Whatever it is, it’s better in the wind.

March 19, 2007 6:13 AM

40 years ago, the Vicious Cycles motorcycle club assaulted a construction worker before taking to the road. Fortunately, filmmakers Chuck Menville (father of voice artist Scott Menville) and Len Janson were on hand to film the gang's misdeeds. Menville and Janson's picture would ultimately become part of a trilogy, with Blaze Glory and Sargent Swell of the Mounties produced wit similar eye-catching style. Decades later, the filmmakers' work would be echoed in another tale of conflict, in addition to a product-themed homage to more recent hipster subculture.
posted by Smart Dalek (10 comments total)

Coincidentally, Menville and Janson were also responsible for screenwriting the crossover episode of The Groovie Ghoulies, featuring characters from the Looney Tunes repitoire and a live-action appearance by the Ghoulies themselves.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:14 AM on March 19, 2007

Delightful!
Good work, Sma-Da!
posted by Dizzy at 6:26 AM on March 19, 2007

Dig those hot fuzztone licks by Davie Allan & The Arrows.
posted by NoMich at 6:43 AM on March 19, 2007

Actually, "Tony vs Paul" and all these films are derived from the Academy Award winning 1952 film short Neighbours which can be watched here.
posted by stbalbach at 7:39 AM on March 19, 2007

haha, I'd seen "Tony vs. Paul" before, but never the motorcycle thing.
posted by delmoi at 8:11 AM on March 19, 2007

SmartD, thank you! Back in college in thee late 70s I took a PT working the media booth at a club. Ran a heavy-water light show during the sets and banks of slide projectors during breaks. Plus some 16mm projectors with these films. What a hoot.

Any link to a You-Tubey version of Blaze Glory?
posted by hal9k at 9:08 AM on March 19, 2007

I'm afraid not, hal9k. I searched about, but couldn't find a viewable Sgt. Swell either.
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:15 AM on March 19, 2007

Holy cow, that's a hilarious piece of kitsch. For some reason back in the 1970s I had this mental image of bikers picking up chicks hitchhiking alongside the highway, and I was never able to figure out what film or TV show I was drawing that from. Maybe this was it.
posted by rolypolyman at 9:38 AM on March 19, 2007

[this is good]
posted by Busithoth at 10:23 AM on March 19, 2007

This is one of the coolest things I've seen, and that's coming from someone who is a film snob. Great post Smart Dalek.
posted by nola at 2:30 PM on March 19, 2007