The Vintagent Classics: TRON Legacy
https://vimeo.com/416512932
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
TRON LEGACY (2010)
Run Time: 2:05:00
Producer: Steven Lisberger
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writer: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
Key Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde
FILM MAKERS
Tron: Legacy is a 2010 American science fiction action film directed by Joseph Kosinski, in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, based on a story by Horowitz, Kitsis, Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal. It is a sequel to the 1982 film Tron, whose director Steven Lisberger returned to produce. The cast includes Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner reprising their roles as Kevin Flynn and Alan Bradley, respectively, as well as Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen. The story follows Flynn's adult son Sam, who responds to a message from his long-lost father and is transported into a virtual reality called "the Grid," where Sam, his father, and the algorithm Quorra must stop the malevolent program Clu from invading the real world.
SUMMARY
The only way to win is to survive.
The son of a virtual world designer goes looking for his father and ends up inside the digital world that his father designed. He meets his father's corrupted creation and a unique ally who was born inside the digital world.
TRON: Legacy is the sequel to TRON (1982) which featured the iconic Light Cycles designed by Syd Meade. In the new film, the Light Cycles were brought to life for a new generation by German concept designer and artist Daniel Simon.
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The Vintagent Trailers: Take None Give None
https://vimeo.com/114283778
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
TAKE NONE GIVE NONE (2015)
Run Time: 3:36
Producer: Gusmano Cesaretti, Kurt Mangum & Bruno Sere
Director: Gusmano Cesaretti & Kurt Mangum
FILM MAKERS
Gusmano Cesaretti, is a self-taught photographer and artist from Lucca, Italy. A resident of Los Angeles since 1969, Cesaretti has been capturing the sound, light, and emotional tenor of his adopted city through the lens of his camera. Cesaretti first began photographing the Chosen Few over 20 years ago and in 2011, he teamed up with photographer Kurt Mangum who moved to Los Angeles from New York City in 2008. Together they tell the motorcycle club’s story by creating an in-depth portrait of this community of bikers in South Central.
SUMMARY
Take None Give None follows the story of the outlaw motorcycle club the Chosen Few. Based in South Central Los Angeles they are the oldest interracial club of it’s kind. After a series of raids by the LAPD in 2011 the club is at odds with itself, the city of Los Angeles and a local news media set on defaming their reputation. It tells the story of a complex family on the verge of change and takes a nostalgic look into the history of a motorcycle club through the eyes of some of it's founding members.
Gusmano Cesaretti began photographing the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club over 20 years ago. With the help of new technologies available for documentary filmmaking, he teamed up with photographer, Kurt Mangum and a group of talented professional cinematographers to capture in light, motion, sound and words the experience and the lifestyle of the oldest integrated outlaw motorcycle club in the United States.
During the four years of filming, the club experienced many changes — from the mounting tensions and differences between members, to the raiding and seizure of their historic South Central clubhouse by the Los Angeles Police Department. This film hopes to offer a ground level, unfiltered and unbiased look at what it means to be one of The Chosen Few.
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The Vintagent Selects: Globe Of Death
https://vimeo.com/189050258
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
GLOBE OF DEATH (2017)
Run Time: 6:14
Director: Pedro and James
Director of photography: Malte Rosenfeld
Production company: Autobahn Productions
Producer: Thais Altman
Edit: Pedro and James
Colorist: Jim Bracher at The Mill
Score: Russ Chimes
Sound design and mix: Patch Rowland at Final Cut
Additional music: Hems
Graphic design: Duncan Edwards
FILM MAKERS
Directed by Pedro and James (Autobahn), they met Lucius through their passion for motorcycles. ‘We were mesmerized by how incredibly visual the act is and thought that combined with his life story it was a perfect subject for a film’.
With photography by DP Malte Rosenfeld, color grading by Jim Bracher at The Mill, and sound design by Patch Rowland at Final Cut, the film is a look into Lucius’ life and all he has gone through during 30 years of riding motorcycles in the Globe of Death.
Shot on RED with anamorphic lenses from Cooke Optics and Kowa.
SUMMARY
‘Globe of Death’ is the story of Lucius Zafalon, a daredevil motorcycle rider that risks his body in the pursuit of the perfect globe of death act. Through all the challenges and difficulties he has never stopped focusing on his art. It is what defines him and what he has lived his whole life for.
An act of raw beauty with precise flowing lines that defy the laws of physics, they create an awe inspiring ballet that mesmerizes anyone who dares to keep their eyes open.
For Lucius and his team The Globe of Death is not just an act, it is their lives.
The Globe of Death is a stunt that dates from the beginning of the 20th century. One of the oldest patents for the mesh sphere ball was filed in 1904.
Different to the Wall of death (popular in the UK) where the riders ride only on the horizontal, with the Globe of Death multiple riders can race in any direction at the same time.
The Globe of Death gained popularity in Latin America and some of the best acts comes from Brazil. What makes a good Globe of Death act isn’t just how many motorcycles the team can fit inside the Globe, but also the beauty of their riding lines. The synchrony between the riders and the team’s particularities, such as riding in the dark and opening the Globe in half sets Lucius’ team apart.
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The Vintagent Selects: Morto's Motos
https://vimeo.com/334035055
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
Morto's Motos (2019)
Run Time: 3:32
A film By: Matthew Edgar & Mike Jacobs (A Life Authentik)
Sound Design & Music By: Jackson Roe
Thanks to: Neil Morto Olson & Gina Olson
FILM MAKERS
A Life Authentik in its most simple form encompasses two people on a photographic and cinematic road trip from Alaska to Patagonia. We founded ALA in an attempt to merge two passions into one lifestyle: photography and travel.
SUMMARY
For a few days, we were lucky enough to hang out with him and check out his motorcycles. “Morto’s Motos” is a glimpse into the life and home of an avid collector with a passion for motorcycles.
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The Vintagent Trailers: Fast & Left
https://vimeo.com/325353361
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
FAST & LEFT - A FLAT TRACK FILM (2019)
Run Time: TBD (full film to be released in 2019)
A Film By: Evan H. Senn
FILM MAKERS
Evan H. Senn is a Camera-Operator and Editor residing in Wichita, Kansas.
SUMMARY
This film started by my love of Flat Track racing and is dedicated to the riders who keep this wonderful sport alive.
It is an entirely self-funded film that once completed, I would like to post online for free. Any donation would help to make this film possible.
Thank you for helping me to tell this story.
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The Vintagent Classics: Take It To The Limit
https://vimeo.com/410251210
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT (1980)
Run Time: 1:35:00
Director: Peter Starr
Writer: Charles Michael Lorre, Peter Starr
Key Cast: Alan Oppenheimer, Terry Seabrook, Larry Huffman
FILM MAKERS
An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Peter Starr’s list of motorcycling accomplishments is nothing short of awe inspiring. From racing motorcycles and working for the Triumph marquee; to hosting and producing innovative radio programs; to award-winning films, television commercials and developing groundbreaking specialized camera equipment, penning articles for the world’s top motorcycle magazines, and producing and directing over 40 films, many available through Starr Film, Peter Starr can be found at the forefront of our cultural renaissance of motorsports.
With five decades of motorcycling, professional road racing, and international touring under his belt (helmet?!), Peter has been in step with, and responsible for, some of the most important developments in them all. Among Starr’s groundbreaking firsts: in 1980 he was the first to mount a film camera on a motorcycle during an AMA National Race; in 1985 his live broadcast from the AMA National-Duquoin Mile for ABC Wide World of Sports was the first; and, the Peter Starr Motorcycle Show was the first national television series on motorcycling.
His most famous feature film Take it to the Limit (1980) has received awards at international film festivals. Furthermore, Starr’s films have won an additional 12 international awards, and his radio programs have been honored with New York International Radio Programming Awards.
SUMMARY
A peek into the life of motorcycle riders and racers of the era. The film covers speedway, desert racing, road racing, hill climb, grass track, drag racing, trials, sidecars, dirt track and motocross in the 1970s.
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BUY the DVD direct from Peter Starr on his WEBSITE
The Vintagent Selects: Tom Fugle
https://vimeo.com/channels/565274/98770248
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
TOM FUGLE (2014)
Run Time: 8:00
DIRECTOR: Scott Pommier
PRODUCER: Andrew Norton
ASSISTANT EDITOR Patrick Barfoot
ORIGINAL SCORE: Jonn Ollsin
FILM MAKERS
Scott Pommier is a writer, director and photographer based in Portland and Los Angeles. His early work focused on an under 30 subculture of skateboarding motorcyclists. Some of these photographs have since become iconic in the custom culture scene. In his film work, Scott takes an understated and natural approach to portraiture that seems to fit his choice of subjects perfectly.
SUMMARY
Longtime bike-builder Tom Fugle is one of the founders of the El Forastero outlaw motorcycle club, which was established in 1962 and who's members included the artist Dave Mann.
Tom's builds are unique and beautiful, and in this short film by Scott Pommier (updated with an added epilogue), we follow the artist as he completes a chopper for the Born Free 6 motorcycle show.
Tom's work has been featured at shows including Born Free, The Brooklyn Invitational, and Mooneyes Japan. He was also a central character in the film '21 Days Under The Sky'. Tom passed away in 2016, and Pommier reminds us that it was only "after years of toiling in relative obscurity and near poverty Tom's work is at last getting some recognition."
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The Vintagent Selects: the Wall of Death
https://vimeo.com/32493819
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
THE WALL OF DEATH (2012)
Run Time: 14:07
A Film By: Benedict Campbell
Score: Solebay Music
Cast: The Ken Fox Troupe Wall Of Death
FILM MAKERS
‘I am passionate about the image and therefore I will use every means available to me to create the image...’ – Benedict Campbell
With 20+ years experience in advertising as a photographer and digital artist, Benedict Campbell has produced images for many of the worlds leading brands. He is renown for combining his skills as photographer and digital illustrator to create bold and often hyper-real images.
As a visual chameleon, Benedict is able to draw from a wide range of styles. From the muted and tonal simplicity of a well-lit photograph, to the lush, sensual gloss of a computer generated image, the end product is guaranteed to leave an imprint on the mind.
SUMMARY
“I believe that I’m one of the few lucky people on earth that do what they want to do,” - Ken Fox
Shortlisted for the best documentary in 2012 Vimeo Awards. The Wall Of Death follows the last remaining traditional family of daredevil wall riders, The Ken Fox Troupe, who continue to travel Europe and the British Isles bringing a 100 year tradition to audiences young and old. Benedict Campbell first saw the show as a small boy and the film which he wanted to make for some time, beautifully captures the emotion and a connection to the riders that is contagious.
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The Vintagent Trailers: Outcast Forever
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/outcastforever/164028871
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
OUTCAST FOREVER (2016)
Run Time: 1:21:00
A film by: DeVaughn Hughson
FILM MAKERS
As a filmmaker my goal is to tell stories that move the viewer in unexpected ways. I am personally drawn to stories that present bigger then life characters and then dig deeper into the persona. These stylistic choices can be found in the Outcast story where we reveal layers of complicated identities and a complex surrogate family structure.
SUMMARY
In 1969 a group of rebellious black bikers decided that freedom, non conformity and brotherhood were not exclusive to whites only. At the time (and still today) blacks were not permitted to join white outlaw biker clubs, so out of necessity the Outcast M.C. was born.
This documentary is an in depth look into their world and the unapologetic lifestyle they live. Filmed over the course of six years, Outcast Forever is a raw visual exploration that rips through the mystique and presents a unfiltered experience of a subculture within a subculture.
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The Vintagent Trailers: Oil In The Blood
https://vimeo.com/316605817
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
OIL IN THE BLOOD (2019)
Run Time: 2:00:00
Producer: Lucy Selwood
Director: Gareth Maxwell Roberts
Cinematography: Josh Allen, Matt Broad, Andrew David Watson
Production Manager: Sophie Haines
Editor: David Hartley
Logistics Support & Therapist: Megane Huez
Sound: Nick Walker
Cast: Max Hazan, Paul d'Orleans, Roland Sands, and more.
FILM MAKERS
‘Oil in the Blood’ is a documentary feature film on the contemporary custom motorcycle culture. The film is directed by life-long biker Gareth Maxwell Roberts and produced by Lucy Selwood.
SUMMARY
The philosophy of individualism is embedded in motorcycling. The desire to be different and unique, is at the root of the motorcyclist’s imagination. Modifying, customising, and changing bikes is at the very heart of the biker. Custom motorcycle culture has experienced a renaissance in recent years, and what was once a niche subculture now bears a significant influence on the international mainstream motorcycle industry.
Over the last three years, Gareth and Lucy have interviewed nearly three hundred bike builders, riders, journalists, artists and racers; the very heartbeat of this culture. They’ve communed with like-minded souls in Britain, Europe, Japan, Australia, The Far East, Africa and the US. They’ve spoken to major manufactures Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Royal Enfield, Ducati and BMW.
Lucy and Gareth have filmed at both The Bike Shed London and Paris, The Malle Mile, Wheels & Waves in Biarritz, The Trip Out, The Brooklyn Invitational, The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride in London and New York, Throttle Roll in Sydney, Indian Larry’s Block Party, Dirt Quake, Snowquake, The Malle Mile and The Trip Out in rural England, The One Moto Show in Portland, Mama Tried in Milwaukee, Mooneyes in Tokyo, and The Handbuilt Show in Austin.
The film-makers filmed a collaboration between Harley Davidson and maverick bike builders El Solitario in the Sahara, flat track racing in dusty bowls and indoor arenas, ice racing in Wisconsin and in the Alps, and the American Wall of Death in the Texas sun. They’ve shot dozens of cool custom bikes being ridden through the urban streets, the twisting mountain roads, through the rolling green countryside and the scorched flat plains. They’ve filmed choppers, café-racers, flattrackers, sprint bikes, electrics, old school specials and urban brats, hundred-thousand dollar pristine beauties and five hundred buck rippers.
This is not a film about motorcycles, it’s about motorcycle people.
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The Vintagent Trailers: Hellbound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbipngdTPXQ
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
Hellbound (2018)
Run Time: 1:08:00
Producer: Ben Winston
Director: Ben Winston
Writer: Ben Winston
Cast: Kyle Colton, Jon Meeks, Trudy Walker, Paige Barlow
FILM MAKERS
Ben Winston's feature film debut about two reckless bikers on a provocative, nightmarish journey through the mountains. Shot entirely on black and white 16mm film. It invokes the aesthetic of the classic films of the 1970s.
SUMMARY
A preview to my new film Hellbound. All shot on black and white 16mm film. I cant afford true telecine at the moment so here is some rough footage that I projected on the wall and shot with a video camera.
I knew I wanted to make a black and white film from the get go. I thought about what subject matter would best suit this medium and decided old choppers and naked witches was the only option.
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The Vintagent Classics: Taken For A Ride
https://vimeo.com/305122627
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
TAKEN FOR A RIDE (1923)
Run Time: 1 minute 45 sec.
Director: Robert 'Bobby' Tansey (?)
Key Cast: Easter Walters, Bob Tansey, 1922 Excelsior-Henderson with sidecar!
FILM MAKERS
Bob Tansey had a long career in films starting around 1922, when this film was made. He initially made a go of directing comedy films like this one, but found better success writing for films in the 1930s, mostly B-Westerns with Tex Ritter. Tansey's first films ca.1922/3 are obscure today, and little is known about 'Taken For a Ride'.
SUMMARY
This charming short features three characters: presumed director Robert 'Bobby' Tansey, motorcycle stuntwoman Easter Walters, and a 1922 Excelsior-Henderson with a sidecar. These two joyriders encounter the motorcycle after bursting out of a store, and take it for a ride...but are in turn 'taken for a ride' by the bike with a mind of its own. Easter Walters shows her obvious skill handling a sidecar outfit, aviating the wheel and performing tidy u-turn skids, while Tansey's antics counterpoint her riding skill in this silent short film.
Motorcycles were primarily used for their agility and kinetic energy in early films, long before they acquired the menace of the 'Dark Rider' syndrome after WW2. Comics like Tansey and Buster Keaton found two (or three) wheels ideal for fast-moving stunts, and Easter Walters rode in several films, her unexpected skills at handling a big motorcycle utilized as its own thrill factor. See our article 'The Silent Types' for more.
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The Vintagent Selects: Catalina Grand Prix: A Love Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCisEq9cbzM&t=2s
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
CATALINA GRAND PRIX: A LOVE STORY (2011)
Run Time: 18:05
A Film By: Toast
Cast: Rick Carmody & Elsie
FILM MAKERS
From an interview for the Motorcycle Film Festival (2013)
I always try to make film more sensory by using texture, motion and focus as layers. A film shouldn’t just be just a window that you look through, but light and shadow veils that you can move through… Kind of like the difference between driving a car past a dirt field with the windows rolled up versus being on a motorcycle- then you can smell that it’s actually a strawberry patch!
Rhythm is a valuable tool. Songs are for story telling. I do a lot of in-camera editing. Having a song in my head helps me keep a sense of pace. Cutting to music in the edit room is like collaborating with an old friend!
I enjoy Super 8 for it’s graininess. It’s also a small format that is portable. You know, hidden easily if you have to throw it in your backpack and take off on your bike! A lot of additional personality comes out of the images by altering the speed, double exposing or by making adjustments in the processing.
Hand-developing can be a great tool for the right project. The great thing about film is that there are so many steps along the way during which you can add flavor to the recipe!
SUMMARY
In December 2010, the Catalina Grand Prix was held on a California Island for the first time in over 50 years. Top motorcycle racers from around the world were invited to compete. Although road racer RICK CARMODY had never lined up to compete in motocross, he knew he wanted to participate in this historic event; ideally on a vintage bike. He got the chance when he met ELSIE, a 1974 Honda Elsinore CR125M. Together they took on the challenge: destined for either Glory or Heartbreak...
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The Vintagent Selects: Shutter Speed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJkBc8dv84&feature=emb_title
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
SHUTTER SPEED (2011)
Run Time: 7:00
Producer: The Selvedge Yard
A Film By: Toast
Cast: Stacie B. London
FILM MAKERS
From an interview for the Motorcycle Film Festival
I always try to make film more sensory by using texture, motion and focus as layers. A film shouldn't just be just a window that you look through, but light and shadow veils that you can move through... Kind of like the difference between driving a car past a dirt field with the windows rolled up versus being on a motorcycle- then you can smell that it's actually a strawberry patch!
Rhythm is a valuable tool. Songs are for story telling. I do a lot of in-camera editing. Having a song in my head helps me keep a sense of pace. Cutting to music in the edit room is like collaborating with an old friend!
I enjoy Super 8 for it's graininess. It's also a small format that is portable. You know, hidden easily if you have to throw it in your backpack and take off on your bike! A lot of additional personality comes out of the images by altering the speed, double exposing or by making adjustments in the processing.
Hand-developing can be a great tool for the right project. The great thing about film is that there are so many steps along the way during which you can add flavor to the recipe!
SUMMARY
The Selvedge Yard presents: a film by Toast. Featuring photographer Scott Pommier and East Side Moto Babe Stacie London. This behind-the-scenes short was commissioned to accompany an exhibition of photographs by Scott Pommier in March 2011. Shot with a Minolta XL601 in Black & White Tri-X and Velvia color Super 8. Music by Makkusu Ensemble, Paper Tulips, Jake LaBotz and Jimbo Goodall.
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The Vintagent Selects: Assembling A Black Shadow 1/12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHit7WU95Ik
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
ASSEMBLING A BLACK SHADOW 1/12 (2018)
Run Time: 4:06
A Film By: Tom Grigat
Music: "Parzival" from William Rosati
FILM MAKERS
Scale modelling, Stopmotion, 3D-Animation and Music-Video-Experiments
SUMMARY
A short stop motion story of a little plastic guy who builds his own motorcycle in my man cave: The Vincent Black Shadow from Revell in scale 1/12. I had the chance to film his attempts of getting a cool bike. His girlfriend eventually took some pictures of the finished motorcycle. Apparently some magical invisible hands were involved... The figures are mannequins from Body Kun The colors are from Alclad II (black, chrome, alu, coatings) Some cylindrical details are replaced by rods and tubes from Albion Alloys (f.e. the exhaust system, the wheel spokes, suspension rods, brake linkage).
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The Vintagent Selects: Isle of Man TT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMqESWtvzsU
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
ISLE OF MAN TT (2018)
Run Time: 18:21
Director: Chris Kippenberger
FILM MAKERS
Studio Kippenberger assembles the worlds leading automotive filmmakers to bring us Isle Of Man TT.
SUMMARY
A tribute film to all the fallen heros of the Isle of Man TT race since 1907. A look at what drew them to the race and kept them there.
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The Vintagent Selects: The MC Collection Of Stockholm // Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycles 2019
https://youtu.be/kvvA1-2vRSg
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
THE MC COLLECTION OF STOCKHOLM (2018)
Run Time: 24:29
Producer: Mecums Auctions
Key Cast: Christer R. Christensson, Paul d'Orleans
FILM MAKERS
For more than 50 years, Christer R. Christensson has been collecting motorcycles, resulting in a world-renowned collection that is both extensive and representative of the very best of the best when it comes to motorcycle design and technology.
SUMMARY
Working alongside his colleague, Ove Johansson, and his highly skilled team of restorers, Christensson has built the MC Collection of Stockholm into a more than 400-motorcycle presentation that establishes the motorcycle not merely as a machine, but as a contemporary work of art and mechanical sculpture
When the Las Vegas auction rolls around this January, one thing’s for certain: motorcycle enthusiasts will have a rare opportunity to take home a piece of this unique and renowned collection with 238 motorcycles from the MC Collection of Stockholm set to be offered on Friday, January 26.
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To view more information and photo of the collection, click HERE.
The Vintagent Classics: The Loveless
https://vimeo.com/304728586
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
THE LOVELESS (1981)
Run Time: 1:22:00
Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery
Writer: Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery
Key Cast: Willem Dafoe, J. Don Ferguson, Robert Gordon
FILM MAKERS
THE LOVELESS: WAY BEYOND TORN UP
‘The Loveless’ remains much as its title suggests – unloved and unknown outside a core few who consider it an amazing motorcycle film. The first-time feature for Kathryn Bigelow, who went on to earn two directing Oscars for her meditations on Iraq (Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty), The Loveless bombed at theaters when released in 1981, but showcased Bigelow’s genius twenty years before the Academy realized who they were dealing with.
Ms Bigelow, who co-directed with Monty Montgomery, had clearly studied Kenneth Anger shorts during her film school days, as The Loveless is a visual homage to Anger’s uncanny eye; he understood better than anyone at time - and schooled generations of filmmakers and ad men – that the cine-camera has the power to transform any object into an Icon. While Scorpio Rising brewed up a mind-altered gay/Satanic/biker bacchanal (fueled by the first explicit use of powdered amphetamine in a biker film), Anger’s raw honesty (these were his gay biker buddies in real life) is locked and loaded in Bigelow’s hands for a shotgun blast at Happy Days (the #1 TV show at that time) and Reagan-era lobotonostalgia.
SUMMARY
The storyline is a Southern highway collision of Easy Rider with the Wild One, upping the ante on both films with talk of jailhouse ‘joybangs’, and darkly Faulknerian family drama. The film opens with Willem Dafoe as Vance, in his first big screen role (after being fired from Heaven’s Gate!), an intimidating, greasy, and ultrasexy biker sleeping like Satan in the wilderness, right beside his Panhead. ‘I wasn’t going to be no man’s friend today’, the movie begins, and he shortly proves his point when encountering the mythic Thunderbird from American Graffiti - with, appropriately, a flat tire – complete with a round-heeled beauty waiting for a Real Man to rescue her. Vance is a real man all right, and sees through George Lucas’ cliché script, taking his payment from the Thunderbird goddess in a way we don’t expect.
Vance’s gang soon appears, complaining that a primary chain has snapped; they need to make repairs, so are stuck in a no-name truck-stop town in Florida, en route to Daytona for the bike races. We learn the gang is recently sprung from prison, and tension quickly builds with the locals, echoed by Robert Gordon’s smokin’ Rockabilly soundtrack, as he plays himself, sort of, as Davis, well amped on ‘vitamins’ poured – in a quote from Scorpio Rising – from a salt shaker. The dialogue is as curt and as stylized as the art direction, loaded with Americana and period quotations; yes, you’re in 1962 America … where lynch-mobs cool off with a Coke and a smile.
Vance is soon distracted by a sexy little vixen in a red Corvette, the seriously underage Telena (Marin Kanter, next seen in The Fabulous Stains), who reveals the car as a guilt-gift from her father (J.Don Fergurson as the deliriously despicable Tarver). When Vance meets Telena, the film explodes with anal sex, shotgun blasts, incest, boys with pink underpants, murder, drag races, strippers, and suicide.
Somehow, Bigelow managed to keep these B-movie Bikesploitation plot points firmly steered towards the Art House, while the whole wicked machine flew right over the heads of critics and unsuspecting viewers alike. It still does. The Loveless is triple-clever, deserving multiple viewings to savor the spare dialogue, gorgeous visuals, amazingly hot Willem Dafoe, and superb soundtrack. Watching it, you’ll feel just like Sportster Debbie after a drunk trucker goes down on her – unwashed and nasty, but knowing it was good. - Paul d'Orleans
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Watch the full film at Cine Meccanica
