50 years ago today: Easy Rider premieres

Yea!!! Loved the movie. Now I know why I grew Peter Fonda sideburns this year.

 

I've never seen it.

 

i've watched it a couple times. i assume it made sense at the time, but it really didn't hold up well. for me, it was one of the most boring movies i've ever seen. but of course, i wasn't even born until 15 years after it came out.

 

I watched earlier this year. Yeah was a bit all over the place I get how it's a cult classic though.

 

I've seen it once, I think the character development is pretty good but there wasn't a ton of substance to the plot for me.

I probably wouldn't watch it again on my own accord but I think it represents an interesting perspective of the counter culture.

 

And of course....

 

50 years ago, there were a lot of other things going on around the same time, that easily upstaged it.
moon landing, viet nam war and exit there from, civil rights marches and so on.
but it did provide an outlet and safety valve that let us forget about them, if only for its own moment.

oddly i remember more the song, that i think may have been inspired by it, but not directly, with the line "i wonder if anyone would think we filipped, if we went to l.a. by way of omaha".

(also i think alices resteraunt found what sleazy rider couldn't)

 

It’s incredible just how much shit was going on all at the same time back in 1969 like the Tet Offensive, Woodstock, the aforementioned Easy Rider,
The Tate LaBianca murders by the Manson Family, The Moon Landing,…..


That must have been some ride for those of you who lived through it

 

I agree... It was a great era

 

Yes, Nixon was the new President and we had high hopes. *Sigh*

 

I love this movie to death.

Romantic and harsh and confronting. An excellent portrayal of two free souls on a trip to their country that's both in an amazing flux (new subcultures, young folks starting communes etc.) and rather backwards (intolerant and mad sad rednecks who give the word conservative an unneccesary bad name).
Yes, they found the true America in several ways. Unfortunately the ending is a very typical and true part of 'merca as well. A solid reminder

 

• Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.

 

^^^^^...This Post "Scared" Me.....



Cheers Glen.

 

We're on the other side of the world

 

I was conflicted when I saw this (many years after it was in theaters). The fact they were drug smugglers seemed to be washed away with the idea that they were some sort of freedom riders. But maybe the lesson, if there was one, is more about the consequences of throwing caution to the wind in the quest to express your freedom. When you're smuggling drugs, it's best to keep a very low profile. In this case though, it wasn't the cops who became the biggest problem for them. It was some random encounter by people they grossly and arrogantly underestimated. A very haunting end that had me wondering why they weren't packing heat for such a venture. And why he got back on the bike and drove toward the maniacs.

 

Arrogantly? Lol.

They weren't packing heat because they weren't that kind of drug smugglers, so it wouldn't have helped one bit in a police encounter. And they didn't consider that 2 of those folks in a car would do the most horrible thing. Yes, they expected antagonising and maybe an attempt of getting into a physical row but not this. And why should they? Rather extreme action don't you think...
They were free and not living in fear. Those punks with the shotgun were stuck in their fearful views and felt the need to affirm their position in a preposterous way.

 

I think we can both agree the word arrogant fits the guys with the shotgun better. Or those nutcases that beat someone to death.