Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Easy Rider Live

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 07-29-2019, 09:16 AM:

2-page ad in Sunday 7-28-19 NY Times for EASY RIDER LIVE, to be performed at Radio CIty Music Hall on 9-20-19. Soundtrack performed live featuring John Kay, Roger McGuinn and Special Guests.

Found this interesting: "The original cinematic experience remastered on the world's largest flying LED screen..."

Guessing they might be touring large halls/arenas with this.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-13-2019, 10:59 AM:

I want to go just to see what this LED screen looks like. Possibly it may be a window into the future of exhibition.

I was never a fan of this film, don't even have it in my DVD library. And yes, I am of the Woodstock generation and if you want a movie that really tells you something about the emerging cultural change of that period, WOODSTOCK is it; EASY RIDER is about easy stereotypes that are not derived from any character depth or meaningful insight. And although I never made it farther than about 10 miles up the NYS Thruway heading to the festival, I certainly made up for it by getting pestering and whining and begging the NY booker at WB to let me run WOODSTOCK; she finally gave in just to shut me on & we played it only about a month after it opened in Manhattan -- 4 trk mag & Technicolor. What a treat. Ran it many times since.

As for EASY RIDER, I found the characters obnoxious and unlikeable, the acting like something out of students at film school working on a thesis film that they are going to get a D- on. The acting particularly is WAY over-the-top, especially Dennis Hopper (a danger of having the director also the star) who is too old and unlikable for the part. And the famous "trip" sequence...it's just pandering to what stupid adults thought young people were experiencing or wanted to experience. I think the popularity stemmed more from the soundtrack than the barely coherent storyline. Culturally relevant music on a soundtrack can do wonders for an otherwise anemic film. The only bright note in ER is Jack Nicholson, who teaches them all a thing or two about acting.

Yes, it was a very popular title; I certainly booked it, not because I thought it was some kind of outstanding film, but because, well, you know... the bottom line thing. I might have been more enthusiastic if they had struck some 4trk mag prints so at least I could wow my audiences with some impressive sounds. But still, I do want to see what LEDs can do for presentation.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 08-13-2019, 03:55 PM:

This whole "perform the soundtrack live while the movie runs" seems to be the new fad. There's actually a "Harry Potter in Concert" website promoting their shows that claims there's been over 1,000 performances of the HP movies with full orchestras.

The Utah Symphony Orchestra has been big on these. The Empire Strikes Back is on their upcoming schedule.

Now we need somebody to make fun of this by presenting, say, Napoleon Dynamite or some movie where all they need to reproduce the soundtrack is a pickup band working around a guy with a Casio synthesizer.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-13-2019, 04:40 PM:

Shampoo. If I recall correctly, only 5 notes in the whole film. Wonder if Paul Simon holds the rights.