Movies with heart, good writing, and terrific acting from B actors

It's no question one of Romero's best and you can tell he was having a great time making it. It's very refreshing to watch.

Have you listened to the commentary? It's wonderful and really shows the camaraderie they all had.

It brings together so many salient points about "surviving" in ANY society.

First, that it is GOOD to have a "code" by which people must live and abide. Alan is able to convince Morgan of this, and Morgan has the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders when he and the "dark" side return to the troupe. Morgan had already understood, via Sheila's "using" him, that the troupe stood for something, and it didn't matter to her. The troupe, to her, Joe, et. al., was just "entertainment". It took her blatant brush-off to help him see this.

We also see this point illustrated when Angie, Pip and Pip's eventual partner dress Morgan down for "selling out" to Joe Bontempe in the first place. As Pip's partner said, "If you can't get some spiritual high off of this, you belong with that loudmouth hype artist!"

Another point, one that Billy instilled but started to abandon, is that every member of the troupe has value simply by virtue of being a person who is part of the troupe. Remember when Billy screams, "You think people come here to buy your goddamn jewelry!" He later gives a sort of apology to the guitarist/songwriter when he talks about not paying enough attention to them and what not. The guy is writing a song that would eventually serve as a "eulogy" to Billy, and his answer to Billy says it all. "You give...you give us a CHANCE"

And maybe the most important "theme" is that you shouldn't let "society" determine your "value", but should understand that "society" will take you at the value you put on yourself. We see this with Billy's indignation at Bagman's arrest and beating, his refusal to pay "bribe" money to the two deputies, and Linet's determination that the troupe will NOT pay after their arrest. And when Alan visits his friends and sees Julie by the river, and can't/won't follow his friends' inane discussion, when Alan realizes that THEY think he's just a guy who rides a motorcycle and hits other guys on motorcycles, he understands the need to go back to the troupe and be what he is: a member of a troupe that lives by a defined code. It isn't about what his friends, or society, or even Julie, think of him, be it a troubadour, "anti-anti hero" or the latest object of Julie's "worship". What is most important is what HE thinks of HIMSELF. And to him, abandoning the troupe during dissension speaks more poorly of him than it does the troupe or anyone in it.

It's an incredible movie.

several times i've come across this on a classic movie channel i didn't quite understand the plot, but i like the dialogue and acting, and i thought george a romero only made horror flicks, didn't expect some of the big stars that were in it, perhaps it was early in their careers or whatever reason, an enjoyable flick, very long sequences of bike riding. this seemed like one of the longest running movies i've come across.


with cold rocks at the fire place,
you walked in and ashes started to shake,
and i fell down a deep well,
where find that dreams stay,
as you raise the fire glow,
and by water i float,
your power is not easy to control,
as you keep me away from the dead cold.