Easy Rider

[canikickit]

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the film:


George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
"Their society is more highly evolved, they don't have no wars, they got no monetary system, they don't have any leaders, because each man is a leader. Because of their technology they are able to feed, clothe, house and transport themselves equally and with no effort.

Billy (Dennis Hopper):
"If they're so smart why don't they just reveal themselves to us?"

George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
It would cause a general panic. We still have leaders, upon who we rely for the release of this information. These leaders have chosen to repress this information because of the tremendous shock that it would cause to our antiquated systems."

-------------------------------------------------

George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
"They're not scared of you, they're scared of what you represent to them......"

Billy (Dennis Hopper):
"All we represent to them is someone who needs a haircut"

George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
"What you represent to them, is freedom"

Billy (Dennis Hopper):
"What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what its all about."

George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
That is what its all about, but talkin about it and being it are two different things. Its real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course don't ever tell anyone that they're not free, because then they're gonna get real busy killing and maiming to prove to you that they are. They're gonna talk to you and talk to you about individual freedom, but they see a free individual and they're gonna get scared."

Billy (Dennis Hopper):
"Well it don't make them running scared"

George Hanson (Jack Nicholson):
"No, it makes them dangerous."

---------------------------------------------

On the walls in the whorehouse:
"If God did not exist, it would be neccessary to invent him"

"Death only closes a man's reputation and determines it as good or evil"


------------------------------------------------


Wyatt (Peter Fonda):
"We blew it"


Any additions or discussions are highly encouraged.


(Edited by canikickit at 9:35 pm on Oct. 25, 2002)

[Panamarisen]

canikickit, I´m very glad you post something about Easy Riders..., and specially those dialogues!
This is one of my favorite movies. I´ve watched it a lot of times. What it pictures was my idea of making a living since I was a child (and I´m talking about their philosophy). I am a motorcycle rider, and for me the best and only way to ride is focusing on the ideas of the film.
I think the quotes you made of the dialogue is one of the best of the film, although the rest of the picture has the same idea underlying, even when there is no dialogue at all but only images.
BTW, the last DVD of Easy Riders available is very interesting, because you can hear the comments of Fonda, Hopper and others about many of the scenes finally filmed.

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[canikickit]

Yeah, I've got it on DVD, it is fantastic. The documentry "Shaking the Cage", is really interesting, it adds a lot to the film, learning that most of the actors were genuine people.

Like when they're in the cafeteria, those rednecks were probably really thinking the things they said.

[canikickit]

I love the music, there are so many fantastic tunes:

If 6 was 9
The Weight
Steppenwolf tunes
It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding

Also, apparently it was one of the first film to use music which was already recorded, as opposed to a score, Dennis Hopper said that it was part of trying to capture the time as it was. These were the song which were genuinely on the radio during that time.

[Frosty]

What is it about? (yes i'm stupid)
Who are "they" (in the first quote)?

[munkey soup]

Watch the movie.

[canikickit]

That bunch of quotes actually look quite confusing if you haven't seen the film. I'm gonna change it.

The "them" he's refering to are aliens, who are among us "in all walks of life" (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha[in joke for people who've seen it]). I don't actually think there are aliens among us, but I think his discription of their society is quite interesting, especially on a socialist board ( :wink: ), also of course to the reference to the leaders who don't release the info. If it were true would the leaders actually allow it to become clear that society can fuction without their presense (and hence remove themselves from power)? I doubt it.

Easy Rider is about the American dream. I guess. But that's not all, and it has relevence to more than that.

[Frosty]

That film sounds deeper than i thought.
I believed it was just about some motorcycle-lover fulfilling his dream of having The Motorcycle and driving off. Well.

[canikickit]

It's deeper than the Marinas Trench.

[MJM]

does your hair hang low
does it wobble too and fro
can you tie it in a ribbon
can you tie it in a bow
can you throw it over your shoulder
like a continental soldier
does you hair hang low!

[deadpool 52]

The movie was unoriginal and cliché.

Peter Fonda. . . *sheeeit.

[Panamarisen]

Quote: from deadpool 52 on 3:14 am on Oct. 26, 2002

The movie was unoriginal and cliché.

Peter Fonda. . . *sheeeit.

It was so unoriginal and cliché that Dennis Hopper and the rest of the gang couldn´t believe how well people approved and were interested on the film, in the debut till today... And not only because of the argument, but also because of the very unique technical innovations it had.

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[canikickit]

It's true that the actual plot was not that original, each of the three main actors had just made motorcycle films, but like Panamarisen pointed out, it contained original innovations.

The music, like I already said, it was the first film not to use a score.

The camera work, original in America, at least, Hopper used straight cuts between scenes, rather than super imposure of images, this was not being done at all at the time.

How can you say it was cliche, I don't know if you were around at the time, but it was made in 1969/70, it wasn't cliche at that time.

[3r3bus]

cliché *?? Yea... I agee, but I still think it is a good movie and speaks to the wrongs of that society !! or am I wrong ?? ;)

[canikickit]

Why don't you share with us some of the other films which came out beforehand, and made it so cliche?

[red warlock]

THE MOVIE 'S GOT A DEEP PHILOSOPHY..IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST POST HIPPIE REALISATIONS..
FANTASTIC,I MIGHT ADD.

[Dhul Fiqar]

I saw it in an Amsterdam hotelroom, so suffice to say I didn't understand all of what was going on and I certainly can't remember any of the details. ;)

Pretty damn groovy flick though, and a lot of great actors. I have to give it another viewing some day...

--- G.

[Dhul Fiqar]

Billy: Where ya from man?
Stranger on the Highway: Hard to say.

----

George Hanson: They'll talk to ya and talk to ya and talk to ya about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em

-------

George Hanson: I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.

[Dhul Fiqar]

As an interesting sidenote about Peter Fonda, he apparently inspired the trippy Beatles' song "She said"

He is said to have been at John Lennon's house tripping with him and some other famous people on some really strong acid. Then he said : "You know what? I know what it's like to be dead..."

Apparently this set Lennon off so much that he threw him out without his coat, screaming that he was full of shit and never say something like that to him again. Hence, "She said, 'I know what it's like to be dead'"

I can't access google at the moment for some reason so I'll have to look it up later to see if I was correctly informed. It was in some book a friend of mine read about the origin of Beatle songs.

--- G.

[canikickit]

That's interesting stuff, Dhul. Those are good quotes from the film also.


Amsterdam hotel room...yeah I had to watch that shit Tom Hanks film in an Amsterdam hotel room about 15 times in a week. That shit film where he's on an islad...what the hell is it called?

[truthaddict11]

Castaway, "I have made FIRE!" and the attachment to a volleyball he calls Wilson c'mon!

I have only seen the part the first post was quoting in Easy Rider and the very end. i may have to rent it soon.

[canikickit]

argh! Castaway. What a crap film.

It was on the pay per view, so you could watch for 15 minutes free, and then it got cut off. We (or rather, they) kept watching various parts, and eventually they decided to get it, and watch the whole thing. We'd already seen many parts and the whole thing together was just too much. My brain melted into a messy pulp and started leaking out my ear (nothing to do with the large amounts of cannabis I was ingesting, I swear). I had no choice but to roll another joint, spark it up, shrug and mutter a few profanities. Fun times.

My good, I hate films like that. My friend came up with a theory;

the hollywood guys were pissed off with Tom Hanks (due to his large ego, no doubt), so they set him up to star in this film where he was all on his own and basically making an ass of himself. Y'know; talking to himself, talking to footballs, shouting, and generally being a boring crazy. There's also a part (I think when he's trying to make fire) and my friend said it looked like he was jacking off. This was all part of the symbolism of Tom Hanks being a big fuckwad worthy of ridicule.

I wish I was back there now. Tom Hanks...pish!

[man in the red suit]

I loved the ending. Can't live outside of society, as my english teacher keeps reminding me. :)

[canikickit]

Don't tell me that film actually had meaning to you? It was a load of garbage. The only meaning it gave me was to remind me to put the bin out by the gate that night.
I prefer my friend's interpretation. It's more believable. Tom Hanks is a real schmuck. I mean just take a look at the guy; his hair doesn't know whether to curl, or stay straight. He doesn't know if he's somebody's "buddy", or a tough guy cop, or even a love interest for the female lead. I don't like his attitude, his sense of humour, his fashion sense, I barely like his sense of sight.
He's for the chop.

[Dhul Fiqar]

I found verification, although Lennon was just pissed off, he didn't actually throw him out according to these accounts:


* John Lennon (in 1980), about 'She Said' -
"That's mine. It's an interesting track. The guitars are great on it. That was written after an acid trip in L.A. during a break in the Beatles tour where we were having fun with the Byrds and lots of girls. Peter Fonda came in when we were on acid and he kept coming up to me and sitting next to me and whispering, 'I know what it's like to be dead.' He was describing an acid trip he'd been on. We didn't 'want' to hear about that. We were on an acid trip and the sun was shining and the girls were dancing, and the whole thing was beautiful and Sixties, and this guy-- who I really didn't know-- he hadn't made 'Easy Rider' or anything... kept coming over, wearing shades, saying, 'I know what it's like to be dead,' and we kept leaving him because he was so boring! And I used it for the song, but I changed it to 'she' instead of 'he.' It was scary... I don't want to know what it's like to be dead!"

+++++++++++

Of course, Fonda remembers it differently, hehe:

----
One of his classic recollections is his famed meeting with The Beatles. "I was visiting The Beatles while they were in California in 1965, in a rented house in Benedict Canyon. They decided they were going to take LSD. And David Crosby and Roger McGuinn from The Byrds were there. I was invited in and we dropped LSD-except for Paul [McCartney]. At one point George was having a tough time. He said, "I feel like I'm going to die." And I said, "It's all right. It's all right. It's what's supposed to happen. It's your body not wanting to lose control over everything. It's your brain trying to maintain control. It's OK, just let it go." Then he said, "I don't know. It's very scary!"


I said, "Look, it's OK. I know what it's like to be dead." And that got Lennon's attention. I said, "You see, when I was a boy, I shot myself by accident in the liver and the stomach and the kidney. And I died three times on the operating table. And I can tell you what it was - it was grey and then nothing, nothing at all. No fear. No nothing. No music. No problem. So, it's OK. I know it is." Lennon said, "Who put all that stuff in your head? You're making me feel like I've never been born." And out of that, emerged The Beatles' song 'She Said, She Said.' "

[Dhul Fiqar]

Oh, and Tom Hanks is a dick and he annoys me. He's somehow not a real person to me, more of an accident of popular culture...


--- G.

[synthesis]

His son is damn good though, have any of you guys seen Orange County?

[truthaddict11]

i unfortunatly did see it---- HORRIBLE! ranks with Dude Wheres My Car and Triple-X as some of the worst movies ever made

[canikickit]

Tom Hanks' son....?

Those stories are cool Dhul. I'd be more inclined towards believing Fonda's version somehow.

[Panamarisen]

...so going back to Easy Rider, I would say it makes me remember me a lot scenes from "Strawberry Fields", at least many of them... So psychodelic...

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[canikickit]

Strawberry fields, eh? Was that a film or do you mean scenes from the song? Which part reminds you of it?

[man in the red suit]

Quote: from canikickit on 3:21 am on Jan. 9, 2003
Don't tell me that film actually had meaning to you? It was a load of garbage. The only meaning it gave me was to remind me to put the bin out by the gate that night.
I prefer my friend's interpretation. It's more believable. Tom Hanks is a real schmuck. I mean just take a look at the guy; his hair doesn't know whether to curl, or stay straight. He doesn't know if he's somebody's "buddy", or a tough guy cop, or even a love interest for the female lead. I don't like his attitude, his sense of humour, his fashion sense, I barely like his sense of sight.
He's for the chop.


what the hell are you talking about. that movie is great!! Tom Hanks wasn't even in the movie? are you mad? It had Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson but I don't remember any Hanks. You have me very confused, do you like the movie or not? :confused:

[Dhul Fiqar]

Dude, read the thread, it's pretty obvious he's talking about Castaway...

--- G.

[canikickit]

Good man, MITRS. Good man yourself.

[Panamarisen]

Quote: from canikickit on 11:30 pm on Jan. 9, 2003
Strawberry fields, eh? Was that a film or do you mean scenes from the song? Which part reminds you of it?



Scenes from the song, of course! Well, specially the ones pictured in the New Orleans Carnival and, much more specifically, the cemetery ones...

I know they ain´t got emotionally the same kind of views, but they got the same aesthetics and almost the same technical ideas.


HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[man in the red suit]

Quote: from Dhul Fiqar on 3:54 am on Jan. 10, 2003
Dude, read the thread, it's pretty obvious he's talking about Castaway...

--- G.


castaway? I thought this was an easy rider thread the last time I checked. I am really loosing it.

[man in the red suit]

aha I went back to see that you guys were talking about the movie castaway immediately before my post. Haha. I am such a fool... At least I am still sane.

Never seen castaway. From what I have heard, I don't intend on doing so in the near future either.

[canikickit]

Good stuff, any friend of Easy Rider is a friend of Peter Fonda.

[Lefty]

Dude. I know what it's like to be dead.

[canikickit]

Get out.

[canikickit]

Easy Rider compared to the Matrix?

[Soul Rebel]

i have never seen the matrix, aint that fucking crazy? ive never had any interest in it.

i love easy rider though, one of the best films i have ever seen. first saw it when i was like 13 and it tripped me out. my head was all over the place trying to comprehend it all.

[canikickit]

The Matrix is utter nonsense. Don't waste your time seeing it. You've better things to spend you money on. :)

Easy Rider is nice though.

[Soul Rebel]

i will take your word on it cani.

[truthaddict11]

i'll take Easy Rider over Matrix any day of the week