When you talk about stellar motorcycle movies, several pop into gear, notably Brando’s The Wild One (1953), Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday (1971) and The World’s Fastest Indian (2005) concerning Burt Munro. A fourth bike film just premiered “Why We Ride”, may be added to that A-List. It’s already won Best Feature Documentary at the First Annual Motorcycle Film Festival held September 26-28, 2013 in Brooklyn. Then on the following Thursday night, October 3, a couple thousand movers and shakers from the motorcycle industry, as well as many of those who appeared in the full-feature film filled the theater at the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Beverly Hills, CA.
During the onstage introduction of the independently financed film under the aegis of WalkingWest Entertainment and Gnarlyow entertainment, its Director/Producer Bryan H.Carroll commented that as the project developed the “We” part became the major factor, that being the people involved in the sport, from the Daytona 200 winners, to the solo globe trotters, to motocross competitors, to Bonneville record setters (male and female), to the families who ride together, to the vintage bike fans…each with a unique story but all with a common connection, the intense passion for riding and the physical, mental and yes, spiritual, elements that come with the territory.
Carrol thanked the some 70 people interviewed for the film, the hundreds who participated in its production and especially the technical expertise provided by Ed Kretz, Jr. as well as the thousands who appeared in the footage beautifully photographed in HD by Andrew Waruszewski and Douglas Cheney. Lending a very dramatic element, especially in the opening montage, was the original music created by Steven Gutheinz. It sometimes contained the impact of the epic soundtrack from Lord of the Rings or Chariots of Fire. The audience literally gave the film’s opening a huge round of applause.
The scope of the film was both large in canvas and tightly focused, from covering
panoramic events like Sturgis to close-ups on the indivuals who made motorcycling history, past, present and future as well. The audience was transported to a wide spectrum of locales from the Bonneville Salt Flats to urban environments to serene country lanes to the knee-dragging hyper-action of Moto GP, to families bonding in sand dunes. The film’s narrative moved with a similar pace, well-composed by writer Chris Hampel with input from Director/Producer Carroll and Producer James Walker.
A list of those who assisted and supported the production included many iconic companies, organizations and shops including the AMA, Triumph, BMW, the ISC, Arlen Ness, Klockwerks, Bikernet.com, the Daytona International Speedway, the WMDRA, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the Trailblazers and many others.
Some of the truly inspirational highlights for this reviewer/rider were the up-close and personals focusing on Ted Simon and Dave Barr. In the 1970s Ted Simon spent four years riding a 500cc Triumph Tiger 100 solo around the planet and penned the classic Jupiter’s Travels, then in 2001 at age 70 did it again on a BMW R80GS. Dave Barr, a military veteran of many wars, who lost both legs in Angola, went on to ride 83,000 miles becoming the first double amputee to circumnavigate the globe. Both men epitomized the “true grit” of motorcycling but moreover in the lessons both men both learned about themselves and the world at large and their efforts to carry positive messages to all the planet’s cultures. Again, it was a matter of “We” and the concept of global human connectivity.
Other highlights included seeing and hearing from the Klock family of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles…Brian, wife Laura and daughters Erika and Karlee…mother and daughters having earned the accolade as the fastest mother-daughter-daughter trio in history of Bonneville, all three recording near 200 mph. While many in the audience knew of the exploits of the larger than life Ed “Iron Man” Kretz, Sr. and his many “firsts” we got to see and hear from his family, which added to our appreciation of the man and his accomplishments.
This reviewer then enjoyed the post-film hobknobbing that included cheeseburger sliders and beverages, and listened in on comments about the film which had elicited very positive audience response as evidenced by several waves of applause, whistling and hurrahs during the end credits. For this reviewer, and others in the audience, the film could shed a few minutes of screen time and tighten up a bit in a couple of the segments, but overall it was as they say, a “hit” and a film to further the image of motorcycling and hopefully the undertaking of the motorcycle experience by new riders. Distribution news looks very good for both U.S. and overseas audiences, so watch for it soon wherever you are.
Following in the tread marks of “Why We Ride”, the production company is working on a new documentary feature film about the legendary Ed “Iron Man” Kretz, Sr. For more information about screenings of the film in your area, check out http://whyweridefilm.com.
Please follow and like us:
