SUSO

The King Of Cool

"You know what, that might be kinda fun."

Steve McQueen, Box Office Star signs up to a Daily Scale Stunt Contract in 1975

As the 30th anniversary of Steve MCQueen's death and a new biopic approach (Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig fighting it out for the lead), the extent to which the King Of Cool's life revolved around fast cars and bikes becomes a talking point for us all.

Born five months after the Great Depression to alcoholic parents who abandoned him in his youth McQueen was dyslexic, alone, and in and out of reform school until the age of 18.  However, a love of motorsport kept him off the booze and out of prison.  As his acting career took shape he was never one to be found waiting for the phone to ring.  Quite simply Steve McQueen had his bikes, and this was a passion he carried throughout his acting career.

One story goes that having just filmed Towering Inferno for a reported $14m, McQueen called a buddy looking to go for a bike ride in the desert.  This friend, a stunt rider, couldn't make the trip in that he had a job the next day on a film called Dixie Dynamite (I know what you're thinking...). For $174-50 daily rate, McQueen signed up to a day of sliding corners, sailing jumps and laying down crashes.  In all the excitement one wheelie got the better of him and he came off the back infront of everyone.  Truly one of the guys, his stunt crew loved him for it.

This love of bikes was never more apparent than in the final scenes of On Any Sunday in 1971.  As a biker what I'd give to be able to play in the sand like that with my buddies today.  Alas green laning (freeriding in the off road UK) is fast become extinct but in the US in the 70s this was on tap!  If you haven't seen the film the end scene is well worth a view here.

Read More (13 comments)

Categories Film Tags Fashion General Endeavour Art

By Juan on 27/8/09

Beyond Our Imagination?

"Coming to a (suitably technically equipped) cinema near you from the 18th December 2009..."

James Cameron has made a career of innovating in film - Terminator (I and II), Aliens, Titanic and now come December, on the distant moon of Pandora we have Avatar. In 3D. For real. Avatar is, they tell us, a world beyond our imagination.

On top of the promise of revolutionary 3D, a key part of a creative storyline appears to revolve around a species called the Na'vi, humanoid aliens into which earthlings are able to implant their personalities.  Unleash your imagination on that!  We start by thinking any passport Gordon Brown might have for pasage in space should be immediately revoked.

If you managed to catch one of the 15 minute screenings at IMAX theatres across the country this weekend, we are more than a little green with envy. 

Read More (2 comments)

Categories Film Tags Art Design Drama Media TV

By Juan on 21/8/09

The Big Bang

"So that's how it happened.  Really?"

Got 2 minutes to kill and looking for some answers?  This might help. 

But then of course it might not.  At the end of the day, so much is always left to our imagination.

Read More (1 comment)

Categories Culture Tags General suso

By Juan on 15/8/09

Down With The Teens

"The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California ... Ooooo Yeah."

John Hughes, director and writer of some of the 80s best loved comedies passed away at the weekend at the age of 59.  His greatest achievement is universally acknowledged in his portrayl of teenagers - too often characterised as immoral and ignorant - Hughes chosen to listen to and respect them and in doing so created a number of movies that perfectly captured the spirit of 1980s America.

The most timeless of these remains Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  If the success of this film owed a great deal to the on-screen talent of a young Matthew Broderick, it also benefited from Hughes' sharp script and direction. 

"...Ferris, he never drives it, he just rubs it with a diaper..." Screenplay brilliance that will be remembered forever.

Read More (8 comments)

Categories Film Tags Art culture General

By Juan on 9/8/09

A Giant Among Men

"They can say whatever they want, I'm not back on my bike for them."

So what can you say about this man that hasn't already been said?  What inspirational quote can we shine a light on that we don't all already know off by heart? The answer is nothing and none.  So quite simply the very little we're left with to say is this :

 'Actions speak louder than words' and in this regard Armstrong's return to the sport of cycling in 2009 on a self proclaimed mission to drive cancer awareness and money for research, appears (from the outside) to be yielding huge success.  His Livestrong campaign and the extent to which he has driven it from the front,  has undoubtedly re raised the threat of cancer and the plight of its victims in everyone's consciousnous.  And the money raised from all corners, from sponsors to artists to the general public is sure to be huge (Who wouldn't want a Damien Hirst diamond studded road weapon for their dream garage collection?)

Read More (242 comments)

Categories Sport Tags Art Endeavour General

By Juan on 6/8/09