Last Thursday was Peter Fonda’s 82nd birthday, but he died back in 2019, so he’s probably not having much of a celebration. So I thought we’d celebrate his most famous movie that he produced and starred in, “Easy Rider.”
“Easy Rider” is known as the first independent movie because back then no major movie studio would back it. He did secure funding from Columbia Pictures, but it was just a little over $300,000.
Fonda starred in the movie with Dennis Hopper and the two co-wrote the movie along with writer, Terry Southern. Hopper directed it and this was also the first big breakout role for Jack Nicholson.
It ended up grossing over 60 million dollars. Not bad for a film with a budget well under a half a million!
Below are six links to online articles about “Easy Rider” and one link to the film’s original trailer.
And then, as always, there’s the MBIP Coming Attractions! Woo and hoo!
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Sunday Links
Easy Rider at 50: how the rebellious road movie shook up the system - This article nicely sums up the movie and how it got made.
Behind The Motorcycles In ‘Easy Rider,’ A Long-Obscured Story - An article that delves into the controversy over who really created the original motorcycles for the film.
‘Easy Rider’: A Revolutionary Road-Trip Film that Heralded a New Era of Filmmaking - Details about the film, plus interviews with screenwriter Terry Southern, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and cinematographer, László Kovács are included in this lengthy article.
Easy Rider Trivia - There’s tons of trivia in this article and I should point out here that tons spelled backwards is snot. You’re welcome!
13 Wild Facts About Easy Rider - Some interesting facts here including the fact that Jack Nicholson only got paid $392 dollars a week!
Revisiting The Groundbreaking ‘Easy Rider’ Soundtrack - “Easy Rider” was one of the first movies to use pre-existing songs for the movie rather than an original score. This article details the songs that they chose for the film.
Easy Rider (1969) - Original Trailer - Here’s the original trailer they put out for the film back in 1969.
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MBIP Coming Attractions
Monday: Richard’s on Main closed in 2018, but they now have a second life in a new restaurant in Pioneer Park. They’re now Richard’s on University and I stopped in and tried it out for this week’s Saturday night dinner.
Tuesday: We start the grilled cheese tour on Tuesday and the first stop is a grilled cheese at Kenny’s Westside Pub.
Wednesday: I had lunch lunch with my friend Virgil Hargrove last week and he took me to a restaurant in Hopedale, Illinois called Micki’s Farm To Table. We had a fabulous lunch there and you can see photos and read all about it next Wednesday!
Thursday: After a two year lapse due to Covid, Chad Wallace and I are back counting the gumboil machines at Northwoods Mall! This proud tradition is back!
Friday: I’ll be reviewing another frozen pizza on The Midwest Slice Of Life.
Saturday: We’ll be taking a trip to Peoria’s past for another, Meanwhile, Back In Peoria’s Past post.
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Sunday Comic
Related Posts: Sunday Links: The End Of The Century By The Ramones, Sonny And Cher, Cool Hand Luke.