that put him on the road to stardom. It is still regarded as one of his best and funniest, featuring good songs, humorous scenes and numerous stunts.

SUMMARY

George Shuttleworth is convinced that he has the talent to win the Isle of Man TT races, despite what his neighbours back home in Wigan may think. During the trials, the brakes go on George's bike, 'The Shuttleworth Snap', which he made himself. As a result, he breaks the TT lap record, becoming an instant motor-cycling star. As the big race approaches, George soon realises that other jealous riders will stop at nothing to make sure he does not take part in the race. An early George Formby film and probably his best.

Bikes: Real motorcycle manufacturers are not referenced in the film, and instead contemporary motorcycles were customized and given fictitious names. For example, Formby rode for the "Rainbow Motorcycle Company" on a 1928 AJS H5 that had been modified and 'streamlined' by his character to become the Shuttleworth Snap. Other bikes that were used include a 350cc Ariel that had been flown to the Isle of Man, partly dismantled, in a de Havilland Dragon Rapide.

Stunts: Many of the racing scenes in the film were performed by motorcycling riders from the Isle of Man such as brothers Bertie and Harold Rowell. They were paid £75 per day for their appearances. Members of the Peveril Motor Cycle Club also carried out some of the stunts, including Cyril Standen who crashed into the front-door of the Ballacraine Hotel and the crash into the river at Sulby. Jack Cannell also featured as a stunt rider wearing bib number 15.

Harold Rowell ended up performing more of the rider scenes than any other member of the Peveril Motorcycle and Light Car Club. At one stage members of the club, engaged in the stunts, staged a walkout in order to gain a better financial deal. They were originally offered £2 per day, but they subsequently discovered that the two professionals and a number of less experienced riders were being paid £20 per week, plus accommodation at the Majestic Hotel.

Formby did perform some stunts himself including the scene where his character weaves in and out of his rival's machines on the Cronk-y-Voddy Straight. At the climax of the film, Formby needs to win the race by pushing his bike the final 500 yards to the winning line. In the scene used in the film, Formby is seen collapsing. This was real; after doing 15 takes in hot weather, he fell down and a doctor was requested.

RELATED MEDIA

Watch the full film on The Vintagent VIMEO channel HERE



The Vintagent Classics: Spare A Copper

https://vimeo.com/540836233

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.

SPARE A COPPER (1940)

Run Time: 1:17:00
Director: John Paddy Carstairs
Key Cast: George Formby, Dorothy Hyson, George Merritt

FILM MAKERS

“Lucrative... convoluted... unwieldy and overly complex... squandered”, says Vic Pratt of the British Film Institute“Everything percolating as it should,” says ‘Alliwell.

This film was definitely lost to history as far as motorcycle movies goes...and we're thrilled to have finally tracked it down. While there is no trailer available, we've compiled the best of the motorcycle cop, Hell Rider, Wall of Death bits in the clip above. Sideways police chase in the Motordrome... yes please!

SUMMARY

A right bleedin’ berk in the War Reserve police force struggles along to make the grade, meets a girl, fails the flying squad motorcycle test spectacularly, gets utilized by saboteurs, goes on the run, saves the day (and the Wall Of Death), and gets the girl, as well as the motorcycle (with sidecar).

RELATED MEDIA

Watch the FULL FILM on The Vintagent Vimeo channel.



The Vintagent Trailers: Walter: The Missing Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHHvOfoRrZc

The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.

WALTER: THE MISSING LINK (2021)

Run Time: TBD
Producer/Director/Screenwriter: James Cutting
Editor: Chris Frenthway
Motion Designers: Scott Powell & Mauricio Torres Alvarez
Key Cast: Micheal Schuster, Jean Davidson, & Jon Davidson-Öeflein

FILM MAKERS

From its inception, the Walter documentary has been fueled by the fascinating story of the 1913 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Truck Forecar known as Walter. The Schuster family of southeastern Wisconsin owned Walter for nearly a century.

The project was kick-started with the meeting of Michael Schuster and James Cutting in 2013 on Walter’s own centennial. Over the years of their friendship, the project evolved as they strived to share this special machine with as many enthusiasts as possible. It eventually inspired the production of a feature-length documentary, supported by the enthusiasm of many friends of Walter.

The documentary is a production of The Edge Ltd., an independent production company founded in 1989 by James Cutting. A talented team of primarily Wisconsin-based production professionals has been committed to this exciting project. James is a forty-year award-winning producer/director/screenwriter veteran in film and video production. A passion for motorcycling has motivated his interest in producing motorcycle-related projects for decades. His last documentary, Hogslayer: The Unapproachable Legend, was released in 2011 to rave reviews.

Walter’s transfer to a new caretaker from the Schuster family became an integral part of the documentary storyline. Due to Walter’s rarity and unique attributes, an international effort was engaged to find a suitable home for this artifact of motorcycle culture. At times, this development dictated the production timeline but once the new caretaker took ownership of Walter, the documentary transitioned into its final phases of production.

Walter: The Missing Link will be released in 2021 with a premiere in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, followed by other theatrical showings.

SUMMARY

Walter: The Missing Link chronicles the life and times of a remarkable motorcycle affectionately known as Walter™

Walter is a feature-length narrative documentary featuring Walter, a 1913 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Truck, and his former caretaker Michael W. Schuster. This is truly an extraordinary barn-find story that tracks Walter's service mission delivering on the streets of old Milwaukee, then through forty years of desolation while stored in a horse barn, and finally his rebirth many decades later through a meticulous restoration by Ally Schuster and his grandson Michael. Walter ultimately became an acknowledged motorcycle artifact recognized as the last-known Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Truck in existence. This remarkable motorcycle's story and the related experiences of those touched by him have delighted enthusiasts and inspired us all to embrace our past and forge relationships for our future.

 

RELATED MEDIA

Website
Friend Walter on Facebook



The Vintagent Classics: Run, Angel, Run!

https://youtu.be/sTsc7yFe4mo

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us. 

RUN, ANGEL, RUN! (1969)

Run Time: 1:35:00
Producer: Fanfare Films
Director: Jack Starrett
Editor: Richard Compton (story), Jerome Wish (screenplay - as Jerry Wish)
Key Cast: William Smith, Valerie Starrett, Dan Kemp

FILM MAKERS

Director Jack Starrett is known for his complex ‘B’ movies, including several other ‘biker flick’ classics The Losers (1970), and Race With The Devil (1975) that go above and beyond the genre standard. Run, Angel, Run! was shot in 13 days.

A bit of Biker Flick trivia, the gang that appears in the film, also appears in ‘The Losers’ (1970) and ‘Werewolves on Wheels' (1971).

SUMMARY

Angel, a member of a tough motorcycle gang roaming the Southwest, gets on offer from a major news magazine. In exchange for giving the magazine a big scoop by exposing the inner workings of his gang, the magazine will pay him $10,000. Angel takes the offer, although it means he and his girlfriend must now go on the run from cyclists looking for revenge. Along the way, they hide out with a sheep farmer, earning their keep by taking care of the farm and building a new life together.

RELATED MEDIA

Read more at Cine Meccanica

Check out the title track from the Tammy Wynette Soundtrack



The Vintagent Classics: The Losers

https://youtu.be/BCy4ZDiNFSg

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us. 

THE LOSERS aka Nam's Angels (1970)

Run Time: 1:35:00
Director: Jack Starrett
Writer: Alan Caillou
Cast: William Smith, Bernie Hamilton, Adam Roarke

FILM MAKERS

It's The "Dirty Bunch" on Wheels!
Director Jack Starrett is known for his complex 'B' movies, including several other ‘biker flick’ classics Run, Angel, Run (1969), and Race With The Devil (1975) that go above and beyond the genre standard.

A bit of Biker Flick trivia, the gang that appears in the film, "The Devil's Advocates" also appears in 'Run, Angel, Run!' and 'Werewolves on Wheels (1971)'.Incidently, Director John Milius is quoted as saying that this film was a "big inspiration for Apocalypse Now".

ART IMITATING LIFE: On 19 November 1965, Sonny Barger the "Maximum Leader" of the Hells Angels motorcycle club sent a telegram to President Johnson offering the Angels as "gorilla fighters" (sic) in the Vietnam War. Though the President turned them down, the idea became 'Nam's Angels' (later renamed The Losers) made in the Philippines using sets and crew from 'Too Late the Hero'. Listen to Sonney reading that telegram to Pres. Johnson HERE.

[/one_half]

SUMMARY

NY Times film review, Aug 6, 1970
Screen: 'Losers' Arrives: Motorcycle Gangsters at War in Vietnam
Sooner or later it was bound to happen a picture about American motorcyclist supermen pitted against the Vietcong on enemy terrain. Brought together overseas by a wary Army command, these five super-tough civilians include two veterans of Vietnam. Their mission is to rescue a Presidential adviser held captive in a remote village.

RELATED MEDIA

Read more at Cine Meccanica

Watch the Full Film



The Vintagent Classics: Race With The Devil

https://youtu.be/F1BcmecKUVk

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us. 

RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975)

Run Time: 1:28:00
Producer: Saber productions, 20th Century Fox
Director: Jack Starrett
Writer: Lee Frost, Wes Bishop
Key Cast: Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit

FILM MAKERS

Director Jack Starrett specialized in hugely enjoyable down-'n'-dirty low-budget drive-in exploitation pictures. His first two were the 'biker flick' classics Run, Angel, Run (1969), and The Losers (1970). Both these films are worth a watch as they add a bit more depth to the genre than most.

SUMMARY

"Peter Fonda and Warren Oates are burning their bridges and a lot of rubber... on the deadliest stretch of road in the country!"

Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, star as a couple of dirt-track racers who pack up their bikes and their wives and set out on an RV vacation. Looking to get away from it all, they pass up cookie cutter camp sites in lieu of a secluded spot deep in the woods. Little do they know when they drop the landing gear however, that this grotto has already been booked by … a Satanic cult for a ritual of human sacrifice. They soon find out that “If you’re going to race with the devil, you’ve got to be as fast as Hell!”.

RELATED MEDIA

TUNE IN! Watch the FILM live on Sunday, March 14th, 2021 at 7pm

Rent/Buy on YOUTUBE



The Vintagent Trailers: 972 Breakdowns

https://vimeo.com/429279670

The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.

972 BREAKDOWNS (2020)

Run Time: 1:50:20
A Film By: Leavinghomefunktion & Daniel von Rüdiger

FILM MAKERS

Alongside director, Daniel von Rüdiger, we have spent the last year puzzling together 500 hours of raw footage: Canons, GoPros, drone shots, handmade animations, typography, narration, subtitles… the whole package! 972,000 decisions later, our production journey has reached its end. A total of 165,500 film frames have been chosen in an attempt to turn cinema seats into sidecars, taking visitors on a 43,000 kilometer journey across the world!

And as you may have noticed, we really love numbers… which is also fitting our choice in working with the band 0101 for our soundtrack! Imagine the rhythm of an old and lousy kickstarter, constantly hitting the exhaust pipe … Imagine the >>click click<< of the turn signals, and imagine some dusty wind blowing tumbleweed over the endless road … Daniel von Rüdiger and Stefan Carl set our film’s anti-western stage with their original motion picture soundtrack “972 BREAKDOWNS”. More info at www.0101.wtf

SUMMARY

On The Landway to New York

When plans collapse things start to get interesting…! Welcome aboard the Ural 650: A charming yet moody Russian motorcycle which will take us over land to New York city. For the next 40.000 kilometers we’ll keep pushing, pulling and fixing looking for the point where we can’t go on…

Through our Breakdown Theater we come in contact with the strangest mix of people around the globe. Pulled, pushed and towed – with their help we always get a bit further… until the next breakdown!

RELATED MEDIA

Leavinghomefunktion

Daniel von Rüdiger

972 Breakdowns IG and FB



The Vintagent Trailers: The Wall

https://vimeo.com/514312834

The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.

THE WALL (2021)

Run Time: 1:15:00
A Film By: Stéphane Gautronneau
Key Cast: Capt Donald Ganslmeier, El Clemente, Peter Petersen, The Flying Dutchman

FILM MAKERS

"I'm not a factory of images, I prefer to bring back only one photo. My images speak of a disappearing world. "

Stéphane Gautronneau is a self-taught photographer, filmmaker, and an adventurer. He began his career assisting some of the most famous fashion photographers, and now regularly contributes to magazines and daily newspapers such as Vogue, Glamour US, Paris Match, Air France Magazine & Madame, The World, Liberation, The New York Times, Vanity Fair US, Harpers Bazaar UK, Stern, The Guardian, and The Independent.

As an Ambassador for the BMW Motorrad brand, he opened many routes like Perth-Sydney; Paris-Goa; Istanbul-Kathmandu; Buenos Aires-Atacama, Paris-Vladivostok-Lisbon.

If he travels in sometimes extreme conditions - under a tent, on a motorcycle, on a glacier - it is to capture intact landscapes. He gives time another dimension, that of being an important component of each shot.

SUMMARY

The Original Motodrom is the oldest traveling Wall Of Death in the world. Built in 1928, it will soon be a 100 year old circus. The four “Motorellos” Capt Donald Ganslmeier, El Clemente, Peter Petersen, and The Flying Dutchman are keeping the soul of these machines alive by riding The Wall Of Death to entertain hundreds of thousands of people. For them, the same passion still burns.

Shot over five years - June 2015 to August 2020 - 'The Wall' gives viewers a rare, in depth look into a disappearing profession and way of life. Beautiful and at times heartbreaking, we see through the expert eye of filmmaker Stéphane Gautronneau how the passion of these riders alone is what keeps the Wall Of Death alive today.

Updates on the release of this much anticipated feature length documentary at film festivals around the world will be announced later this year. Stay Tuned!

RELATED MEDIA

Website: Stéphane Gautronneau

IG: @stephanegautronneau

Website: Original Motodrom

IG:@originalmotodrom



The Vintagent Classics: Roustabout

https://vimeo.com/513991987

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us. 

ROUSTABOUT (1964)

Run Time: 1:41:00
Producer: Wallis-Hazan
Director: John Rich
Writer: Anthony Lawrence, Allan Weiss
Key Cast: Elvis Presley, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Freeman, Charles Thomas - Stunt Rider

FILM MAKERS

Elvis Presley as a Roving, Restless, Reckless, ROUSTABOUT!

Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is a leather-jacketed biker who's fired from a singing engagement after getting into a fight with a group of college toughs. While riding his cycle - a Honda 305 Superhawk - to the next gig, an irate dad runs him off the road when he flirts with his daughter. He's forced to take a job as a "Roustabout" with a traveling carnival until his bike can be fixed. The carnival is run by a tough old broad, a broken-down drunk, and his nubile daughter. Along the way, Charlie (who's got a chip on his shoulder about being an orphan) somehow learns about family values from this vaguely dysfunctional one. A scheming rival carny shows up, based on the legend of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's real-life manager.

SUMMARY

Elvis quickly embraces the carnival life and even tries his hand at the Wall Of Death! It's long been rumored that Elvis did his own stunts including the lap on the wall that ends in a nasty crash, but in fact it was Charles E. Thomas who rode as his stunt double on a Harley Scat 175cc. In real life, Thomas owned and operated the Motordrome featured in the film, and his picture can be seen just above 'Elvis's' head (in the black and white lobby card). Thomas passed away a year later.

The Roustabout soundtrack album was number one on the Billboard Albums Chart, which was a great accomplishment in that it reached number one during the peak of Beatle Mania and the British Invasion.

The title song, Roustabout is the one everyone remembers. However Elvis also recorded another song for the film called "I'm a Roustabout". "Roustabout" was picked and "I'm a Roustabout" was never released. The song was recently discovered and was released as a bonus track on a CD in 2003. Listen to it here: I'm a Roustabout

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Watch Roustabout on Amazon



The Vintagent Classics: Death Riders

https://vimeo.com/507636348

The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us. 

Death Riders (1976)

Run Time: 1:28:00
Director: Jim Wilson (as James Wilson)
Key Cast: Henry Trumblay, Bud Boerma, Joe Byars

FILM MAKERS

This film is respectfully dedicated to all whose daring feats cost them their lives.

Jim Wilson's only Directorial credit brings us a wonderful behind the scenes look at the life of a traveling daredevil troop as they criss-cross the country with a motorcycle rodeo clown named Squeeks, performing their “Death Riders Motorcycle Thrill Show” at local fairs. The film is absolutely endearing and brings to mind On Any Sunday (1971) meets Jackass, in the best possible of ways.

SUMMARY

The best part of the Death Riders thrill show…is to stay alive!

Flaming walls, long jumps over anything and everything, including fair going fans and even the inhabitants of a nudist colony. The suspense is surprisingly nerve wracking as these riders take their lives in their hands to pull off death defying, hilariously named stunts. The Death Riders work hard and play even harder. Downtime is spent taking cowboys up on challenges to ride the bull, carnival rides with pretty local girls, and taking the bikes out in the dirt of the vast American deserts. The film even documents Larry Man making a new world record jumping 45 people off a 2 foot ramp.

The director of photography for Death Riders, Vilmos Zsigmond also shot Sugarland Express and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and it’s the photography that really makes this film great. Long wistful shots of American landscape, close up shots of adoring fans on the edge of their seats in the bleachers, and pensive silent moments of the boys before they put their necks on the line. The soundtrack is also wonderful. If anyone compiles it before me, please let me know!

Soundtrack: Sunshine Baby – Terry Stafford / Broken Bones – Tommy Cash / The Glory Train – Pat Boone / Live for Now – T.G Sheppard / Death Rider – Dorsey Burnette / Junkyard Serenade – Porter Jordan / The Love of My man – Diane Jordan / Highway Country Blues – Kenny Seratt / I Hate to Drink Alone – Jerry Naylor / Sunny Side Up – Terry Stafford.

RELATED MEDIA

Read more at Cine Meccanica

Buy the DVD at The Video Beat