The Vintagent Online Premiere: We Ride
https://vimeo.com/746347664/d0afa37a18?share=copy
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
WE RIDE (2023)
Run Time: 14:24
A Film By: Romain Thomassin
Editor: Angelita Mendoza
Key Cast: Jane Love, Agata Dabkowska, Lanakila MacNaughton
FILM MAKERS
The Vintagent featured the trailer for 'We Ride' back in 2023. Two years later, we couldn't be prouder to present to you the ONLINE PREMIERE of 'We Ride'. Enjoy!
Romain is a French director and producer based in San Francisco whose work focuses primarily on non-fiction. He recently directed "Fear and Loathing in San Francisco" a short documentary about Hunter S. Thompson's early years in the Bay Area, aired on the French cultural TV channel ARTE. Before moving to California, Romain lived in Brooklyn, working as a Director and Creative at VICE Media, where he shaped a keen eye for subcultural movements, authentic characters and untold stories.
SUMMARY
Leaning down the curves and speeding through traffic, low in the saddle of their Harley choppers, a new generation of riders is hitting the road... Motorcycles have long been considered the property of men, in real life as in popular culture. Amongst them: the outlaws of the Motorcycle Clubs, once described with surgical precision by gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in his first book: Hell’s Angels (1967). Juxtaposing Hunter S. Thompson's writings about male biker gangs in the 60s, with contemporary stories of women motorcyclists, We Ride questions the persistent stereotypes in motorcycle culture.
The film was granted the rights to use Hunter S. Thompson’s cult classic Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs by his estate and his wife Anita, who created the Gonzo Foundation dedicated to promote literature, journalism and political activism through the writer's legacy.
French actress, singer and musician Vanessa Paradis - the famous interpreter of "Joe le Taxi" -also granted the rights to use her killer track "Ma Pétroleuse" as the soundtrack of this joyride.
The film premiered at HotDocs in Toronto, Canada in 2023, followed by screenings at TMMF motorcycle film festival and the Dubaï Moto Film Fest.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Selects: The Drixton
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
CTXP: THE DRIXTON (2025)
Run Time: 57:03
Producer: Revzilla Common Thread XP
Director: Spenser Robert
Editor: Jesse Schuntz, Spenser Robert, Stephen Gregory
Key Cast: Ari Hemming, Zack Courts, Spurgeon Dunbar
FILM MAKERS
How far would you go to save your dad’s favorite motorcycle? In this episode of Common Thread XP, Ari and Zack are on a mission — from a barn in New Hampshire to the Barber Motorsports Museum — to get Todd Henning’s famous Drixton Honda out of boxes on a shelf and back on a race track.
Read the Common Thread article by Ari Hemming about his father and the project here.
SUMMARY
Todd Henning was the king of vintage racing in the 1990s, taking around 50 victories at Daytona alone. He was best known for his self-tuned, home-built Drixton Honda CB450 that beat far more exotic racers. This film follows his son Ari and friends as they bring Todd's bike back from a dismantled wreck to race at Barber. From Revzilla's 'Common Tread' series.
Common Thread XP Youtube Playlist
The Vintagent Selects: Moto Guzzi 100 Years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21ff4ntlm4Y
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
MOTO GUZZI:100 YEARS DOCUMENTARY (2021)
Run Time: 20:00
A Film By: Moto Guzzi
Key Cast: Greg Lynn, Luca Franciosa, Roberto LaFranconi
FILM MAKERS
100 years of iconic motorcycles, 100 years of long hours of work imbued with passion. 100 years of brilliant talents and amazing designs. 100 years of authenticity, 100 years of stunning bikes. This is our history, this is Moto Guzzi.
SUMMARY
A friendship between two aircraft pilots and one mechanic turned into a century-old business within the motorcycle industry. Despite one of the friends being killed in an airplane accident, the two other friends carried on with the dream. The Moto Guzzi factory is located in Mandello del lario, Italy. Over the past 100 years, thousands of locals have worked in the factory, situated idyllically along the shores of Lake Como. For two-wheeled visitors, it’s become customary to stop in Mandello and take photos of Guzzi bikes in front of the “red gate” at the entryway to the Moto Guzzi’s facility.
RELATED MEDIA
Want even more history? Read Moto Guzzi 100 Years
The Vintagent Selects: Girl Meets Bike
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkrexqIKmMs
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
GIRL MEETS BIKE (2013)
Run Time: 1:43:00
A Film By: Eric Tretbar
Key Cast: Ruth Menard, Melissa Pizarro, David Engler
FILM MAKERS
GIRL MEETS BIKE is the 7th feature film by Minneapolis-based Eric Tretbar. His films have won the audience award at the Berlin Film Festival, received an Independent Spirit Award nomination (the indie Academy Awards), and aired on the Sundance Channel, German TV, and NBC. They've also screened in competition at world festivals, including London, Athens, Sao Paulo, Warsaw, Seattle, Toronto, Rivertown, Orlando, Vienna, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Los Angeles Independent, The American Film Institute, and The Walker Art Center.
Eric is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and musician, scoring much of his film music, and drumming for Minneapolis and L.A. garage/R&B/punk outfits THE FUNSEEKERS, THE SPECTORS, THE RED HEARTS and FRIENDS LIKE THESE. Eric also teaches film production and history at Carleton College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Girl Meets Bike screened at the first annual The Motorcycle Film Festival in 2013. The MFF (RIP) was Founded by Corinna Mantlo and Hosted by Paul d'Orleans. Girl Meets Bike is now available to watch online. see link below.
SUMMARY
Danger, defiance, desire. Kat buys her first bike with her wedding dress money and rides into a new circle of motorcycle friends who are attracted but threatened by her newfound independence.
As she learns to ride, her new friends vie for her affection, stirring jealousy and long-buried emotions. In her stubborn quest for freedom, Kat must interpret their constant offers of advice: are they subtle forms of control? Or crucial knowledge, without which she might get herself killed?
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the FULL FILM
The Vintagent Trailers: One More Time
https://vimeo.com/649573473?turnstile=0.qUm5KJ6LBgbSy2vCdosEVGXe-ABP5hTDZeEN_mA--l5odaKnQ_PNVrufqpKmDM55KOe5GIrM06hIHxBPEGxErUgwriXcjCaA8qHIT7_mx45QjnDXdIT73XnRjmM2iRzkq6Q6rlpHQZnu4qptxPieZ6Nv66ANo646S7_FnisCA69BL8EnqFoOzaJfgMDrqn5r40GsvBAvyu3sq7dhqZmNAO1OCVMlw2Zfdah4irtUtTWgOyBlJ2G6h8YJzozD0IhUObsCQj0zmuhJBbpBXcngYmxi7mqBMW2PsnpQtiyGI_d1TmsuOXDvqV2GJqXSlLEb7hQ-eziSBAyz0Me-ZWzmBQTv5on3jgII85iRjA8ie11imkkBL9nfPZGSecarL53jWepEWcfKLE8Ak17az0GMH8BhPbZnSbmzHpCr1Ugid70QbvWaBii36x2mOpDKcWZB2pU1bh0ICEzi0ojcPs6BXU_k-Mnu4Yfa8RgdrzmNfTs9-lO25ia3chqyAwBNTxYddphY0I0X2I9TP6BUi9XtpAaBS8g2hPlU-Uqgt6NIZQg12lKY4zAe3-CG2l4ptx3Q_EnznKJIOF2Girn66Ol4SKkx9PK358QcVzGW8XpjiSdLd7kpbw7XiH8aXVP-ZwG-QoGy6x5HcFu_bhBKONFMFByIN6b8i5wKLZ9AZBikoru6hqJTbLbM7Yy0Tm7aNzbDRor7BE_d1Umyqr26oZRM93oZlUyx5So4wJjmIuPELX6WyChu5qRpUj7Va7tOfbSvFiQOU4CvbQYN6j6-Wf-X149YJ9RkeXlGCbRpre_vHo_mhMw8uTsBQPtnUu4bZEMc8akHAoZypsp7K_oKaSEedDxCpwJZpCAIrwyYZlF3-RvC9QKW7JC-iGQYxA2MFhFk.ifGxDYa1ClVgrxyksSfscw.821ea807fced29cf1011a79620548968290e2c4307c8730bfed22591da819b98
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
ONE MORE TIME (2021)
Run Time: 1:01:00
A Film By Tommaso Montaldo
Key Cast: Piercarlo Borri, Vincenzo Borri
FILM MAKERS
Tommaso Montaldo studied communication and new media in Italy, then worked in the video industry as a freelance filmmaker. In 2016 he attended Prague film school to study cinema, focusing on the direction of documentary. "I love documentary films because of the possibility of living another life for a short time, telling true stories is my objective." One More Time is available to watch on Amazon Prime in Italy, but not yet in the United States.
Another film made about the Borri brothers is Bonneville Brothers (2023).
SUMMARY
The Borri brothers wrote the history of Italian motorcycling. Between 1960 and 1979 they won 84 races and 5 Italian titles in the uphill speed championship. Thanks to their talent as pilots and mechanics, they have earned the esteem and respect of generations of enthusiasts.
In 2018, now almost eighty years old, they participated in Speed Week in Bonneville, Utah, the most important competition in the world of absolute speed on wheels. Their dream was to secure the speed record in the 50cc motorcycle category, racing on a motorcycle built and modified in their workshop in Italy, and thus write their name also in the history of world motorcycling.
The documentary shows how youth does not depend on age, but on the ability to accept challenges and pursue one's dreams.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Trailers: Bonneville Brothers
https://vimeo.com/901227864
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
BONNEVILLE BROTHERS (2023)
Run Time: 8:00
Producer: Ramingo Produzioni
A Film By: Tommaso Magnano
Key Cast: Piercarlo Borri, Vincenzo Borri
FILM MAKERS
Tommaso Magnano founded Ramingo Produzioni as an audiovisual arts collective that creates original productions investigating art and contemporary society. Bonneville Brothers is currently not he film festival circuit with no online release date announced.
SUMMARY
Bonneville Brothers is a black-and-white short film by Ramingo Produzioni that tells the story of the Borri brothers, two Italian motorcyclists, through storytelling without dialogue. The film shows the brothers building, racing, and setting a world speed record at Bonneville. Their story is also the subject of the documentary One More Time (2022).
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Trailers: The Glory Of Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_J_OnIcSRQ
The Vintagent Trailers: A preview of our favorite feature films out there.
THE GLORY OF LIFE (2024)
Run Time: 1:38:00
Producer: Tempest Film, Lotus Film, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF)
Director: Judith Kaufmann, Georg Maas
Writer: Georg Maas, Michael Gutmann, Michael Kumpfmüller
Key Cast: Henriette Confurius, Sabin Tambrea, Manuel Rubey
FILM MAKERS
“...I ride my motorbike a lot, I bathe a lot, I lie naked in the grass by the pond for a long time. I’m in the park until midnight with a girl I’m in love with in a complicated manner...” - Franz Kafka to Max Brod, 1907
Kafka rode a motorcycle? His letters allude to a love of motorcycling, though no details or photographs remain. But where history ends, fiction thrives. In the novel, 'Bridget Jones's Diary' by Helen Fielding (1996) and the subsequent film of the same name, the obscure fact becomes the title of a manuscript that passes through the publishing house where Bridget Jones works. "Will whoever has thoughtlessly removed the edited script of KAFKA'S MOTORBIKE from my desk PLEASE have the decency to return it immediately." The contents of the book are not revealed, but must be compelling as Jones is invited later that year to a "glittering literary launch of 'Kafka's Motorbike'. Following the film's success, fans picked up where the book and film left off and fact turned fiction became lore. Google "Kafka's Motorbike" and you'll discover that it is "the greatest book of all time".
"Franz Kafka: novelist, insurance broker...motorcyclist? Marking the centenary of the writer's death, Ivan Margolius uncovers some of his little-known connections to the world of motoring." - The Automobile
Now, one hundred years after Kafka's death, Ivan Margolius confirms In his article 'Kafka's Motorcycle' published in the January 2025 issue of 'The Automobile', that Kafka did indeed ride for leisure and encouraged others to do the same, but that the connection went deeper. In the article, Margolius explores Kafka's work in the burgeoning insurance industry where having studied as a lawyer, he was employed by day to support his writing. Kafka's work there, says Margolius, directly "contributed to the establishment of motor insurance in Austro-Hungary", an assignment that he seems to have sought out and embraced. The article is fascinating and well worth the UK postage.
SUMMARY
The last year in Franz Kafka's life and its surprising love story.
In this emotional, elegantly realized romantic historical drama, filmmakers Georg Maas and Judith Kaufmann sensitively sketch the last year in the life of novelist Franz Kafka and the love he experiences with Dora Diamant, a Polish Jewish woman he meets on holiday at the Baltic Sea. Stricken by tuberculosis, the 40-year-old Czech writer is suddenly facing the unthinkable—happiness—at the moment that his health is most dramatically failing him. After a mutual instantaneous attraction, the two move in together in Berlin, but when he must relocate to a sanatorium in Austria, Dora makes the decision to join him, bringing joy to his final days. Starring Henriette Confurius and Sabin Tambrea as the tragic lovers, The Glory of Life, adapted from an acclaimed book by German writer Michael Kumpfmüller by the same name, takes an uplifting approach to its material, telling its story with dignity, humor, and poignant joy.
In NYC? The Film screens tomorrow, Feb 27th at Lincoln Center as part of the New York Jewish Film Festival. buy Tickets HERE.
RELATED MEDIA
Read The Glory of Life, by Michael Kumpfmüller
Read Franz Kafka!
The Vintagent Selects: On The Roam: Revival Of The Rumble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDXHs8ZJlBc
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
ON THE ROAM: REVIVAL OF THE RUMBLE (TV 2024)
Run Time: 46:18
Producer: James Mendoza, Jason Momoa, Brian Mendoza, Kyle Wheeler
Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza, Jason Momoa
Writer: Ben Holmes, Adam McClaughry
Key Cast: Jason Momoa, Jeff Decker, Nick Toscano, Brian Charles Vanderford
FILM MAKERS
"On the Roam is an eight-part cinematic docu-series following Jason Momoa as he travels the country chasing art, adventure and friendship through the lens of craftsmanship." In Season 1 Episode 1 'Revival Of The Rumble', Momoa "Inspired by the vintage DAH Hill Climbers, Jason sets off on a journey to experience century-old bikes in their prime; he assembles a team of builders to rev life into the DAHs and a one-of-one pink '36 Knucklehead, making history."
SUMMARY
In S1.EP1 Revival Of The Rumble, Jason Momoa visits Wheels Through Time "the museum that runs!" and falls in love with 1930's Harley Davidson DAH hillclimb bikes. Owner Matt Walksler explains that the Number 9 and 10 bikes on display are two of only twenty built by the factory, and only ten or so left in existence. This gives Jason an idea.
He purchases an original ultra rare DAH Harley Hillclimb bike from artist Jeff Decker, and sends it to Nick Toscano and Brian Charles Vanderford. They disassemble the bike and have each piece digitally scanned to pattern and cast new and Replicable parts. Then they build three complete replica. Momoa gathers together some of the best antique racers around, dubs them The Roamers, and they race the original Decker bike as well as the replicas in a period correct hillclimb event.
The Roamers all star cast include William "Hobo" Applegate (American Motordrome Co. Wall Of Death), Randy "Detroit" Hayward (Detroit Antique Motorcycle Show), Brian Cannon, Steve Costancio, Todd Barry, Sean Brayton, Michael Divito, Josh Kohn, Terry Madden, and more.
SIDE PLOTS: While at Dales Wheels Through Time, Buzz Kanter (Motorcycle Magazine Editor and Publisher) stops by and lets Momoa start up his original paint 1927 Harley Davidson JD with under 800 original miles on it. Then we're off to meet Mike Wolfe (American Pickers) who has been contracted to collect all original parts for a 1936 Harley Knucklehead. Mike introduces Momoa to Mike Silvio (Cyclemos Speed Shop) who meticulously builds the bike for him and paints it pink. All three are lovely humans and legends in the antique motorcycle community who could each hold an episode of their own.
Whether you find the project impressive or blasphemy, it's undeniably interesting, and does make history. I only wish that On The Roam had taken a whole season to see the revival of the rumble through. The intention to connect viewers with the community is clear, but the people and project are all but lost int he blur. Love it or hate it, give it a watch! (link below)
RELATED MEDIA
Watch S1.EP1 Reival Of The Rumble
Jason Momoa on IG @Prideofgypsies
The Vintagent Selects: Road To Paloma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLcueCRRtjY
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
ROAD TO PALOMA (2014)
Run Time: 1:31:00
Producer: Boss Media, Pride of Gypsies
Director: Jason Momoa
Writer: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Jonathan Hirschbein
Key Cast: Jason Momoa, Robert Homer Mollohan, Jonathan Hirschbein
FILM MAKERS
Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times said that "though there's nothing terribly profound or unique about actor Jason Momoa's feature writing-directing debut, 'Road to Paloma', it does prove an effective throwback to the loose-limbed, my-way-or-the-highway road movies of the Easy Rider era". - Los Angeles Times
Motorcycle enthusiast Jason Momoa uses his celebrity to be an ambassador of the antique motorcycle community. In 2024 he produced the TV series 'On The Roam' that can be watched on MAX. In it, he travels across the country by motorcycle to meet "the extraordinary individuals blazing their own path - from craftsmen, to motorcycle fabricators, musicians to athletes". This passion project is not the pinnacle of cinematic brilliance, but the two episodes in the first season dedicated to motorcycles are worth the watch for Vintagent readers. More on this next week!
SUMMARY
On the road. On the run.
Wolf, a Native American on the run after avenging his mother's murder, flees across the desolate American West on his motorcycle, where he'll discover that justice has a cost.
After murdering his mother's rapist, (who died from her injuries) Wolf, a Native American, flees from the law. Six months later he meets up with a drifter called Cash and heads north to his sister's property where he intends to go spread his mother's ashes, but with the law right behind him his dream to lay his mother to peace may come at a price.
On their way up north to spread his mother’s ashes, Wolf and Cash are approached by a little boy covered in blood begging for help. They race into the desert brush to find a young woman being raped by a white male. Robert Wolf murders the man and he and Cash run to a nearby police station on foot carrying woman and child. The police officer stops them from running away and is about to call in that the two suspects are being arrested.
RELATED MEDI
Watch the FULL FILM
The Vintagent Classics: Harley Davidson And The Marlboro Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8K34N604Iw
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN (1991)
Run Time: 1:38:00
Producer: MGM
Director: Simon Wincer
Writer: Don Michael Paul
Key Cast: Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field
FILM MAKERS
Who says there are no more heroes?
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is a Neo-Western set in the near future of 1996, starring Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson. The film was a critical and financial failure, grossing only $7 million at the box office, with a budget of $23 million. In numerous interviews, Mickey Rourke has said that he signed on purely for financial reasons, after Bruse Willis turned down the roll. The film he said, made him feel "like a sell-out" and fueled his descent into self-loathing.
Decades later, the film has found a cult following for it's portrayal of archetypal American symbols of rebellion and masculinity, represented by the titular characters "Harley Davidson" (a biker) and "the Marlboro Man" (a cowboy), two rugged individuals fighting against corporate power, while simultaneously critiquing the superficiality and potentially dangerous connotations of such idealized identities. A theme perhaps more socially relevant to audiences today.
Rumors are circulating online of a 2025 reboot directed by David Leitch and starring Tom Hardy and Jason Mamoa, though no official or credible confirmation exists. It's just wishful/wistful dreaming with a flashy poster... for now.
SUMMARY
It's better to be dead and cool, than alive and uncool.
Two lone riders hold up a bank's armoured car to save their friend's bar from imminent foreclosure. Soon, the mission goes awry when they discover the vehicle's unexpected cargo.
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the FULL FILM
The Vintagent Selects: Hell Riders: The Wall Of Death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQLewiOlxU8
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
HELL RIDERS: THE WALL OF DEATH (2024)
Run Time: 5:59
A Film By: Ali White
Cinematography: Crusoe Weston, Rio Redwood-Sawyerr, Ali White
Post Production: Drift
Original Score: Fred Baty
Key Cast: Luke Fox, Kerri Cameron, Captain Donald
FILM MAKERS
Step into the world of the Hell Riders, one of the last traditional side shows in the UK.
Hell Riders: Wall Of Death is the first film Ali White has uploaded to his new YouTube channel Earth House Sessions which will include live sessions, short films, and interviews.
SUMMARY
The Wall of Death has been synonymous with speed and danger since it's conception back in the early part of the 20th century. The Original Wall of Death harks back to those early days, with the Wall being constructed in 1928, and the bikes, Indian Scouts, made in 1921. All those who see the show will remember it for the rest of their life. The noise, the speed, the smell, the proximity of the bikes ridden to the top of the wall, barely 6 inches from the audience - an experience never to be forgotten!
The Original Wall of Death was one of the early walls built by Orton and Spooner at Burton on Trent - they were, of course, famous manufacturers of fairground rides of all types but only made Walls of Death for a short period, although, according to records held at The National Fairground Archive, they actually made fourteen in total. The Wall of Death had been adopted in it’s early years by two great showmen, Billy Butlin and Pat Collins. Butlin was rumoured to have had as many as ten built up along the sea front at Skegness for training riders before they went into his holiday camps and other enterprises.
The Wall of Death was an instant hit and many popped up in and around the UK. Because there was so many appearing on the scene competition became fierce! Showmen had to think up new ideas to attract customers. Ladies started to ride and animals such as lions, monkeys and bears were introduced, often riding along side the drivers in sidecars or on the tanks of the Indian Scouts.
Sadly the war brought the Wall of Death hey day to a stand still and the animals disappeared along with it.
Only a few survived, including this one to rise from the ashes and entertain once more!
Generations passed until eventually it landed in the hands of Ken Fox and his two sons, Luke and Alex Fox. The Fox family continue to preserve the history of the Wall by keeping her touring and doing restoration work in the winter months.
Although the lion and old riders have gone, their memories and distinctive markings can be seen on the old panels and with the help of the Fox family this old girl will see many more years to come. - Ken Fox Wall Of Death / Original Wall Of Death
Search "Wall Of Death" on The Vintagent to watch more films and read more about this unique tradition.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: The Kilometer Eater
https://vimeo.com/1037497161?share=copy
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
THE KILOMETER EATER aka DER KILOMETERFRESSER (1925)
Run Time: 1:22:00
A Film By: Karl Imelski
Key Cast: Ernst Ganauser, Karl Imelski
FILM MAKERS
Der Kilometerfresser is an Austrian cultural film with a feature film plot. It was shot in the summer of 1923 and premiered in June 1925 in the Urania in Vienna . This silent film takes the title character on his motorcycle from Austria through Italy, Switzerland, the Balkans and Czechoslovakia are shown.
The adult education center in Vienna Urania wanted to use film as a medium for adult education, after having already had success with slide shows. Purely documentary cultural films did not bring the desired response from the audience, so an attempt was made to combine the documentary content with a feature film plot. In the style of Around the World in 80 Days , a bet in this film also provides the reason for describing a longer journey. The film shows landscapes, cities, monuments and customs along the route through Austria, Italy, the Balkans and Czechoslovakia.
The director of the film, Karl Imelski, had already made the cultural film King Dachstein in 1922 with the leading actor, the sportsman Ernst Ganauser. The Kilometerfresser is, according to its own statement, “a film from five countries in six acts (Austria 1923/24)”.
The film was thought to be lost for decades, but was discovered by chance in the warehouse of a Viennese antique dealer and identified as The Kilometer Eater. The tinted film was restored by the Filmarchiv Austria in 2004. No original music has been preserved for this film. The first orchestral score was composed in 2007 by Florian C. Reithner on behalf of the Orchester Filmharmonie. - read more
SUMMARY
New Year's Eve 1923 in the sports club: club moderator and sportsman Ernest follows the old tradition of pouring lead, and an indefinable lead oracle emerges. His friend, a journalist, interprets the oracle as follows: an oar! an ice pick! a motorcycle! For Ernest, this means that he has to complete a tour of 6,000 kilometers on land, on water and in the mountains. A few months later, the route and conditions are determined. The starting point of the 15-day tour is to be Lucerne and the end point is Vienna. And so Ernest starts his adventure on August 15th at 10:00 a.m. He has previously bet with his club colleagues that he could cover the set route across Central Europe within the set time on his Norton motorcycle and that he would also climb the Großvenediger and, as the crowning glory, row on the Danube through the Wachau to Vienna.
Of course, the sports friends demand that the travel route through the Balkans, through Styria to Pilsen, into the high mountains on the Grossvenediger and then rowing through the Wachau to Vienna is monitored and controlled so that Ernest does not take any unauthorized shortcuts. This task falls to Ernest's journalist friend, who is supposed to make sure that everything is above board. Since there is also plenty of fun to be had, the two men play little pranks on each other. Nevertheless, Ernest completes all of the agreed points on the journey and reaches Vienna on time, thus winning the bet. - read more
RELATED MEDIA
Buy the DVD with extras including: 100 minutes of bonus material (documentation, trailer for the Filmharmonie film concerts, etc.) and numerous original documents in a Digipak, 28-page booklet.
The Vintagent Selects: Motorcycle Mary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T70yHLeDhug
The Vintagent Selects: A collection of our favorite films by artists around the world.
Motorcycle Mary (2024)
Run Time: 22:00
Producer: Rachel Greenwald, Breakwater Studios
Director: Haley Watson
Editor: Cody Wilson
Key Cast: Mary McGee
FILM MAKERS
In June we shared the trailer for the 22-minute documentary short 'Motorcycle Mary' as it was premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film was directed by Haley Watson and was acquired by ESPN as part of their 30 for 30 Shorts catalog. Mary McGee died on November 27, 2024 at the age of 87. The film was released online a day later. Her legacy will not be forgotten.
SUMMARY
Drinks gas. Spits nails.
Motorcycle Mary' tells the untold story of legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee a.k.a. “Motorcycle Mary”, whose racing career spanned thirty years and saw her shatter gender norms while mastering multiple racing disciplines. The documentary short will feature stunning never-before-seen archival footage and photographs from McGee’s life.
In the 1950s, Mary McGee found her sense of freedom when she became the first American woman to race motorcycles. Mary’s pioneering journey of conquering sexism and her own fears paved the way for the next chapter in motorsports. The untold story of legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee a.k.a. MOTORCYCLE MARY whose racing career spanned thirty years and saw Mary shatter gender norms while mastering multiple racing disciplines. Born in Alaska on the eve of World War II, McGee’s early life is riddled with fear but, with her older brother Jim’s guidance, she conquers her apprehensive nature and discovers the art of composure—a skill that serves her to take on the racetrack. Following in her brother’s footsteps, her remarkable racing odyssey begins in the world of cars, where she outshines her male competitors, only to later discover her greatest sense of freedom racing motorcycles. She was the first woman to race motorcycles in the United States. Confronted by sexism and personal tragedy, Mary perseveres, pushing herself to greater and greater heights—culminating in her most hair-raising challenge: Becoming the first person ever to solo the grueling Baja 500 on a motorcycle.
RELATED MEDIA
The Vintagent Classics: Space Riders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tWXnUI65E&feature=youtu.be
The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
SPACE RIDERS (1984)
Run Time: 1:39:00
Producer: Condor Film Productions
Director: Joe Massot
Writer: Felicity Hibberdine, Joe Massot
Key Cast: Barry Sheene, Gavan O'Herlihy, Toshiya Ito
FILM MAKERS
"Roger Gilbert is an adrenaline junkie who leads an otherwise ordinary life until one day he rides where no man had ridden before. On his ride to the planet Stardust 420, he meets an Aupian named Flou-krepto." - IMDB
Recently, while researching science fiction movies featuring motorcycles, I came across several listicles that included a film I'd never heard of. Fair enough, I find forgotten treasures this way all the time as dedicated cinephiles unearth and upload them to YouTube. But this one made me pause. Space Riders is a great name, and the poster was very Tron. In this line of work a promising poster lead is exciting, but can mean a long wait before I actually see the film. It takes time to track down a copy from a network of "collectors", have it shipped sometimes from across the globe, and transferred to a viewable format just to find out that the motorcycle in the poster only actually appeared in the film momentarily, but they led with it 'cause motorcycles are cool. But, this time I got lucky. Thanks to 'Troll Theatre' I was able to watch Space Riders instantly on YouTube (in classically bad VHS bootleg quality). Right from the get go the premise seemed odd for a sci-fi, but after 40 minutes of following a Japanese motorcycle road racing team manage the track as well as office politics, I started wondering when the hell we were leaving planet Earth. Spoiler alert! No one goes to space.
Now having seen the film, I gave the poster a second look. The etherial figure is in fact a Samarai, and the "space" cycles are just state of the art, early '80s racing machines in all their aerodynamic glory. I then found an alternate poster which reads more accurately like the dramatized biopic that the film in fact is. Which is lucky for earthbound Vintagent race enthusiasts who will appreciate this British sports drama staring Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion Barry Sheene as himself. In the end, Space Riders tells the story of Sheene's pursuit of the world title, including his recovery from a near-fatal accident at Silverstone. The original soundtrack featuring Duran Duran, Simple Minds, and Queen is also A+.
Maybe it was the Atari pinball game of the same name from 1978 with its futuristic motorcycle theme and an objective of spelling out the words BIKE CITY that led to the name of the 1984 film and began the genre confusion? But who wrote the IMDB "stardust 420" hoax entry that has been republished on film databases across the internet?? I have no idea, but the moral of the story is to not judge a film by its can, clamshell, or jewel box and to always actually watch a film and fully research it before promoting. Enjoy!
SUMMARY
The film begins with Barry having a bad crash during the 1982 British Grand Prix. Suzuki rider Anton Mang crashes and Barry crashes into his bike. Barry is then hit by Honda rider Takazumi Katayama. One year later, chairman Asama Nakamura of Asama Motorbikes decides to hire the three fastest riders in the world to race for them. He ends up hiring Barry, American Ron Harris, who won the '82 title after Barry crashed, and Japanese rider Masao Yamashta.
Leading up to the race, Masao practices Japanese stick fighting and talks to his wife Mika. Ron rides on his 1983 Honda VF750F and meets a girl driving a 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa. The two end up dating for about a week until she friend zones him. Some time later, the British Grand Prix begins and Barry ends up winning ahead of Ron and his archenemy Mike Lockwood. Soon the sidecar race begins, and Mika and her passenger Bruce win. Some time later, the South African Grand Prix begins. Masao wins ahead of Lockwood and Ron, with Barry dropping out after his bike has Ignition trouble. As time passes, Barry wins Brazil, Ron wins Spain and the Daytona 200, Lockwood wins Germany, Masao wins France, Ron wins the Dutch Grand Prix, Lockwood beats Masao in a photo finish at Sweden after Barry drops out after his transmission seizes, and Lockwood wins at Italy after Barry crashes.
Masao finds out there will only be two bikes for next season. In a desperate attempt to renew his contract, he wins Argentina and Venezuela. Masao takes the lead in Yugoslavia until he has visions of the devil on Lockwood's bike. His life flashes before his eyes, causing him to become airborne and his bike to explode. He goes flying through the air on fire and dies. After his wife Mika deals with the crash by doing wheelies up and down the pit lane while sobbing uncontrollably, the San Marino Grand Prix begins. Barry wins with Ron second and Lockwood dropping out after his bike throws a Connecting rod. Barry and Ron celebrate on the podium drinking champagne, and Barry is interviewed about his win by ABC Sports.
- Wikipedia
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CHROME SOLDIERS (TV 1992)
Run Time: 1:31:00
Producer: USA Network
Director: Thomas J. Wright
Writer: Ross LaManna, John McCormick, Nick Randall
Key Cast: Gary Busey, Ray Sharkey, William Atherton
FILM MAKERS
Thomas J. Wright is a prolific American television director, who has worked on more than 50 screen projects. Wright started out in show business in 1966 as a production illustrator, working as a sketch artist, storyboard artist and production illustrator. His most memorable credits include The Andromeda Strain (1971), Jaws (1975), Apocalypse Now (1979), Pennies From Heaven (1981). He also created all of the gallery paintings for Rod Serling's horror anthology series Night Gallery (TV series 1969-1973). In the mid-'80s, Wright transitioned into directing, helming episodes of The Twilight Zone, Max Headroom, and Beauty and the Beast. Although he directed the 1989 Hulk Hogan feature film, No Holds Barre, Wright has primarily worked in the TV field, most notably contributing heavily to the late-'90s supernatural series Millennium as both a director and producer. Other TV shows to list Wright as a director include The X-Files, Highlander, Dark Angel, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Firefly, and The Wire.
SUMMARY
Jim "Flash" Gordon (Gary Busey) is returning to his hometown after a tour in Desert Storm. Before he arrives, his brother Stoney is murdered by local thugs. The murder is reported as an accident. Jim phones his friend Beach (Yaphet Kotto) who rolls into town with several of their old biker buddies. Jim begins to believe that perhaps Stoney was murdered, but his investigation is not appreciated by the local sheriff and his deputy.
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VIVA KNIEVEL! (1977)
Run Time: 1:46:00
Producer: Warner Bros
Director: Gordon Douglas
Writer: Antonio Santean, Norman Katkov
Key Cast: Evel Knievel, Gene Kelly, Lauren Hutton
FILM MAKERS
"In the same year that Star Wars was shattering box office records and shifting the culture to a new dimension of merchandising, special effects, and unending Mark Hamill mania, an old icon was inhaling the fumes of a once proud career. That man was Evel Knievel. With the infamous Snake River Canyon jump three years behind him, Knievel was dying for a hit; a new enterprise by which to recapture the country with his unparalleled flair for the dramatic, as well as one of the world’s most enviable heads of hair. Thankfully, Hollywood was coked-up just enough to throw a few million his way, and what resulted was Viva Knievel!, a film so legendary that it was quickly disowned by everyone within earshot. A film so incompetent, so dreadful, and so uniquely embarrassing that co-star Gene Kelly would sign on for Xanadu as a cleansing ritual. A movie so egregious it would think nothing of asking Leslie Nielsen to play a drug kingpin, or worse, that Frank Gifford be paraded before incredulous eyes wearing the same mustard sport coat and ketchup shirt on three separate occasions. It’s the sort of clueless action-adventure with precious little by way of actual motorcycle stunts, but enough out-of-control semi-trucks to satisfy even the most hardened veteran. And without a sense of humor in sight, it’s just about all we can take when Dabney Coleman shows up as the head doctor of a ritzy Mexican sanitarium." - Read more of this fantastic, hilarious review at Ruthless Reviews
Viva Knievel premiered in June 1977, three months before Evel Knievel and his associates attacked promoter Shelly Saltman with an aluminum baseball bat on September 21, 1977. With Knievel losing most of his sponsorship and marketing deals as a result of the bad publicity, the film became much less commercially attractive, only opening in four further international markets after Knievel's conviction. In addition, the wholesome image of Knievel the movie promoted and the plot point concerning Knievel's promoter being corrupt seemed ill-judged in the light of the events that saw Knievel imprisoned. As a result, the film fell into comparative obscurity until the DVD release.
SUMMARY
Ruthless drug smugglers plot the cold-blooded murder of celebrated motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel as he tours Mexico. They aim to use his truck to sneak a consignment of narcotics back across the United States border. When Knievel learns of this appalling scheme, he hatches a daring and spectacular plan.
*The more difficult stunts in the film were performed by stunt man Gary Lee Davis, though that fact was kept under wraps during the original release of the film.
*Many of the jump motorcycles used in the film were 1976 Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster XLCH 1000s customized by Bud Ekins to look like Evel's much more expensive Harley-Davidson XR-750 bikes. One of the cycles used in the film was valued at $80-100,000 in 2016. The restored "Stratocycle" used in the picture, also customized from a XLCH was offered at auction in 2021 with a reserve of $125,000.
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EVEL KNIEVEL (1971)
Run Time: 1:28:00
Producer: The Fanfare Corporation
Director: Marvin J. Chomsky
Writer: Alan Caillou, John Milius
Key Cast: George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed
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"Hell, I'm the best...the last of the daredevils...and my death - IT WILL BE GLORIOUS!"
George Hamilton was writing a screenplay about a bronco rider who became a motorcycle rider. While preparing to film it, he interviewed various stunt men for the lead role and learned about Knievel. Hamilton visited Knievel in a San Francisco hospital and found Knievel's story more fascinating than what he was writing. In December 1969 he announced he was working on a film about Knievel. The screenplay was originally written by Alan Caillou who had written the screenplay for Jack Starrett's The Losers (1970) also for Joe Solomon's Fanfare Films. However George Hamilton was not happy with it. He offered to pay John Milius $5,000 to write some lines in the script. Milius says he went to Hamilton's home at Palm Springs to read the script "and it was terrible. So I threw the script in the pool and beat on it with an oar. And of course the script was waterlogged, so I just wrote another one. He later told me he knew that if I got down there with that script I'd write another one." Milius says Knievel "saw himself as the new gladiator of the new Rome, something larger than a daredevil. He saw the whole spectacle of civilization and the absurdity of what it's turned into, and he fit into that."
Much of the film was shot in Butte, Montana. Actual footage of Knievel jumping his motorcycle was used throughout the film. Additionally, Knievel performed a series of new jumps at the Ontario Motor Speedway for the production, including a spectacular record jump of 129 feet over 19 cars that was included in the film (Knievel held the record for jumping a Harley-Davidson motorcycle over 19 cars for 27 years, until broken by Bubba Blackwell in 1998). Knievel received a flat rate of $25,000 for his rights and the consulting fee.
SUMMARY
"LIVE HARD. RIDE FAST. REGRET NOTHING"
The story is a biography, with fictionalized events, of the famed motorcycle daredevil, who grew up in Butte, Montana. The film depicts Knievel reflecting on major events in his life, particularly his relationship with his girlfriend/wife, Linda. The film opens with Knievel (Hamilton) at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. Knievel is speaking directly to the camera describing his upcoming daredevil motorcycle jump:
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have no idea how good it makes me feel to be here today. It is truly an honor to risk my life for you. An honor. Before I jump this motorcycle over these 19 cars — and I want you to know there's not a Volkswagen or a Datsun in the row — before I sail cleanly over that last truck, I want to tell you that last night a kid came up to me and he said, "Mr Knievel, are you crazy? That jump you're going to make is impossible, but I already have my tickets because I want to see you splatter." That's right, that's what he said. And I told that boy last night that nothing is impossible. Now they told Columbus to sail across the ocean was impossible. They told the settlers to live in a wild land was impossible. They told the Wright Brothers to fly was impossible. And they probably told Neil Armstrong a walk on the moon was impossible. They tell Evel Knievel to jump a motorcycle across the Grand Canyon is impossible, and they say that every day. A Roman General in the time of Caesar had the motto: "If it is possible, it is done. If it is impossible, it will be done." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I live by."
Following his introduction, the story follows a flashback narrative through Knievel's life.
The film ends with Knievel successfully completing the February 1971 jump at the Ontario Motor Speedway (129 feet) and riding off onto a dirt road which leads to the edge of the Grand Canyon (at the time of production, Evel Knievel was hyping a jump over the Grand Canyon, a jump which never got beyond the early planning stage).
As the movie closes over the Grand Canyon, George Hamilton delivers a voice-over monologue in the Knievel character. In the monologue, he describes himself as the "last gladiator", which would later be used by the real Evel Knievel in his 1998 documentary, The Last of the Gladiators.
Below is a transcript of the monologue from the movie:
"Important people in this country, celebrities like myself — Elvis, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne — we have a responsibility. There are millions of people that look at our lives and it gives theirs some meaning. People come out from their jobs, most of which are meaningless to them, and they watch me jump 20 cars, maybe get splattered. It means something to them. They jump right alongside of me — they take the bars in their hands, and for one split second, they’re all daredevils. I am the last gladiator in the new Rome. I go into the arena and I compete against destruction and I win. And next week, I go out there and I do it again. And this time — civilization being what it is and all — we have very little choice about our life. The only thing really left to us is a choice about our death. And mine will be — glorious."
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PIT BOY AND THE SILVER EAGLE (2022)
Run Time: 1:36:00
Producer: Differential Films
A Film By: Steve Keller
Key Cast: David Harto, Delvene Reber, Dan Schmalle, Jason Wallace
FILM MAKERS
Steve Keller has been writing, producing, and directing in the film industry for over 30 years. He believes in the beauty and power of cinematic storytelling and brought this passion into every element of Pit Boy And The Silver Eagle.
SUMMARY
Pit Boy and the Silver Eagle is a touching profile of one artist’s relentless determination and thirteen year-long pursuit in metal, mechanics and speed. In 2008, Seattle artist and motor sports enthusiast David Harto took his grandfather’s 1952 motor scooter and began to transform it into a work of rolling art and lean muscle. Four record-setting attempts and thirteen years later he ventured to Utah’s storied Bonneville salt flats in the hopes of joining a short list of legends in the annals of land speed racing glory. Read More.
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