Easy Rider Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
After scoring cocaine in Mexico, then re-selling it in California, two bikers set off on a cross-
country trek to New Orleans.
For more about Easy Rider and the Easy Rider Blu-ray release, see the Easy Rider Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on October 20, 2009 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
No film says "the 1960s" quite like Easy Rider, the quintessential counterculture tale of two
motorcyclists on a cross-country trip of discovery across America not of sites and sounds but of the
mind, influenced, of course, by the influx of sex, drugs, and rock and roll along the way. Few
movies are so ingrained into film culture and, by extension, American Culture, quite like this one.
The mere image of the red, white and blue strewn across a motorcycle; Steppenwolf's "Born to Be
Wild;" or Jack Nicholson's first breakthrough performance; all define not only a film but an era, a
way of life, and a slice of Americana long gone to history but still alive and kicking with every
screening of Actor/Director Dennis Hopper's film that's finely-tuned to be out of tune, the film
lacking much in the way of basic structure, character development, or a clearly-identifiable purpose,
except, of course, as something of a look at life in a time of upheaval, of uncertainty, of freedom, of
persecution, as witnessed by two generational byproducts just looking for a little cash and plenty of
open road.
Born to be easy ridin' on the highway.
A trek through the open roads of the American South and the human spirit, Easy Rider
follows freewheeling motorcyclists Wyatt (Peter Fonda, 3:10 to Yuma) and
Billy (Dennis Hopper, "Crash") as they purchase
drugs
south of the border and quickly turn it around for profit to finance a cross-country trip to attend
the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana. Along the way, they encounter a
hitchhiker who introduces them to life at a Hippie commune; a wino lawyer (Jack Nicholson, Wolf) that's a drug
newbie but finds himself a part of the gang; and Southern locals that don't take a liking to the
drug-influenced Hippies stopping in their town.
Try as they may, no film since has captured the freewheeling lifestyle quite like Easy
Rider. Though the film lacks much
in the way of structure or even a worthwhile plot, that seems to be the point. Easy
Rider --
much like the decade it encapsulates -- is all about the flow, the freedom, the philosophies, the
way
of life, the highs,
the lows, and whatever it is that's in between. It's a movie that is, and isn't. It tells not the
beginning of a story but rather an end. A product of its era but not terribly dated, the film's lack
of purpose seems like its very essence. Then, it was a symbol, a standard-bearer for all things
revolutionary, and today, it remains as such, but instead as a rallying point it now serves as
something of an historical curiosity of a bygone era that seems to perfectly capture the
meandering, loosely-structured way of life that defined its time.
Easy Rider seems to go almost out of its way to incorporate everything that defined the
era into its 96-minute runtime, and it brilliantly does so by simply moving from one topic to the
next, allowing the characters and the audience to soak up whatever slice of counterculture may
be front-and-center in each segment, and just like that, the film moves on. It does wonderfully
to capture the ebb and flow, unstructured, loosely-goal-oriented theme of the time nicely,
effectively placing the audience alongside Wyatt and Billy as they deal in drugs, explore the
vastness of the American South, experience life at a Hippie commune, land themselves in jail, get
high, deal with prejudice, visit a brothel, and experiment with hard drugs. For all the film has to
offer in its snapshot of the 1960s -- the relaxed way of life, finding meaning where there is none
to be found, discovering excitement and crafting drug-induced tall-tales to add some spice to the
doldrums of the campsite -- it ends with an appropriate abruptness that punctuates every facet of
the film's existence, the finale reinforcing themes of the lack of meaning, structure, and purpose
not only in those engaged in the cultural revolution, but in those that held steadfastly to an
older, more traditional way of life.
Through all its quirkiness insofar as its lack of traditional structure and focus on a more esoteric
way of life that's long since departed, Easy Rider delivers something of a surreal and
relaxing movie watching experience. That should come as no surprise when the first song in the
film talks about smoking grass and popping pills, and though Easy Rider's visual structure
does well to reflect the drug- and alcohol-induced haze that hangs over the characters, there's
more to it that
makes the movie a fine watch from a more technical perspective. The sense of being on the
open road combined with the late László Kovács' (Ghostbusters)
brilliant cinematography, the classic soundtrack, and the film's deliberate pace all make Easy
Rider easily digestible despite issues that might otherwise spell trouble for lesser pictures
without the clear focus of being unfocused that defines this picture. Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper,
and Jack Nicholson -- the latter of whom received his first Oscar nomination for Easy
Rider -- all deliver
intoxicating, fully-immersed performances that have come to define the film.
Easy Rider pulls onto Blu-ray with a spectacular 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. In true
Sony fashion, this disc retains its natural grain structure -- which does appear rather heavily
throughout -- that allows the film to retain an accurate and pleasing cinematic quality. Detail is
generally
exceptional throughout; whether the scuffs on Wyatt's red, white, and blue helmet or the textures
seen on the desert rocks at the Hippie commune, the transfer showcases a solid, clear, sharp, and
natural film-like image. There's also a good sense of depth; backgrounds are generally sharp and
nicely rendered without much loss in detail. Colors, too, are beautifully reproduced. From the many
earth tones seen in the film to the bolder and brighter hues seen on Wyatt's motorcycle, this
Blu-ray never falters in translating the color palette to wonderful effect. Also featuring strong black
levels and natural flesh tones, Easy Rider represents one of the finest catalogue transfers
yet seen on Blu-ray. It's a pleasure to behold.
Easy Rider revs up on Blu-ray with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The
track enjoys but several moments of amped-up special effects. A few planes scream from front to
back
during a drug deal early in the film; the effect is accompanied by a fair level of bass, plenty of
volume, and seamless flow from front to back. Though it's not the most lifelike or clear effect, it's
nicely reproduced here and works to wonderful effect with the accompanying scene. Dialogue is
generally reproduced without a hitch, though there are a few instances where it sounds
unnaturally
inserted into the film and is forced to compete with several background atmospherics, making for
something of an unnatural sonic moment. Still, Easy Rider's soundtrack is all about the
music, and its delivery here is exceptional. "Born to be Wild" features superb clarity through the
entire range, including a solid low end. It sounds so good it's almost worth watching the opening
title sequence twice just to revel in the exceptional delivery afforded by this Blu-ray disc. The
other tracks -- "The Weight" and "I Wasn't Born to Follow," for instance -- are, likewise,
wonderfully presented. All in all, Easy Rider sounds
fantastic where it counts, and fans of both the film and its soundtrack should find this lossless
offering reason enough to purchase the disc.
Easy Rider heads out onto Bu-ray with a few on-disc extras. First is a commentary track
with Actor/Writer/Director Dennis Hopper. Hopper discusses the film's roots, writing the script
with Peter Fonda, shooting locations, the film's budget, the film's Western undertones, the
soundtrack serving as part of the narrative of the story, and much more. Despite some stretches
of silence in the comments, fans will enjoy this track a great deal. Next is Easy Rider:
Shaking the Cage (480p, 1:04:51), an in-depth documentary that recounts the history of
the production from beginning to end. The cast and crew discuss writing the film, the difficulty of
the shoot, the role of drugs in culture and in the film, shooting on a tight budget, casting the
secondary parts and the authenticity of several of the actors, editing the film, adding the
soundtrack, the film's reception and legacy, and more. Also included is standard BD-Live
functionality; Sony's "MovieIQ" that offers live, up-to-date
details about every scene, including cast and crew filmographies and biographies, soundtrack
listings, and more; and 1080p previews for The Da Vinci Code,
Close Encounters of the Third
Kind, Ghostbusters, A River Runs Through
It, Damages: Season
One, Blood: The Last
Vampire, Moon, and Tyson. This
package also houses a 35-page full-color booklet which contains the following: "Head Out on the
Highway: The Songs of Easy Rider;" bios of stars Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack
Nicholson; a bio of Co-Writer Terry Southern; and the essay "Born to Be Wild: Freedom and
Captivity in Hollywood Post-Easy Rider" by Travis Baker.
One of the true classics of American cinema, Easy Rider encapsulates a genre, a decade,
and a way of life. Influential then and remembered as a brilliant slice of cinema now, Easy
Rider defined a generation and remains a time capsule to a long-lost era of upheaval. Also
solidifying Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, and Dennis Hopper as stars to be reckoned with for decades
to come, Easy Rider represents a true milestone in motion picture history. Sony's
DigiBook Blu-ray release of this classic should immediately find a spot in every serious Blu-ray
collection. Boasting a top-notch visual presentation, a solid lossless soundtrack, a supplemental
package headlined by a fine documentary, and a handsome hardbound case, Easy
Rider comes highly recommended.
Director Michael Bay makes films for only one person: Michael Bay. For critics,
his films provoke philosophical discussions on whether an excess of
entertainment value can outweigh a lack of artistic value. But for fans who
share his love for over-the-top ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced that it will release Dennis Hopper's 'Easy Rider' on Blu-ray on October 20. 'Easy Rider' is a landmark counterculture film, encompassing many of the themes and issues of late-1960s America. The movie will ...
