Asphalt-Propheten

I'm a biker and was looking for something bike related to watch and came across this rather pleasant quirky little movie. It won't win any awards for the acting but the actors did a very passable job and the desert scenery was wonderful bringing memories of my trip there many years ago on some of those very roads. Considered a cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John Cusack as Caspar, a self-styled "Symbionese" rebel, and a very early film performance by Don Cheadle. Give it a go if you're a biker and maybe if you're not :)

This is one of those films which you can watch a dozen times and get something different out of it each time. Lots of guest appearances in this movie. I remember the first time I watched it and thought he looks familiar then realized it was Timothy Leary (Tune In, Turn On, and Drop Out Dude from the 60's) not long before he died. I had seen him on a lecture tour around the same time as the movie came out. Also people like Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, Don Cheadle, John Cusack, etc. My favorite part is the entire section with David Carradine.

This is a road trip movie and if I didn't already know who had directed it, I would have thought it was a Robert Altman film. Lots of good weirdness and things for you wrap your head around. Quite a few "in" jokes that you might not catch the first time you see it. If you watched one time and thought it was okay, then watch it again.

...and this certainly helped put him six feet under.

I finished ROADSIDE PROPHETS, but it took some work. The movie is watchable, but that's about the only thing "good" I can say about it. A couple of "alternative icon" cameos (and John Cusack obviously in need of any kind of a paycheck back in '92) do not make it worth your time.

Doe is OK, but Horovitz is better sampled in small 4 minute doses. Check out his funny turn in the "Sabotage" video, but walk on by this one the next time you're going to take a chance at the video store.

I enjoyed the movie immensely. Sometimes it reminded me of the 1992 "Highway To Hell" movie, which also seems a bit of a "trip". Being a biker helps when seeing this movie. One 'understands' it, like teens are supposed to 'understand' "Wayne's World".

At times one doesn't quite understand some of the 'visions' the characters have, and one has to guess. Basically, it's a biker fantasy (the boss' daughter on the phone covering for the biker cos she's got a crush on him) with some dark comedy thrown in.

I'd say it's almost a "serious" Cheech & Chong type of movie.

Doe meets a man at work who comes off as very annoying and empty headed. The type of person most people would want to run from. Yet Doe befriends him immediately. Then, when this new friend dies suddenly, he decides to honor him by burying his ashes in a mythical city called El Dorado, Nevada.

Thus begins a very feeble attempt at a road movie. It was made by those who never did it themselves, but still think it would be a cool idea. It's the same people who like the idea of 'rebelling' yet have no idea what to rebel against. It has all the bad road movie cliches with none of the substance. It's too contained with none of the ruggedness. The quirky story threads and 'hype' philosophy are simply attempts to cover up it's own hollowness.

There is some introspection involving looking at the 60's through 80's eyes. It shows how Generation X loves the allure of the 60's and wants to emulate it, yet has no real understanding of what it was about. It also shows how the aging boomer still longs for the open road even though he has now become apart of that dreaded responsible class that still needs to hold down a job. Yet all this is only done in minute spurts with the rest of it drowned out by a trendy existentialism that just doesn't work.

John Doe, the lead actor, aptly fits his name. He is very boring and transparent. The 'celebrity' appearances are nothing more than tired walk ons by fading 60's icons. Horowitz is the only one that manages to give a interesting performance. His youthful energy seems sincere and lively.

It's all very flatly shot and cheap looking. It looks like it should have gone straight to video. It also has some real stilted moments and bad acting too. This thing has the audacity to bill itself as THE EASY RIDER of the 90's even though it doesn't come close. It is pure imitation. Watching the real thing would be better or even watching some of the lesser known road pictures of that era.