Bicycles in film

Qualitymark

happytramp

Not film per-say but a nice ad nonetheless

Seweryn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cioiZ54s2k

Qualitymark

Mr Bean's been watching Breaking Away

http://vimeo.com/50872582

(only on vimeo, not YouTube as far as I can see), but a classic.

Qualitymark

And of course… (skip to about 8 minutes in):

check_six

Bikes in films nowadays are usually used to mark out a character as some kind of oddball, and typically they will have some spill off the bike for a cheap laugh. BMX bikes had their day in the sun (or moon, I suppose) in the likes of E.T., but then all the cool kids switched to skateboards. Once the hoverboard was invented, even skateboards were passé!

Unless we see James Bond chasing down a bad guy on a London Bike (Boris Bike?) I don't think this is going to change anytime soon!

Lucena

Like Jeff Goldblum's character in Independence Day, for one.

Idleater

Lucena wrote: »

Like Jeff Goldblum's character in Independence Day, for one.

Interestingly for "apocalypse" films, there is a bike (mtb/bso) parked on the veranda of the house in Interstellar.
It doesn't get much use though the v8 gas guzzling truck is the preferred option.

Qualitymark

check_six wrote: »

Bikes in films nowadays are usually used to mark out a character as some kind of oddball

Perfectly accurate!

check_six

Mad Max would have had a slightly different vibe if they had set the films just after the oil had run out rather than just before.

ThisRegard

Cowboys on bikes, wheelies, dog chases, boobs, how was American Flyers not first on the list?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxNWzbM7BjA

Qualitymark

Then there's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I can't find that sweet bicycle scene online.

Doctor Bob

Qualitymark wrote: »

Then there's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I can't find that sweet bicycle scene online.

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/221379/Butch-Cassidy-and-the-Sundance-Kid-Movie-Clips-Raindrops-.html

Let's not forget Madchen Madchen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRABMwYyozU

Qualitymark

Hm, wonder what model she's riding.

But if that's your way of thinking…

check_six

While we're waiting for my alternative version of Mad Max to get off the ground everyone should try to track down The Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette). It does not share *many* themes with Mad Max (far fewer psycho punk cannibals, for one thing), but you will enjoy it nonetheless. It's a simple tale of a man who sells everything to buy a bike so he can get a job, and some scunner goes and nicks it.
The bit where he rams a load of psycho punks with a truck is one of my favourite scenes, if I'm not getting confused again...

Doctor Bob

I watched The Ballroom of Romance, the 1982 film of the William Trevor story, last night and thought it belonged here. It shows how intrinsic bikes were to 1950s rural Ireland; in the whole film there's only one car and it's clear that, without a bike, your options for company were the wireless and your thoughts.

There's a poor quality version of the full movie on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m2ucObX_Xw

The Magnificent Seven Three here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m2ucObX_Xw&feature=player_detailpage#t=655

Wishbone Ash

I'm surprised no one has mentioned 'The Bicycle Thieves' - probably one of the greatest movies ever made and based on a man's desperate search through Rome for his stolen bicycle which he needs to hold down his new job.

Boardnashea

Boardnashea

check_six

check_six wrote: »

While we're waiting for my alternative version of Mad Max to get off the ground everyone should try to track down The Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette). It does not share *many* themes with Mad Max (far fewer psycho punk cannibals, for one thing), but you will enjoy it nonetheless. It's a simple tale of a man who sells everything to buy a bike so he can get a job, and some scunner goes and nicks it.
The bit where he rams a load of psycho punks with a truck is one of my favourite scenes, if I'm not getting confused again...

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I'm surprised no one has mentioned 'The Bicycle Thieves' - probably one of the greatest movies ever made and based on a man's desperate search through Rome for his stolen bicycle which he needs to hold down his new job.

I was surprised too... just slightly sooner than you!

Wishbone Ash

check_six wrote: »

I was surprised too... just slightly sooner than you!

Doh! Apologies check six - I didn't spot that!