Roadside Prophets

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.

Road movies aren't easy to pull off. 'Roadside Prophets' tries and isn't entirely successful, but still has enough cool scenes and good intentions to make it worth watching. Musicians turned actors, Doe (X) and Horovitz (Beastie Boys) play bikers who form an uneasy partnership. One of the problems with the movie is right there - Doe is a natural actor, Horovitz isn't, and doesn't convince.

Anyway, the two set out travelling across America, in a deliberate homage to 'Easy Rider', and the movie in a subtle way is a eulogy for the 60s and a comment on the changes America has seen since then. Many interesting faces pop up in cameos - John Cusack, Timothy Leary, David Carradine, Don Cheadle and Alex Cox regular Biff Yeager to name several - which is half the fun. Especially Cusack's character. It was a pity there wasn't more of him here.

'Roadside Prophets' is uneven, but still enjoyable. If you like this I suggest you have a look at the road movies of Canadian director Bruce McDonald, especially his superb 'Highway 61', a more original and successful movie than this.

...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.

A blue-collar joe seeking to fulfil a dead man's last wish finds himself sucked into a spiritual journey and questioning his own life.

This is a film that lends itself to being misunderstood. Previous comments have listed it as "rambling", and I can see where it might appear that way. Just remember the name of the film. It's not about the quest to bury ashes. It's about personal enlightenment and breaking away from a static, nowhere life.

Rich characters and counter-cultural icons litter this film. Definitely a find if you're a fan of movies like "Alice's Restaurant" and "Fritz the Cat".