I recently watched a movie I saw back when I was just a wee tyke. "On Any Sunday" is a documentary on various types of motorcycle riding and racing, and in my opinion, still captures the heart of why so many people place themselves at risk to ride; for the sheer joy of it. The motorcycles may have changed since the film was released (1971), but the love for the sport is bigger than ever.
The man who financed the movie, Steve McQueen, a.k.a. the king of cool, also starred in it. He was a motorcycling aficionado and had a lot of racing experience. He was once a top-ten ranked amateur dirt track racer. Early in pre-production, director Bruce Brown contacted him about putting up the money. McQueen replied that his company made films, they didn't finance them. Brown replied with, "Well then you can't be in it." The next day, Steve called him back and said "Okay, let's make it."If you're an avid rider, or even merely interested in motorcycles (or ladies, if you are in love with Steve McQueen), you should check this film out. It's loads of fun.
2 comments:
Bruce Brown, the same producer who made one of my all-time favorites, Endless Summer? It has to be good!
Yeah, that Bruce Brown. He almost single handedly rescued surfing and motorcycling's reputations with both films. He portrayed the sports as every-man sports, enjoyed by all, not just for hoodlums.
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