<< 1 >>
Rating: Summary: My name is Dana, and Dad said I could make a movie... Review: Let me clarify up-front: The main attraction, "On Any Sunday," earns 4 stars as a classic film. For any kid who saw this movie when it came out in 1971, it was a life-changing event. Most of us took up motorcycle riding because of it. And to see it again after so many years is a real thrill. It's the free-spirited, shaggy-haired, helmet-optional, no-padding, sunshiny '70s - with a parade of old, now-extinct dirtbikes to drool over. As with "Endless Summer," Bruce Brown shone sunshine upon a little-known pasttime and made it cool, accessible and very popular.The big problem arises when Bruce's son Dana takes the helm to offer the "revisited" supplementary DVDs. What Dana has put together is a mish-mash of unused footage from the original - along with some 30-years-later home-video interviews with Dad, Malcolm Smith, Mert Lawwill, and a handful of the other racer stars of the movie. As the "writer," Dana gives us only one-line-at-a-time, occasional screen text to tell the story. It's choppy, poorly written, grammatically flawed. For example, a sample line when Dana is explaining that we are seeing this footage for the first time. "It it being shown for the first time." It it??!! How could they miss that? And did Dana not inherit any of Dad's narrative skills? If you want us to feel that old Brown magic - then talk to us, don't type little bulletins across the screen with mis-spellings. As "director" and "editor," Dana chops together average footage from 30 years ago with shallow reminiscences from today. It feels like someone's first project with a home-editing system. It looks like Bruce was interviewed at his dining room table - with no professional lighting and no professional camera work. And no professional interviewing skills. Note to Dana: The only way you're going to pull interesting stories from your interviewees is by asking interesting questions. Ughh - I could go on and on. Long story short: buy the movie, "On Any Sunday." Skip the "revisit."
Rating: Summary: My name is Dana, and Dad said I could make a movie... Review: Let me clarify up-front: The main attraction, "On Any Sunday," earns 4 stars as a classic film. For any kid who saw this movie when it came out in 1971, it was a life-changing event. Most of us took up motorcycle riding because of it. And to see it again after so many years is a real thrill. It's the free-spirited, shaggy-haired, helmet-optional, no-padding, sunshiny '70s - with a parade of old, now-extinct dirtbikes to drool over. As with "Endless Summer," Bruce Brown shone sunshine upon a little-known pasttime and made it cool, accessible and very popular. The big problem arises when Bruce's son Dana takes the helm to offer the "revisited" supplementary DVDs. What Dana has put together is a mish-mash of unused footage from the original - along with some 30-years-later home-video interviews with Dad, Malcolm Smith, Mert Lawwill, and a handful of the other racer stars of the movie. As the "writer," Dana gives us only one-line-at-a-time, occasional screen text to tell the story. It's choppy, poorly written, grammatically flawed. For example, a sample line when Dana is explaining that we are seeing this footage for the first time. "It it being shown for the first time." It it??!! How could they miss that? And did Dana not inherit any of Dad's narrative skills? If you want us to feel that old Brown magic - then talk to us, don't type little bulletins across the screen with mis-spellings. As "director" and "editor," Dana chops together average footage from 30 years ago with shallow reminiscences from today. It feels like someone's first project with a home-editing system. It looks like Bruce was interviewed at his dining room table - with no professional lighting and no professional camera work. And no professional interviewing skills. Note to Dana: The only way you're going to pull interesting stories from your interviewees is by asking interesting questions. Ughh - I could go on and on. Long story short: buy the movie, "On Any Sunday." Skip the "revisit."
Rating: Summary: You need this collection! Review: My "On Any Sunday" VHS is pretty much worn out, as I'm sure most hard core fans can appreciate. I wished for a DVD version almost as soon as the DVD was invented! This three disc set is great. "On Any Sunday" surely needs no further review from me. I seem to enjoy "On Any Sunday - Revisited" much more than the other reviewers here. I, for one, am grateful for the release of previously unused footage. The interviews with riders from the original movie are just like sitting down and benchracing with the guys. "Motocross, Malcolm, and More" is another bit of fun. It won't win an Acadamy Award, but if you've read this much, you'll enjoy it.
Rating: Summary: You need this collection! Review: My "On Any Sunday" VHS is pretty much worn out, as I'm sure most hard core fans can appreciate. I wished for a DVD version almost as soon as the DVD was invented! This three disc set is great. "On Any Sunday" surely needs no further review from me. I seem to enjoy "On Any Sunday - Revisited" much more than the other reviewers here. I, for one, am grateful for the release of previously unused footage. The interviews with riders from the original movie are just like sitting down and benchracing with the guys. "Motocross, Malcolm, and More" is another bit of fun. It won't win an Acadamy Award, but if you've read this much, you'll enjoy it.
Rating: Summary: Flawed, but very watchable Review: This is a difficult set of father/son directed films to rate. On Any Sunday gets 5 stars; the all time classic, perhaps best motorcycle film ever although I would consider The Road Racers a contender. The seriousness of the sport is not ignored, but Bruce Brown's sense of humor always shines through. And the music is so perfect that I sometimes hear it in my head while riding my motorcycles. OAS is only 1 year younger than me, yet it does not feel particularly dated; it really is timeless. While I enjoyed the other films, and in particular the present day interviews with the OAS riders in OAS Revisited, they really pale in comparison to the original. Like an earlier reviewer, I feel Dana Brown got a free pass from his dad to make the sequels. They lack the humor, pacing, and with the exceptions of the old deleted scenes, cinematography of the original. I love the original so much that I like the sequals more than I should. Still, it is worth the price of admission just to see Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawill 30 years later, and hear them tell their own stories in their own words. If only Dana Brown had the talent of his father, this would be an absolutely brilliant set. As is, I am still glad to have bought the set and passed on my original On Any Sunday DVD to a seriously ill old flat track rider, who I hope gets some joy from it.
Rating: Summary: Flawed, but very watchable Review: This is a difficult set of father/son directed films to rate. On Any Sunday gets 5 stars; the all time classic, perhaps best motorcycle film ever although I would consider The Road Racers a contender. The seriousness of the sport is not ignored, but Bruce Brown's sense of humor always shines through. And the music is so perfect that I sometimes hear it in my head while riding my motorcycles. OAS is only 1 year younger than me, yet it does not feel particularly dated; it really is timeless. While I enjoyed the other films, and in particular the present day interviews with the OAS riders in OAS Revisited, they really pale in comparison to the original. Like an earlier reviewer, I feel Dana Brown got a free pass from his dad to make the sequels. They lack the humor, pacing, and with the exceptions of the old deleted scenes, cinematography of the original. I love the original so much that I like the sequals more than I should. Still, it is worth the price of admission just to see Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawill 30 years later, and hear them tell their own stories in their own words. If only Dana Brown had the talent of his father, this would be an absolutely brilliant set. As is, I am still glad to have bought the set and passed on my original On Any Sunday DVD to a seriously ill old flat track rider, who I hope gets some joy from it.
Rating: Summary: A Complete Picture Review: Yes, On Any Sunday was the original masterpiece but the updtated clips of the old masters in OAS Revisited & OAS Malcolm & More completes the picture. Yes, I want to know and see what the old codgers look like now and how the ground breaking movie of 71 affected their lives. Yes, Dana Brown's attempt does not match his fathers brilliance and his attempt is amateurish. It could be seen as downright expoitive of the original and purely a money making venture. Yes, I'm a dirt-biking nut and I loved it anyway !
<< 1 >>
|