*MCT3k* Mystery Champlain Theatre 3000 *MCT3k*

*MCT3k* Mystery Champlain Theatre 3000 *MCT3k*

(01/29/10) Easy Rider

"Easy Rider"? More like queasy rider...
That's what my facebook status read after having watched for the second week in a row a film which did not live up to its hype in the opinion of this film student. It pains me to write this third posting in a row which makes me out to be a negative old curmudgeon for whom there is nothing that can please the eye, but I just can't say good things about this film which 'defined a generation' to the effect of Woodstock. I'd planned on seeing this film some day since first hearing of it after "Born to be Wild" came on the radio when I was young on one of the family road trips and then later upon seeing it as part of AFI's top 100 films TV special. Didn't know what film they'd throw at us next as they usually do with an email sent out on Wednesday or Thursday night. So being told at the door that I'd be watching "Easy Rider" was nice, though the manner in which I was told about it was a bit less than the word "nice". After not jumping for joy at the utterance of what must have been the title of this man's favorite film of all time, he then said "You do know what 'Easy Rider' is right?"

Well let me tell you, sir that I no longer share your enthusiasm for "Easy Rider". It turned out that the coolest part which I had wanted to see, the part where they're riding down the highway on their motor bikes and "Born to be Wild" plays, was the opening credits. So for the remainder of the film I was trapped involved in a listless plot that seemed to emulate the very nature of the two easy riders. Not anchored in anything and drifting from one event to another. Some would say this is a metaphor for life, a string of occurrences that the drifter meets with along the road. I disagree. Watching "Easy Rider" was like watching "Easy Rider" stoned. I imagine Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern decided to go pass the pipe and during that session the entire pre-production of this film took place.

"Hey man, lets have them go here next."
"Yea man you sure know what's what. And lets have an abrupt and random exposition for Jack Nicholson's character in the film, man."
"Peter, you and Dennis can be like the protagonists of it cause you are both looking like such easy riders right now, man."
"And I'll direct it. And lets just have the film take us to New Orleans and then we'll get so tripped on acid, man. And we can have like a religious experience, man."
"Yea...."

This kind of writing session was clearly evident to me while watching the film. It's great for its on-the-open-road shots and the transition the film uses throughout which flashes back and forth between the end of one scene and the beginning of the next. But other than these traits and the period of the film from the exposition through to the end of the opening credits, I just couldn't stand it and wanted it all to end. Briefly going back to Jack Nicholson's character, as previously stated the exposition of his character was so abrupt and random. What better way to end this character's time in the plot than to have a senseless Fett-death right? Well it certainly made sense in this film to randomly kill off his character and to then have Wyatt(Peter Fonda) and Billy(Dennis Hopper) seem unaffected and continue on their journey to New Orleans. It should also be noted that I only just figured out the names of their characters by checking www.imdb.com. And what better way to end this listless meandering of a film than to have some southern farmer with a massive growth hanging from his neck shoot both of the easy riders, leaving them on the side of the country road. First of all, that farmer should be driving his truck to the hospital to get that hideous growth checked out. Second of all, I had hoped the ending whenever it came would rescue the film. But I guess what that ending tells us is that the free spirits are always brought down by the world in the end.

What? I spoiled the ending for you? good. Now you don't have to watch "Easy Rider"

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