Tonight!

It's going down @ 10pm on the Travel Channel!

Triple Rush: Extended Trailer

With all the hype surrounding the premiere of the Travel Channel's new series 'Triple Rush', I figured I'd post this new extended trailer which is slightly over 2 minutes. I just can't wait for this any longer!

Triple Rush

Starting Thursday April 14th, the Travel Channel will premiere a new series titled Triple Rush which is an inside look into the rough and tough world of the New York City bike messenger. It's basically a reality show about messengers hustling on the daily grind, toughing it out and risking their lives. Triple Rush documents the inner-workings of 3 major courier services and the people that make it happen each and every day. I hear they got veteran messenger Austin Horse to follow the couriers around with helmet cams, and with his speed it must be interesting. Check out the official website for updates and air-times, view the sick as hell trailer here.

Career Courier

Career Courier is an upcoming documentary film on life as a bicycle messenger. It features several of America's bike couriers such as NYC's Kevin Bolger and Portland's James Adamson in action doing what they do best. Produced by Sweet Corn Studios aka Kenton Hoppas, Career Courier is a solid piece of work and sheds positive light on America's messenger scene. View the first edit below, look out for updates at the official site.

It's Groundhog Daaay!

Dark side of the lens

Dark side of the lens is a brilliant short film by world renowned surf photographer Mickey Smith. Words cannot describe the beauty portrayed in this video, so I'll just leave it at that! And if you're into photography and haven't seen this yet you really need to get out more! Check it out in all it's HD glory, below.

No Cassettes

Almost 2 years ago I posted a trailer on here for California based track bike film "No Cassettes". Created by cyclist/filmatographer Chris Fonseca, No Cassettes is a collage of great riders, solid music, beautiful spots and just pure cycling footage. It's also a great insight on the early days of the track bike scene and how it's progressed into what it is today. Even though it's shot throughout the Golden State, there are plenty of east coast riders that appear throughout the film as well such as Toronto's Tom Mosher and NYC's Eugene Hood. Just recently, Chris placed the entire film online on his Vimeo account. Be sure to check it out.

NO CASSETTES Moive from Chris Fonseca on Vimeo.

HBO 24/7: Road To The Winter Classic

I always love this time of year...Not only because Santa was good to me or because it's the holidays, but because there's time off from the daily grind. No schedules, no traffic, no worries...just good ale's, good rides, and good times. And of course it's also an opportunity to catch up on some much needed TV. I have tons of media laying around on my hard drive so I figured I'd do some catching up.
Now, everyone knows I've been an avid hockey fan for decades and that my favorite time of the year is during the NHL Winter Classic which is an outdoor hockey game played annually on New Years Day. Well, HBO 24/7 created a series properly titled The Road To The Winter Classic which is a four-part documentary chronicling the preparation of the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins for this years outdoor game, which takes place at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the great Heinz field. The documentary follows them on home and road games and gives unprecedented access on the functionality and politics of an NHL hockey team. You'll see Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau lose his cool and throw "F" bombs like there's no tomorrow, great rookie pranks, locker room footage and traditions, and for the ladies, Alex Ovechkin in his briefs. Plus you'll hear what is actually being said on the ice, which is what I always wonder, especially during fights, penalties and that non-stop chirp players do to one another. One word...Excellent! It's basically all you ever wanted to know about what goes on behind the scenes of an NHL team. Highly recommended if you're into the game and it's got great music too, as most HBO 24/7 shows do.

Below are the first and second episodes , which aired December 15th and 22nd. The next episode is this Wednesday, December 29 at 10:00 PM. For more info and photos, click here.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Here's a movie I recommend watching, especially if you're attending Art Basel this weekend here in Miami. 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' is a documentary type film released this year that was supposed to be about street art legend Banksy, but in turn the film is really about frenchman Thierry Guetta and his obsession with street art and how he became a legend in the art world. It opens with Thierry commenting on how he became addicted to documenting every bit of his life on film. He filmed everything at every moment of his life, accumulating hundreds of thousands of hours of tape which he soon lost track of. One day, he goes back home to France and meets his cousin, famous street artist Invader, and Thierry becomes obsessed with filming him on the street, in action, doing his thing. Shortly after, his cousin introduces him to other street artists to document such as Shepard Fairey, Swoon and eventually the ever so evasive, Banksy. Soon, Thierry wants more from the art world he is obsessed with and begins his own bombing campaigns, labeling himself as "Mr. Brainwash" and leading to enormous, successful exhibitions all over the world. It's quite a funny story actually. It also features Neckface, Kaws, Borf and a few other notables.

What makes this film so interesting is the way everything is presented to you by british narrator Rhys Ifans, it almost seems like it's all a hoax. There actually has been much speculation that the film and story of Mr. Brainwash are a hoax concocted by Banksy himself. Among the most questionable aspects of his character in the film is the absence of any footage of Thierry actually creating his uncannily Banksy-like images. When he is shown "working," he is only seen splattering paint using aerosol cans to haphazardly color images and clumsily attempting to paste up a poster, which was hilarious! Other aspects of the Mr. Brainwash character seem deliberately comical, such as him being pushed in a wheelbarrow after supposedly breaking his foot, but I'll leave it up to you to be the judge. View the extended trailer below. A must see!

Downtown 81

Jean-Michel Basquiat's productive career spanned just one short decade, yet he is considered one of the best-known artists of his generation. Graduating from subway walls to canvas and from the streets of New York to the galleries of SoHo, the artist and his work will forever remain a mystery to those who seek explanation. Sadly, he lost his life to heroin at the young age of 27.

The film 'Downtown 81' is a real-life snapshot of the hip, drug fueled clubland that was downtown Manhattan during the post-punk era of the 1980's and tries to explain the identity of Jean-Michel Basquiat at the same time. It's basically a day in the life of Basquiat as he wanders around NYC trying to sell a painting he made in order to pay his rent. He was recently evicted and would wander different downtown clubs trying to pick-up women so they could take him home and give him a place to sleep, which in real life was going on with the artist as during the actual making of the film, Basquiat was homeless and would sleep in the production offices. Throughout the movie, several real-life downtown superstars make appearances, such as Blondie, James Chance, Fab-5 Freddy, Lee Quinones and a few others you might recognize. It was originally titled 'New York Beat', but the film was later abandoned due to various financial issues. Then in 2000 after original writer Glenn O'Brien purchased the rights to the film, it was resurrected as 'Downtown 81'. Just over an hour and ten minutes, I'm totally in love with the music and footage they display throughout and the way it's captured on film. A must see!

You can view the entire film below. Unfortunately, the audio is of slightly poor quality due to the original dialogue audio being lost, therefore actor Saul Williams stepped in and dubbed the late Basquiat's voice. However, the musical soundtrack, mostly live club performances recorded on location using a RCA 24 track mobile unit, survived. Be sure to also check out the 1996 biopic/drama feature film titled 'Basquiat' as well, which is based on his life and death. For more on Jean-Michel Basquiat, click here.

Cycles Of Life

Here is another cycling 'shortumentary' just over six minutes. It's directed and edited by Johannes Bay, shot in the picturesque hills of New Zealand. I truly wish I had the time and space to ride as much as this lad! Check it out.

I'm Here

'I'm Here' is a 2010 sci-fi romance short film written and produced by Spike Jonze and commissioned by Absolut Vodka. The film is a love story about two robots living in Los Angeles during a time where humans and robots coexist.

The film begins by giving the impression that the robots are the underclass in society and had a vibe of robo-racism seeping through. Sheldon is the quiet librarian type, following the rules and living out a pretty lonely and sad existence. He rides the bus daily to and from work in Los Angeles where he works as a library shelver. One day at the bus stop, Sheldon meets the rebellious Francesca who happens to be driving (something the robots are not allowed to do). A human woman reprimands Francesca for driving a car, saying that she is 'not allowed'. He sees Francesca at the bus stop once more, this time with a car full of passengers. Francesca turns the car around and convinces Sheldon to let her give him a ride home. The group ends up at a shopping mall, hanging out in the parking lot. Francesca and Sheldon walk off together, and Francesca falls, injuring her knee. Sheldon repairs her knee with his toolkit. They begin to date. At night, they sleep together, sharing the same recharging cable. Francesca tells Sheldon about her dreams, which he thought was clearly impossible for robots. At a rock club, Francesca's arm is detached while she dances. Sheldon fixes it by transplanting his arm. Later, she stumbles home without a leg. Sheldon transplants his leg, despite Francesca's protests, telling her that he had a dream about it. Finally, he gets a phone call summoning him to the hospital, where Francesca lies on an operating table, torn in two. Sheldon donates the rest of his body to her, leaving only his still functioning head. Francesca is discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair, cradling Sheldon in her lap. Basically the film follows their story together and the happiness they enjoy while spending time with each other. Inevitably things start to go wrong and Sheldon ends up sacrificing various body parts to keep his love alive.

Ever since the days of Spike Jonze's 'GoldFish' skate video, I've always found interest in all of his work. Smart, unique, different and emotional is the best way to describe this film. The video is beautifully shot and full credit to all involved. Check out the official website here where you can view the entire film, view the trailer below. The soundtrack is out now via the wonderful Chocolate Industries.

Personal Velocity

Personal Velocity is a documentary of cycling in the big apple produced just recently by Jon Vatne of Norway. It captivates the speed, fun and dangers involved with biking in the great metropolis on a daily basis and gives you an insight on the current state of cycling culture in the big city. It also features the one and only Crihs who is the man behind the NYC track bike film Empire, and shows how people in general just hate cyclists, yet at the same time it depicts the beauty of riding in a concrete jungle.

This was put together really well with lots of solid footage. I'm not too sure when this will be released so keep checking the official website here for updates, in the meantime be sure to view the trailer below.

Blaxploitation

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of classic Blaxploitation films. You know, movies like Super-Fly, Shaft, Foxy Brown, you get the idea. Most are about pimping, dealing, running numbers, ripping off others, all the good things that make a movie, right!?
What I love about these films is not only the fact that most of them take place in a 1970’s NYC, but the jive-talking, gun-toting, leather-wearing, cocaine-addicted pimps which always keep things interesting, not to mention the outrageous outfits, cars, women, etc. All of these films carry this inner-city, nitty-gritty kind of vibe that can be cheesy at times, but the one thing Blaxploitation films are most known for are the great soundtracks. Most of them being produced by major recording artists such as Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye and many other soul greats from that time. How can you go wrong with pimps smacking up bitches, chasing stick-up kids throughout the streets of NYC in Cadillac Eldorado’s then climbing fire escapes in 1,000 dollar suits whilst not getting one bit dirty? Classic!

So below I present you my 10 favorite films of the Blaxploitation genre starting with my personal favorite, ‘Across 100th Street’.

To Live & Ride In L.A.

When it comes to track bike films, San Francisco has Mash, New York City has Empire and now the city of angels has their own titled "To Live & Ride in L.A." It's filled with quick edits and tons of high quality footage featuring Cali's finest riders such as Keo, Tracko, Hern and countless others. Looks to be a winner and I'm stoked to see it!

If you happen to be in L.A. this weekend, be sure to check out the premiere. More info on that here, check out the official website here.

To Live & Ride In L.A. OFFICIAL TRAILER from TRAFIK on Vimeo.

Chasing Legends

The Tour de France is the one of the most brutal, punishing events in sports history and the oldest race to date, going back to 1903. These guys endure 120+ miles a day for three weeks non-stop along the beautiful roads and mountains of Northern Europe. This years Tour de France was seriously entertaining and I still believe that it was Andy Schleck's race until his chain popped and Alberto Contador attacked relentlessly on the poor man. There were controversies, wrecks, fights, horrible weather at times, and the craziest of spectators almost killing the riders by getting in the path of the race, making it a grand spectacle.

Gripped Films just recently released a dvd titled Chasing Legends, an in-depth look into the cyclists and people of the Tour de France. It covers all aspects of the legendary race as well as professional cycling as we know it. It features masters such as Eddy Merckx, Mark Cavendish, Lance Armstrong, Phil Ligett and many more. For more info and trailers hit up the official website here. Check out the main trailer below.

Line Of Sight

During the Bicycle Film Festival here in Miami last December, I had the privilege to meet cyclist/filmaker Lucas Brunelle. He was down here for the festival as well as filming of his new DVD titled "Line Of Sight", which just debuted at the Bicycle Film Festival in NYC last week. The film is about alleycat races and just plain cycling-craziness! Filmed throughout the streets of New York, Miami, Tokyo, San Francisco, Mexico plus several other cities, Lucas captures everything from a riders perspective with his double helmet cams. He's a seriously fast cyclist and can find an opening in just about any crevice, which allows him to keep up and film the fastest street riders known to man.

Check out the trailer for "Line of Sight" which is soon to be released on DVD. Peep his website for more details and where to purchase.

Push Pull

Push Pull is a short 2-minute film featuring cyclist/athlete Pete Billington. The entire film was shot using Canon EOS 5d & 7d cameras using various lenses and frame timeline modifications, therefore it's of amazing quality and has some immaculate editing. It also features music by A Perfect Circle aka Maynard from Tool!

It's definitely inspiring to watch, especially the way Pete burns rubber on that trainer. Great video without a doubt! Especially the way it was created. Quite amazing!

PUSH PULL from Landis Fields on Vimeo.

Sinema

Here's 20 of my all-time favorite films, in no particular order. And yes, I'm more of a music person than a movie person, as you will see.

Empire's Final Teaser

This is the final teaser for the upcoming film 'Empire' based on NYC track bike/messenger culture. As most of you know I've mentioned this film countless times already on here and from what I've seen so-far, this looks to be a very promising video. Great riders, footage, spots, music and nonetheless it's filmed on the streets where it all began, NYC. For more information on Empire's release click here.