Terence Stamp, who passed away today starred in this pure 70’s sci-fi thriller about an actor is put in precarious situations while his fear is broadcast to a television audience. The audience’s emotions determine whether he is sent to the past or future. The photo is of Terry at the Paris premier with a gold colored Suzuki. Terence was most notably in Billy Bud, Far from the Madding Crowd, Superman the Movie, and Pricilla Queen of the Desert. One of the London cool folk in the swinging sixties, his relationship with Julie Christie gave rise to the lyric “Terry meets Julie Waterloo station Every Friday night” from The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset.
Excellent Sci-Fi art from Japanese master Shigeru Komatsuzaki (1915 – 2001). This is the box art for retro Japanese “Kamen Rider” a cyborg grasshopper who tears around on his motorcycle fighting kaijin supervillains.
Donald Sutherland plays a nazi agent in this 1981 film The Eye of the Needle. Knowing plans about D-Day he needs to report back to Berlin with a U-Boat meet-up off Scotland. Ending up on a remote “Storm Island” he takes up with a woman who is emotionally estranged from her husband who lost his legs in an automobile accident on their wedding day just as he was about to head off as a Spitfire pilot. As our protagonist is being pursued by Scotland Yard he commandeers a Velocette motorcycle to hare through the glens of Scotland. He ditches it in the sea after just crossing the Connel Bridge which crosses Loch Etive. The film was directed by Richard Marquand who went on to direct Return of the Jedi for George Lucas.
We went to see this film tonight. Based on photography and recorded interviews from the late 60’s and early 70’s it follows a bike club in Chicago as they make their way through the Midwest on Harleys clad in oily leather jackets emblazoned with “Vandals”. Tom Hardy is leader, Austin Butler the too-cool-for-school member and Jodie Comer is marvelous at his wife. Two-Thumbs up!
Great film about a fictitious plan to kidnap Churchill during WW2. Donald Sutherland plays an IRA agent helping the Germans infiltrate a Norfolk village. Michael Caine is the Fallschirmjäger who parachutes in with his troops to undertake the mission. Jenny Agutter is Molly. A Royal Enfield Flying Flea is the motorcycle scooting around tge countryside. Sadly Donald passed away today aged 88.
Vin takes chase to the outlaws terrorizing a village as part of this films titular septet. It’s on the Telly this morning so I may as well watch it! Happy Birthday Steve! He would have been 94 today.
Voiceover work from Mr Clooney for Wes Anderson’s version of the Ronald Dahl classic. In this scene he’s making scarfing noises. I’m here for the t-shirt. A great film nevertheless!
Watching this current venture of out nightlife vigilante. It’s gritty, moody and more like the Frank Miller work from the late eighties. Robert Pattison makes a good Dark Knight more like Michael Keaton’s one. The bike is called Drifter based on a Honda CB750.
I loved watching these guys as a kid. This is what I thought America was like (or the Waltons). I used to have a beat up leather coat for going to smoky pubs. It was my Starsky jacket. I know he had his personal demons but he played a good detective in Ken Hutchinson . RIP David Soul (1943-2024)
We’re binging the latest short series on Netflix this evening. All the light we cannot see. It stars Hugh Laurie as a French resistance radio operator. His pillion is the protagonist helping efforts against the Germans. 1930’s New Map motorcycle is period correct and had a couple of good scenes.
Sunday evening tv. One of the recurring series on the local PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is Granchester. About a local detective called Geordie, played by Robson Green, and a young handsome Vicar played by Tom Brittney, as they take on local murders and rural criminal shenanigans. Based in the early sixties with youthful vigor the reverend hares around the Cambridgeshire countryside on a BSA Rocket Goldstar. Perfect machine for the task at hand!
The Old Vicarage by poet Rupert Brook is pure epitome of Englishness and a lost Arcadia of the world before the Great War. The Orchard is a wonderful place for tea and scones.
Is one of the benefits of riding motorcycles. This TV commercial was for an asthma medication Fasenra, utilizing an old Triumph 750 being uncovered in a garage and ridden out along a sunny road.
Such was the catch phrase of comedian Dick Emery, whose ribald humor was very much of its day. He was also an avid motorcyclist riding big powerful machines such as this Kawasaki, BMW R90’s and Honda 750’s.
USO favorite Bob Hope looking smart on this well-travelled BSA with a lady friend- approximately 1950 so he’s well into the series of Road to… films with co-star Bing Crosby. Signs on the bike refer to riding 101 through the Redwood forested Mendocino County.
geordiebiker.com 