Roadside Prophets

...and this certainly helped put him six feet under.

I finished ROADSIDE PROPHETS, but it took some work. The movie is watchable, but that's about the only thing "good" I can say about it. A couple of "alternative icon" cameos (and John Cusack obviously in need of any kind of a paycheck back in '92) do not make it worth your time.

Doe is OK, but Horovitz is better sampled in small 4 minute doses. Check out his funny turn in the "Sabotage" video, but walk on by this one the next time you're going to take a chance at the video store.

I'm a biker and was looking for something bike related to watch and came across this rather pleasant quirky little movie. It won't win any awards for the acting but the actors did a very passable job and the desert scenery was wonderful bringing memories of my trip there many years ago on some of those very roads. Considered a cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John Cusack as Caspar, a self-styled "Symbionese" rebel, and a very early film performance by Don Cheadle. Give it a go if you're a biker and maybe if you're not :)

Road movies aren't easy to pull off. 'Roadside Prophets' tries and isn't entirely successful, but still has enough cool scenes and good intentions to make it worth watching. Musicians turned actors, Doe (X) and Horovitz (Beastie Boys) play bikers who form an uneasy partnership. One of the problems with the movie is right there - Doe is a natural actor, Horovitz isn't, and doesn't convince.

Anyway, the two set out travelling across America, in a deliberate homage to 'Easy Rider', and the movie in a subtle way is a eulogy for the 60s and a comment on the changes America has seen since then. Many interesting faces pop up in cameos - John Cusack, Timothy Leary, David Carradine, Don Cheadle and Alex Cox regular Biff Yeager to name several - which is half the fun. Especially Cusack's character. It was a pity there wasn't more of him here.

'Roadside Prophets' is uneven, but still enjoyable. If you like this I suggest you have a look at the road movies of Canadian director Bruce McDonald, especially his superb 'Highway 61', a more original and successful movie than this.

I enjoyed the movie immensely. Sometimes it reminded me of the 1992 "Highway To Hell" movie, which also seems a bit of a "trip". Being a biker helps when seeing this movie. One 'understands' it, like teens are supposed to 'understand' "Wayne's World".

At times one doesn't quite understand some of the 'visions' the characters have, and one has to guess. Basically, it's a biker fantasy (the boss' daughter on the phone covering for the biker cos she's got a crush on him) with some dark comedy thrown in.

I'd say it's almost a "serious" Cheech & Chong type of movie.

For those late nights when all you have to entertain yourself with is a TV and a good buzz, "Roadside Prophets" saves. This movie has been hailed as the, "best ever" and that is quite a stretch but, I love it to death nonetheless. I got sucked into it when I noticed Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz was in it. He may not be the best actor but he is interesting enough to pull it off. There are many cameos by some of my favorite personalities. What makes this movie great are the lazy scenes out on the road and somewhat non existent plot. It's one of those flicks that let you leave the couch when you really can't. Roadside Prophets gives you the feel of total freedom and crazy misadventures out on the open roads of America's west. For the first time in 38 years I am tempted to buy a bike (but I wont).