At 95 Gina Lollobrigita had a full and interesting life. As a sex symbol in post-war Europe she acted in several films opposite leading men such as Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Burt Lancaster, and , as seen on the lower right image, Rock Hudson. Later life saw her move to the other side of the camera, where, as a photojournalist, she managed to get an interview with Fidel Castro. (1927-2023)
Blurb from the back of the VHS box: “After a rare comet sighting, teen sisters Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart) and Samantha (Kelli Maroney) find that they’re among the only survivors of a zombie attack. The girls partner with another survivor, Hector (Robert Beltran), but as they try to avoid the zombies, they’re sought by scientists who want to experiment on their bodies in the hope of finding an antidote. Dodging both the doctors and the undead, they keep moving in the hope that they can continue to stay alive.” A Triumph motorcycle is the vehicle of choice for the protagonists.
– another passing this week was Sidney Poitier. He flew the door wide open for minority actors. This lesser known film that he directed and starred in sees him as an american, Dr Matt Younger, who travels to Britain to take part in scrambler races. Whilst there he falls for a young woman who is an African Ambassadors daughter. Romance ensues. Sidney was 94. The bike is a BSA B50 MX which, incidentally, was the very last competition model from the Small Heath factory. Models were still rolling off the line during BSA’s demise.
– One of the “New Hollywood” directors from the seventies, Peter Bogdanovich, passed away this week aged 82. His first foray into movies was as an assistant director under Roger Corman in Wild Angels. A pivotal film that set the scene for what was to come. I’ve always got time to watch his first directorial debut triplet: The Picture Show; What’s up Doc? And Paper Moon. here he looks on as Corman discusses a scene with Peter Fonda.
– John Philip Law and Jane Fonda running around on a period Norton in the late Sixties.
– someone has a travel laden Bonneville passing through Wyoming. Waiting for UFO’s to appear over the porphyry columns looming over the Belle Fourche River.
– with over a year waiting for its eventual release; the latest Jane’s Bond outing is all you could want in a 160-odd minute action movie. The initial bike chase sequence, through the narrow and steep streets of Madera, Italy, sets up the film in true 007 fashion. An exciting final outing for Daniel Craig as the agent protagonist.
– let’s enjoy the King of Cool from a legendary scene in The Great Escape as he readies for the fence jump.
– afternoon TV was airing this 1988 revisit of a classic ‘58 Steve McQueen horror. Kevin Dillon is the high school teen protagonist who tears around the town on his vintage Triumph.
– what better way to escape across the Bavarian countryside than on a rugged tyred Triumph TR6 in German wartime feldgrau. Of course Steve makes it look effortlessly cool.
– bright red Triumph in homage to Brando’s film from that era. Good form, clean details and a might fine looking machine to go tooling around on.
Johnny : “Nobody tells me what to do. You keep needlin’ me, if I want to, I’m gonna take this joint apart and you’re not gonna know what hit you”
– posed like some emotionally distanced couple in a Jean-Luc Goddard outing; this BSA Starfire plays a central role in the discourse between the laconic reserve of the anorak bespectacled male lead contemplating the idea of home, against the young femme fatale toying with a solitary freedom of the open road.
“Tu me fends le coeur… J´ai le coeur fendu par toi !”
You are breaking my heart… My heart is being broken by you!
FIN
Bounty Hunter
– I started watching the Disney Star Wars series The Mandalorian this week. All I can say is: it’s what we’ve been waiting for since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Except for Rogue One it’s pure SW. speeder bikes ‘n’ all!
– KZ1000 ridin’ charismatic gang leader in a near dystopian Australian outback. also Toyal Shakespearean actor, poet and artist. “Anything I say? What a wonderful philosophy you have. Take him away.”
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