http://www.terryslade.com/bikefilm.htm
Some Bicycle Films
Documentaries
We Are Traffic (1999 - 50min) Ted White
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt2425014/
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B07378HKZ3/
Distributor: www.greenplanetfilms.org/product/we-are-traffic/
Documentary about Critical Mass rides, covers philosophy and history of
Critical Mass from its beginnings in 1992 in San Francisco. Very cool
film. DVD also includes Return of the Scorcher.
Return of the Scorcher (1992 - 30min) Ted White
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0105248
Documentary about bicycle culture and use around the world.
Available on DVD with We Are Traffic (see above).
Velorution (1996 - 27min) C. Phred Churchill, Bruce Petschek
Subtitled: One City's Solution to the Automobile.
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0118067
When the USSR collapsed,
Cuba lost 80% of their oil supply. This movie documents how they bought
1.2 million bicycles, switched 5 bus factories to bicycle manufacturing,
educated riders on how to ride, changed the city of Havana to accommodate
bikes, posted bicycle signs, did job swaps to reduce length of commutes
and in the process created more human interaction and community.
DVD-R or VHS available for $30.00 (postpaid) from Seven Generations Video -
phone: (617) 876-9430 email: 7generations@comcast.net
mail: Seven Generations Video 44B Sacramento St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Pedal (2000 - 56min) Peter Sutherland
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1576873145
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0380622
Publisher: Powerhouse Books
Excellent documentary about bicycle messengers in NYC. Has finally been
released (May 2006) as a companion to a book of photographs. This is one of
the coolest films I've ever seen - on any subject. Lots of interviews, lots of
footage of riding in the streets, much of that being shot from a skateboard.
DVD includes 17 minutes of extra scenes. Also a trailer and Japanese subtitles.
Music score is by the Bronx Monx.
(IMDB lists date as 2001, copyright date onscreen at end of film is 2000,
DVD disc label says copyright 2006 - this is when it was first released
on DVD).
Bicycle Dreams (2009 - 104min) Stephen Auerbach
Official Site: www.bicycledreamsmovie.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B002KJAIGO
have not yet seen
Cyclotherapy (2002 - 67min) George Ferguson
Documentary about bike collecting. Have not yet tracked down info on
how to get this.
B.I.K.E. (Be Inclusive, Kill Exclusivity) (2006 - 89min) Jacob Septimus, Anthony Howard
Official Site: www.bike-films.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000TLWBFW
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0478097
Netflix has this.
Pedal-Driven (2011 - 64min) Jamie Howell
Official Site: pedaldriven.howellatthemoon.com
Amazon (DVD 04/16/13 Docurama): www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00AM8ZOWY/
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt1964993/
Caravan/Prague (The Uneasy Road to Change) (2007 - 76min) Zachary Winestine
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000S1MM7K
You Never Bike Alone (2007 - 80min) Robert Alstead
Official Site: www.youneverbikealone.com
Official Site: icycle.ca/youneverbikealone
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0958890/
Looks at the Critical Mass bike ride in Vancouver, Canada.
The Eddy Merckx Story (1974 - 110min) (Belgium) Joel Santoni
French title: La Course en Tete, Flemish (Belgium) title: Steeds Op Kop.
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0257505
Classic documentary about the great racer Eddy Merckx.
Can buy from: www.WorldCycling.com
The Greatest Show on Earth
Classic documentary covers the 1974 Giro D'Italia.
Available on same DVD as The Eddy Merckx Story.
Can buy from: www.WorldCycling.com
The Stars and The Watercarriers (1974 - 90min) Jorgen Leth
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0200173
Documentary covering the 1973 Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) bicycle race.
Follows Ole Ritter throughout. Also includes lots of racing footage featuring
Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Jose Manuel Fuente, Roger de Vlaemicnk,
Giovanni Battaglin, Gosta Petterson. Danish film.
The Impossible Hour (1974 - 48min) Jorgen Leth
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0378936
Danish film. A concentrated study of Ole Ritter's attempt to set a new record for the
one-hour race in Mexico City in 1974.
Available on DVD together with Stars and Watercarriers.
A Sunday in Hell (1976 - 110min) Jorgen Leth
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0193171
Danish film. Covers the 1976 Paris-Roubaix single-day bicycle race.
Red Light Go (2003 - 52min) Manny Kivowitz, Ben Barroud, Toby Barroud
Official Site: www.redlightgo.ws
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0009S86RW
Documentary about Alleycat racing among bike messengers in NYC.
Critical Mass (2001 - 55min) J.K. Ballantyne
Official Site: www.dontshootthemessengers.com
Documentary about bike messengers in Toronto.
The Need for Speed (2000 - 59min) Katharina Otto
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1930290012
Documentary about bike messengers in NYC.
Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels (2000 - 57min)
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0279689
PBS - purchase
PBS - outline of program
20 African-American soldiers are sent on a 2,000 mile bicycle ride from
Montana to Missouri in 1897 to test theory that bicycles could replace horses.
Netflix has this.
Pro (2004) Jamie Paolinetti
Official site: www.prothemovie.com
The Hard Road (2003) Jamie Paolinetti
Official site: www.thehardroad.com
Hammer and Cycle (2004 - 27min) James Cocks
Official site: www.bicyclechallenge.org
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0406821
The Habitat for Humanity Bicycle Challenge documentary.
Paperboys (2001 - 41min) Mike Mills
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0372459
Official: www.palmpictures.com/videos/paperboys.html
Looks at a group of bicycle paperboys in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Nasty's World (2002 - 69min) Steve Olpin
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0000A0DTM
Action sports documentary about BMX champion Cory "Nasty" Nastazio.
Hardihood (2001 - 75min) Nicole Hahn
Official Site: www.hardihood.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00006BS79
Explores the world of women's mountain bike racing.
Along for the Ride (2005)
Official Site: www.alongfortheridemovie.com
Documentary about bike messengers in San Francisco. In production.
Still We Ride (2005 - 37min)
Official Site: www.stillweridethemovie.com
Covers mass arrest in NYC during Republican convention August 27, 2004.
July 25th - The Secret is Out (1998 - 120min)
Documentary covering the "police riot" at July 25, 1997 San Francisco Critical
Mass ride.
More info here: www.bclu.org/cm/july25.html
(I ordered this and never received it)
Feature Films
The Bicycle Thief (1948 - 93min) (black and white) Vittoria De Sica
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Thieves
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/6305081034
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt040522
Italian film, starring Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola
Many film buffs consider this one of the greatest films ever made. Some
say the English title is more accurately and appropriately translated as
"The Bicycle Thieves".
Beijing Bicycle (2001 - 113min) Wang Xiaoshuai
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Bicycle
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000067IX5
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0276501
Interview with the Director: www.indiewire.com/people/int_Wang_Xiao_020125.html
Article about the director: www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/wang.html
Chinese film, starring Lin Cui, Xun Zhou.
Great film! A 17-year-old boy from the country comes to the big city and
gets a job as a bicycle messenger. His bike is soon stolen. He finds it but
the story is just beginning. Gets into some issues of class warfare and urban
life. Could be seen as a variation of The Bicycle Thief. Lots of bicycles
(its China!) and even a bicycle chase scene. I highly recommend this one.
The Cyclist (1987 - 75min) Moshen Makhmalbaf
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cyclist
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0092651
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00092ZMBQ
Iranian film. have not yet seen
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985 - 92min) Tim Burton
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0790749408
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0089791
Starring Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman). Burton's first film. Very fun.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003 - 81min) Sylvain Chomet
Official site: www.bellevillerendezvous.com
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triplets_of_Belleville
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0286244
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0001IN0MQ
Animated French film. Unique and very special.
2 Seconds (1998 - 100min) (French) Manon Briand
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0158446
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00004UE8V
Starring Charlotte Laurier, Dino Tavarone.
A female mountain bike racer becomes a bicycle messenger.
Breaking Away (1979 - 100min) Peter Yates
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0078902
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00003CX96
Starring Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid.
Won Academy Award in 1979 for Best Screenplay.
American Flyers (1985 - 113min) John Badham
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0088707
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0000399WF
Starring Kevin Costner.
Messenger (1986 - 80min) Norman Loftis
Starring Richard Barboza, Carolyn Kinnebrew, Scott Ferguson.
A modern remake of The Bicycle Thief, set in New York City.
Out of print, hard to find, not released on DVD, Amazon has used VHS.
(Note - Xenon Entertainment Group version (1995) is duplicated in EP mode).
Rad (1986 - 91min) Hal Needham
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0091817
Starring Lori Loughlin, Bart Connor
Lots of BMX action. As of 2005, has not yet made it to DVD.
BMX Bandits (1984 - 88min) (Australian) Brian Tenchard-Smith
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0085204
Starring David Arque, John Ley, Nicole Kidman (14 years old).
Another BMX movie. As of 2005, has not made it to DVD.
Quicksilver (1986 - 105min) Thomas Michael Donnelly
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00006S4O5
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0091814
Starring Kevin Bacon, Jami Gertz.
Bacon goes from being a stockbroker to a bicycle messenger.
Does not seem to be a highly regarded film.
Nebraska Supersonic (1999 - 75min) Jeremy Lerman
Official site: www.nebraskasupersonic.com
Unreleased.
Cyclo (1995 - 123min) (Vietnamese) Anh Hung Tran
IMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt/0112767
Amazon: www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0000DIJP0
Starring Le Van Loc, Tony Leung, Tran Nu Yen-Khe.
Well I'm listing ths one since I'm trying to be pretty thorough here, but this
is definitely not one for everyone. Starts off with the familiar Bicycle
Thief riff - young man needs bicycle (bicycle taxi in this case) for survival,
bike is stolen by bad guys. That takes place in the first twenty minutes and
that's it for the bike, except that there are many street scenes throughout,
with lots of bicycles, tricycles, biketaxis and motorbikes. This is a
well-made and interesting film, but there is lots of violence and it can be
hard to follow. It is a dark and depressing film start to finish, set
entirely in the criminal underground of Saigon. I would recommend reading
some of the reviews at Amazon.
Bike Film Links
Cycling Films Big List - Seamus D. King LOTS of bicycle films!
http://uk.geocities.com/mikstar123/films.html
List of Bicycle Films - Bicycle Universe
List of Bicycle Films - Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
The Bicycle Film Festival - www.bicyclefilmfestival.com
Check out the archives section to see what they've shown in the past. Details on
lots of short films.
PinkBike.com
Tons of mountain bike videos. Also extensive links page has section of
links to other sites with bike videos.
Nashbar.com
This cycling supply company carries some racing videos.
videoxsports.com
Lots of BMX, motocross, mountain bike videos.
worldcycling.com
Lots of racing videos.
Tons of cycling videos can be found on eBay.
Go to BUY, select Sporting Goods, then Cycling, then DVDs and Videos.
Amazon links provided for reference/convenience. I earn no commisssion.
This page revised 04/13/15. First Posted 01/18/05
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