On shelves in 2022 cyclistA coffee table book turned into a movie about cyclists in the 1960s. And “they’re new”: Vietnam veterans allegedly changed the face of bike gangs forever.
story
Johnny starts his own bikers club. The Vandals, as it’s known, was inspired by the old “rebel” movie; The Wild One. 1953 film with bike club leaders watching on television. The best lines in the movie impressed him deeply:
Hey Johnny! What are you resisting?
What did you get?
*There’s only one other “biker movie”; the Wild Angels have ever come so close to an iconic route like this. A dying gang member; loser Coens (played by Bruce Dern) croaks:
“Does anyone have a cigarette?”
Johnny formed his own rebel group. They fight, love, and drink. Then, those “new guys”โincreasing numbers of Vietnam veteransโjoined the growing gangs.
This was the beginning of the end for the colorful group.
Main Cast: Biker
Austin Butler plays Benny.
Jodie Comer plays Kathy, Benny’s wife.
Tom Hardy plays Johnny, the slightly longer-toothed leader of the Vandals.
Michael Shannon is the mercurial Zipco.
Toby Wallace was that kid. A terrifyingly focused character who wants power.
Norman Reedus is funny Sonny.
Damon Herriman plays Brucie.
behind the scenes
Director and co-writer Jeff Nichols, who wrote the script for “The Bikers” with Danny Lyon, drew from a “coffee table book about real bikie ‘gangs.'” โ was inspired. *Coffee table books are often “eye candy” for guests at home. The Nature of Photography: Think of 11 images of Madonna in this unique and dying “genre”.
Photographer/editor/writer Danny Lyon published The Bikeriders photo book in 1967.
a troubled movie
Nichols, a true Arkansan, had long given up on the idea of โโmaking a motorcycle movie, so much so that Nichols’ frequent collaborator Michael Shannon became cynical. “You will never make this movie (sic),” Shannon told the director.
Nichols did eventually make the film.
Coronavirus and the actors/writers’ strike have brought the publicity machine to a halt. cyclist The film was completed in 2022 but not released until 2023.
some complaints
Jodie Comer and her accent. Don’t get me wrong. I worship As a performer. In my opinion, she is a master of accents. so far. As soon as Casey opened his mouth, I was immediately transported to Fargo country. It takes me out of “the moment.” I’m definitely used to it, but as cyclist Set in Chicago, itโs jarring.
Tom Hardy also has a point, how to express it subtly? autumn? He still plays those physical characters. this Responsible tough guy. He’s trying to make it last longer. However, he did a great job at the task.
story itself
story cyclist stroll. Still, it’s interesting as part of an imaginary Americana. Nichols did a great job, and working with Leone clearly helped, adapting a photography book into a film. It’s not exactly a “storyboard” per se, and even recording interviews doesn’t help overcome this hurdle.
Does the movie drag in any way? Yes. Bored? sometimes.
but
cyclist Still fun. It has a nostalgic feel to the 1960s, but maybe that’s not the case. This movie may be the Hollywoodization of reality. There, the gangs were mostly harmless until “someone new came along to them.”
Despite this simplification, the film works.
Judgment
cyclist It received a high score of 3.5 stars for its acting alone. Terrible accents aside, actors like Comer, Hardy, Shannon, Butler; etc., make the trip worth it. Add in 0.5 stars for costumes, sets and locations, and that’s “good”. Interesting 4 stars out of 5. The show is currently airing on Peacock.
trailer
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