O/T Review of "The World's Fastest Indian"

O.K. guys here is the review from the Arizona Republic of our favorite movie, "The World's Fastest Indian". He rates it only as ***, Fair. Read it for yourself. Personally I never listen to these guys anyway. I go to see a movie for me and I know that the way I see things are a lot different than the elitist, snobs that review movies and think I don't know anything or can't think for myself. I'm going anyway. Besides the real thing and the book was always better.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0203fastestindian0203.html

 

I'm impressed, Ebert seems to get it:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060202/REVIEWS/60131007


Can't wait to see this one.

-murph

 

Who cares. It's looks great, plus it has Anthony Hopkins and a Saltflat Indian race bike in it. What else more could one ask for?

 

I saw it a couple of weeks ago. Excellent! Don't expect a blockbuster. A simple film about a simple man. Something the world needs more of.
Ebert nails it. Go see it! -stick

 

Tom Long from the Detroit Free Press gave it a pretty good review, B-. There is only one theater here in the Metro Detroit area that is showing it. A group of GMB's talked about going to see it together next Saturday. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

 

It's at least 30 miles if not 40 to the nearest theater so I'll have to wait until it comes out in the video stores...but I'm going to watch it. I don't remember the last movie I saw but this one will probably be the next!

 

Well, maybe he gets it....
"In Bonneville, where millionaire drivers are sponsored by big corporations,"

 

Stephen Hunter of the Washington Post wrote:
""Merely keeping an engine alive with almost double its original displacement is a feat in itself, but Burt has additionally overcome the task of converting it from flathead to push rod OHV configuration, casting his own heads from an original pattern and building custom rocker arms of aluminum alloy," a cycle mag wrote in 68. And while I have no idea what any of that means, I take it on faith it's a way to make an engine run hotter and a bike faster, something Burt figured out on his own in his garage."

Movie critics mean well, but as he states, he has no idea what that means. They have no idea what kind of feat that really was.

He gave it 3 stars also.

The movies that the critics love are too far over my head for me to enjoy. I know I can understand and enjoy this one. I can't wait.

 

i saw it a few weeks ago and im going to see it again damnit. it was great.

if ANYONE on this board sees it and doesnt like it ill be surprised. its even worth the 10 bucks they are charging now to see it.

 

I agree. Critics aren't going to care for it too much because they don't know what they're seeing. Of course, if it had gay cowboys in it, it'd be all the rage.

It looks like a great flick that I will "get", probably a lot more than any movie critic.

 

They don't have any showtimes listed in the Tulsa area, I'm waiting on a call back from the regional program director to find out why. I've been looking forward to this for months.

 

I am not a movie theater type(last one was Saving Pvt Ryan or Pearl Harbor), but after seeing the clips on this one.....I AM GOING to this one.

 

"And while I have no idea what any of that means, I take it on faith it's a way to make an engine run hotter and a bike faster, something Burt figured out on his own in his garage."

That's really pretty close to "getting it" for a non-gearhead. I read one review in which the reviewer said approximately "they never explained why Munro's old bike was faster than the nice new models!" She must have gone out for popcorn at the critical moment!

 

Kawasaki set two speed records at Bonneville in '67. I'd say their pockets were probably a little deeper than Munro's.

-murph

 

Showings are pretty sparce right now. Its not coming to my area until 2-17...

Maybe I'll stand in line a week before it starts, like the Star Wars geeks.

 

I'm pretty excited to see this. I'm sure it will make me want to go home and BUILD. Ill wait until it come out on video though, I'm not much of a people person.

I've usually found that when someone rates it low, I need to watch it, because its good.

trey

 

Still waiting for it to be shown here. The wife even wants to see it. She is a REAL fan of Anthony Hopkins.

Frank

 

You guys are lucky, we made it a point to go as a group to see it, found out they aren't releasing it around here. Period. Damn, haveta wait until its on video.

 

i'm going to go see it tonite, i've been waiting for a while.

 

The countdown has began, 3 and half hours (including an hour and a half drive) until I'm in my seat watching it at Cedar Lee theater tonight in Cleveland. I'm so pumped, I've been waiting so long to see this!

 

I've been looking forward to this movie for months and I open the paper this morning to the movie listings and it's not even showing in the Milwaukee area. I guess my wife is off the hook for tonight:').

 

Critics get paid to not know what the hell they are talking about.

Personally since I first read about the Burt Munro stories many years ago, I've always held him in higher regard than even Rollie Free. Sure Free rode a badass Vincent in his swimshorts, but it was somebody else's bike, hopped up by the factory and dealer experts. Munro did his own work, cast his own parts, and made what he needed or improvised, and still set a record to this day. NOW that is impressive. And I think that spirit falls in to what makes hot rodding at its roots so great.

Obviously the movie might have its strayings, but from what I've seen it conveys a good story by good means.

 

To critique the critics a bit, most of them seem to be in it for the sheer joy of showing off their intellectual capabilities.

Siskel and Ebert from a few years back are an excellent example.

When they were on the local educational channel with their movie critic program, they hated just about anything the general public liked.
Never mind that the movie in question was bringing people in by droves and making Hollyweird some serious money.
They dismissed the people seeing these popular movies as being lemmings following lemmings.

What they liked at the time were dark, hard to follow, European for the most part, avant garde films, preferably with subtitles.
It had to have a deep and hard to understand message as well.
In a nutshell, boring shit for most of us.

When Siskel and Ebert got their big break and got on with one of the major networks, I told Sweetie that these guys are going to have to change their ways and dispense of their hatred for popular movies ro they wouldn't last long.

They changed.

I was surprised, but either some broadcast exec told em what was expected or they actually went to some of the movies they panned and changed their ways.

I'm not saying that they need to recommend truly poor movies that come from many places - although I can't believe people put money into making some of the silver screen wonders we see now and then - but to make a good honest recommendation one way or the other.

Recommendations from friends and others who like the same stuff you do, in other words, word of mouth, are the best way to find out about a movie.

To use an couple of old cliches, anyone can criticize, and the other, a movie critic is simply a failed actor....

 

Of course, in a town known for its gearheads (we build airplanes, for crying out loud!) - no theater is showing "World's Fastest Indian". The nearest showing is in Kansas City, Missouri - easily 4 hours or more (once you get in traffic) plus a drive home.
Seems this isn't a movie - it's a "film", and that means Hollywood won't expect it to make any money until it hits the video store.
Swell.

 

Me too. When you watch this movie don't forget about the fava beans and chianti. That well tell you how good an actor he is.

 

ppfff I could care less what a critic says. That movie looks awesome.

 

We're seeing it tonight in San Jose, CA. I can't wait. The lady is coming along, too. Figure we'll ride down to the theater instead of drive. That way I can out-geek everyone by wearing my helmet and leaning left and right in my seat.

 

A bunch of my friends went and saw it, of course I was working and couldn't go. They can't stop talking about it! I trust their opinions more than any movie reviewers.

 

That's a "hoot!" He sure hasn't met any of our drivers!
Or did you win the lottery Mike and your holding out on us!

 

Fava beans and Chianti! haha ... great line... Anthony Hopkins rules and iam sure this movie will be just fine.

Im suprised at the critics, especially with all the stupid shit we have been working on lately... an actual movie with some value is being Shat On.