The story of when two wealthy auto scions, Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari, went to war on the race track to settle a grudge. Caroll Shelby and Ken Miles made it happen. If any genre of non-documentary action film has consistently failed to deliver on the promise of capturing the excitement and the quirky human aspect of its principals, it's automobile racing. The exception, of course, is Ron Howard's Rush, which though quite popular internationally barely made blip on the radar of American viewers. Historically, the problem is not the on-track action sequences–Steve McQueen's Le Mans offers some of the most realistic on-track and driver's point of view motor racing sequences ever recorded and basically re-wrote the rule book for automotive action photography–but the script. Whether fictional or historically accurate, the backstory rarely lives up to its potential, the off-track segments of many motor racing films simply interludes to string the action sequences together. We sincerely hope Ford v Ferrari, which is scheduled to premiere on November 15, 2019, breaks this unfortunate tradition.
Based heavily on Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans (2009), A.J. Baime's exhaustively researched and comprehensive account of the all-out assault by the Ford Motor Company to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, the trailer for Ford v Ferrari appears promising. (FTR, reports of Baime's dissatisfaction with the Hollywood's treatment of him and his work are beginning to surface.) Starring Christian Bale as Ken Miles, the Shelby test driver and racer who helped develop the Ford GT40 Mk II, and Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, it certainly has no shortage of Marquee actors to bank on.--AW
No word on if Matt Damon used N.O.S. cans of Carrol Shelby's Pit Stop deodorant before shooting his scenes.
Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Josh Lucas, Caitriona Balfe, John Bernthal
The trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood appears to confirm what we already suspected: The work blends touch points in history with film and pop culture references to artfully craft a pastiche guaranteed to trigger the sensibilities of viewers who either experienced the era or wish they would have. Look for it to hit theaters on July, 26, 2019, nearly fifty-years to the day after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders that serve as a time marker in the movie. Ordered by Charles Manson, the murders and their aftermath would reverberate through Hollywood for decades to come and remain a defining moment for many of a certain age.
We're especially digging Cliff Booth's (Brad Pitt) classic white "Champion" T-shirt. Champion Spark Plug was based and operated in Toledo, Ohio, by the Stranahan family from 1910 though 1989. Still in operation, it is now owned by Federal Mogul.--AW
Check out the partial cast below:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brad Pitt
Margot Robbie
Kurt Russell
Timothy Olyphant
Dakota Fanning
Luke Perry
Margaret Qualley
Al Pacino
Bruce Dern
Emile Hirsch
Scoot McNairy
Damon Herriman
Austin Butler
Lena Dunham
Nicholas Hammond
Mike Moh
Rumer Willis
Boy Howdy! The Story of Creem Magazine attempts to capture the wild, irreverent, and occasionally dangerous life and times of the assorted weirdos, freaks, and artists who, despite their worst efforts, somehow managed to produce "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine" for two decades only occasionally missing a downbeat. Based in Detroit, Creem suffered from little of the starstruck ass-licking and elitism that began to permeate many its coastal-based competitors during this period. Instead, Creem shot from the hip, lampooning all with equal abandon, while maintaining the insight and integrity that were hallmarks of the publication. This approach endeared the mag to readers and performers alike, many of whom made it a point to visit the Creem offices whenever possible. Although much of that early chutzpah was gone by the mid-80s, the magazine soldiered on in its original format until 1989.
Notable alum include Lester Bangs, who would later refer to Detroit as, "rock's only hope," Dave Marsh, Robert Christgau, Nick Tosches, Cameron Crowe, and Chuck Eddy among many others. The "Boy Howdy" icon was designed by R. Crumb.
Helmed by director Scott Crawford (Salad Days) and produced by JJ Kramer (the son of magazine founder Barry Kramer), Boy Howdy!'s next stop is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, at the Fillmore in Detroit where it will open the 2019 FREEP Film Festival.--AW
UPDATE 2/15/2019: Thanks to the efforts of PDGB reader Benjamin Kleschinsky, we finally have some clarity regarding the mysterious "Powered By Bear" tagline painted on the Carpenter's van:
"I did a lot of research about this photo, and as it turns out
this photo was tampered with. Above the word "Bear" was another person,
the actual Bear. "Powered by Bear" referred to their road manager who
drove the van that carried their equipment, their first cousin Mark
Rudolph. I have linked the original photograph scanned onto computer.
Many thanks to the many people who helped me find the answer."
We'd like to echo Benjamin's comments and extend a hearty PDGB thanks to the people who assisted him in solving this pressing matter. Now with further delay, here is the actual unedited photo:
Who is this "BEAR," and why was he chosen to power Karen and Richard Carpenter's van? We can tell it's a Ford Eonoline and appears to be wearing AAR wheels, but so many questions remain: What was the extent of Bear's involvement? Did they own an actual live bear that could drive? If so, did his big paws make it difficult to handle the tricky one-two shift of the old three-on-the-tree column-mounted shifter? Did Donny and Marie have a custom van? What about The Cowsills? Were Richard's business-casual elephant bell denims custom made? Do you think Karen would bogart a roach? Would people ignore pleas to, "Don't come a knockin'," if the van was, in fact, "A-rockin'?" Which is more depressing: Rainy days or Mondays? If you know the answers to any of these questions, please share in the comments.
Fun Fact: Before Richard found stardom with his sis, he was fired from Disneyland because his music was considered to be, "too radical."
We'd like to echo Benjamin's comments and extend a hearty PDGB thanks to the people who assisted him in solving this pressing matter. Now with further delay, here is the actual unedited photo: