Movie Review - Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

Review by Ron Cotton - April 19, 2005

Directed by Kenneth Bowser
2003 - Based on Peter Biskind's Best Selling Book – Official Selection Cannes 2003

In the early 60's, Hollywood is a complete mess. Television was taking over the box office by storm. Roman Polanski overheard the youthful American cries, defying the old film style and begging directors to “Make it New, Make it different!” Old studio executives didn't know how to revive the movie industry or what their next step should be.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls analyzes what could quite possibly be termed as the most daring and innovative time in Hollywood history. Blazing its path starting in the early 60's and ending its journey in the late 70's, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls details how the old studio infrastructure overhauled itself into creating blockbusters unique to all movies from generations past. Chock full of stock photos, wonderful film footage, and interviews with the movers and shakers of the era, you'll discover how interconnected these movie muguels were.

Chronicled in Chronological order, this journey delves into figures such as Francis Ford Coppola, Roger Corman, Dennis Hopper, Sam Peckinpah, Roman Polanski, Arthur Penn, Warren Betty to name but a few. Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, The Wild Bunch, Midnight Cowboy, Bonney & Clyde, Mickey One are but of a round table of movies showcased in this documentary. For those seeking in depth information on European cinema during the 60's and 70's will be sadly disappointed. Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is more or less dealing strictly with American cinema history. Spielberg and Lucas were some of the higher profiled not interviewed on the disc, yet others like Corman and Hopper were. Not quite the hard hitters of today, yet still too famous to ignore.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is perfect for those who know nothing of this era. For those in the other camp who are in the “know” will be beating a dead horse. The interviews also have it's highs and lows. The amount of footage between the two-disc release is quite substantial (118 min. feature plus a 102 min. bonus disc). On the down side, the menus are bare-boned with unavoidable advertisements for trio network.

Not reading Peter Biskind's book that started it all, I have no frame of reference how the two coincide. At worst, this release is a good quick fix for info a la “E true Hollywood Story.” I've enjoyed Easy Riders, Raging Bull, and refuse to never blame Kenneth Bowser for waisting my time with this great documentary.