544-550 America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, etc.)

[John Hodson]

Shipping to the UK is the problem; not just the price, but finding an etailer that is - more often than not - customs friendly. B&N still work out cheapest for me at around $90. However, I'm just seeing that they ship my $200+ order on Nov. 22 first...

[jesus the mexican boi]

I have the Blu-ray on pre-order since Nov 4 with DVD Empire: $78.68 with 10% off code (1554640-not sure if still valid) so that seems to be the best deal so far.

That coupon's valid until Dec 1, so definitely a great deal. I just ordered mine.

[John Hodson]

My problem is sorted; Mrs H is buying it for me for Christmas (saved her a headache) - $88.42 shipped to the UK from B&N (around £55 at current rates).

EDIT; B&N have *just* discounted the BD set by 41%...

[Magic Hate Ball]

145 page book

So it's...it's actually a book.

[matrixschmatrix]

Interview with Rafaelson covering the BBS set.

A highlight:

BR: But what’s interesting to me is that whatever The Monkees were accused of being—in other words, an entity created by an authority other than themselves, like me for example, and Bert for example—this became the standard for almost 90 percent of the groups that followed, up until today. What’s that little midget kid’s name?

AVC: Justin Bieber?

BR: Yeah, he’s a fuckin’ Monkee.

[HistoryProf]

Rafaelson is one irascible son of a bitch. what an awesome interview. I really need to own this set now. I don't know how I'm going to wait on it. dammit.

[JesusoFmonteVideo]

Blu-Ray.com

[cdnchris]

Head Blu-ray

[knives]

and it’s certainly not the worst

Have a bad experience with one of the films?

[CSM126]

and it’s certainly not the worst

Have a bad experience with one of the films?

Poor bastard must have watched A Safe Place.

[cdnchris]

Yeah, A Safe Place...

At any rate Easy Rider

[Cold Bishop]

A Safe Place is a hell of a lot more interesting than Easy Rider. Had BBS produced The Last Movie instead.

[JMULL222]

"The Last Movie" may be the most unique work of the entire American new wave

[knives]

It's been bugging too long to speak up, but what is the various board members problems with Easy Rider anyway? I absolutely love the movie, but that may be a side effect of only seeing it 35mm, and honestly can comprehend someone not having the same reaction.

[Cold Bishop]

Honestly other than the opening credits (which has become iconic to the point of obnoxiousness) and the ending - more so for the eliptical way its put together than for its blunt, heavy-handed message ("They're, like, out to kill us, maaaaan!") - I can take or leave the rest of the film. Even Nicholson's famed performance is a whole lot of scenery chewing with a bad accent.

God bless the film. I'm glad it had the cultural effect it had. But everyone involved went on to the better things. The Last Movie and Out of the Blue are better. The Hired Hand is better. Hell, even Drive, He Said is better.

[knives]

I haven't seen any of those other movies yet so I'm probably just digging a hole, but the things you point out for me aren't the best parts in the least (and I find you're reading of the ending to be completely off). For me the whole film relies on Fonda's shoulders. He's the emotional rock of the film that even as the 'cool' elements lose their shine or the music becomes dated makes the film stay relevant. It's not just, "Let's go find America man, because like all the posers blah blah blah." but really this abused guy trying to escape in these ideas that he simply will never be able to live in. The ending isn't that they're out to get us, but that we can't save us from ourselves.

[matrixschmatrix]

It is hard to watch Easy Rider without feeling overwhelmed by my antipathy towards Baby Boomer nostalgia (and also my dislike of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls), but I think there is actually a delicate, textured movie in there- it's just hard to relax and get into the movie when I'm busy thinking about how I've grown to loathe "Born to be Wild."

[knives]

So basically if you knew anything about the movie/ baby boomers before seeing it you're liable to dislike it? (though I do dislike Born to be Wild too. It sounds like even worse Lynyrd Skynyrd. I mostly just ignore the soundtrack. Couldn't even name a song on it.)

[Minkin]

it's just hard to relax and get into the movie when I'm busy thinking about how I've grown to loathe "Born to be Wild."

Does this make you like it any more?

The best memory I have connected to this movie is the story of a family friend- who, after seeing this movie on its original run was so invigorated by the idea that he left the state for the first time and went to California on his motorcycle... only to be escorted across the Golden Gate Bridge by the Hell's Angels.

It does seem the motorcycle rebellion market was rather full when Easy Rider was released.

[colinr0380]

Interesting to note that the Born To Be Wild documentary is on there - this was the documentary that the BBC ran straight after the long in coming UK television premiere of the film in 1995, so even though it sounds as if it repeats a lot of the information elsewhere it is nice to get to retire my videotape of this!

Although actually I can't, since straight after the documentary the BBC also premiered Hells Angels On Wheels (directed by Richard Rush later of Psych-Out, The Stunt Man and Freebie and the Bean) which, while obviously being far less iconic than Easy Rider, is huge fun!

[CSM126]

RE: A Safe Place

I can fully understand why someone might not like Easy Rider (though, personally, I love it). But I can't begin to see what people see in A Safe Place. At least you have to give Easy Rider credit for giving you a first-hand glimpse of an acid trip so you get that whacked-out segment at the end. A Safe Place forces you to stand on the outside and watch someone else have an acid trip. It's just some vapid, wide-eyed bimbo tripping out and muttering about "water is heaver than ice" and "I used to fly" and all this other nonsense. She literally does nothing the whole time and I found it unbearable to watch. Orson Welles is a lifesaver, but only because he seems to full recognize how awful the film is and hams it up as such.

You know, at least Easy Rider says something about the people it depicts, questioning the purity of their message, the spiritual success of their journey. What does A Safe Place say about anything?

[antnield]

Although actually I can't, since straight after the documentary the BBC also premiered Hells Angels On Wheels (directed by Richard Rush later of Psych-Out, The Stunt Man and Freebie and the Bean) which, while obviously being far less iconic than Easy Rider, is huge fun!

It had actually been screened a few times before Colin. The first British TV screening I'm aware of was a Channel 4 showing in the mid-eighties. It has also featured on an early-nineties Moviedrome pairing with Rumble Fish.

[Roger Ryan]

As I am getting the box set, I will give EASY RIDER another try. But it's the one film in the set I'm least interested in. Perhaps once I actually view A SAFE PLACE, that film will indeed prove to be less interesting! What has always troubled me regarding EASY RIDER is that the characters seem too divorced from reality. As the supposed king of the naturalistic road movie, this comes off as one really pretentious film, from the annoying splintered flash-forward/flashback scene transitions to the ho-hum 16mm acid trip. I know Hopper ended up editing out most of the plot; maybe it would have helped to have a little more story in there. Anyway, I look forward to experiencing the film again on Blu-ray and I hope to find more to like about it.

As Cold Bishop mentioned, I'm eternally grateful that EASY RIDER paved the way for better work in a similar vein. For me, TWO-LANE BLACKTOP and FIVE EASY PIECES accomplish so much more by using a defter touch.

[oldsheperd]

RE: My apathy to Easy Rider=Dirty, Dirty Hippies

[stwrt]

I suppose there's no hope of seeing a separate release for The Last Picture Show ? Some of Bogdanovich's early movies made big bucks in the late 60s/early 70s and he doesn't really seem to sit too closely with the attempts at a radical slant of the other moves in the BBS package, which as far as I can remember bombed big time.