Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125698
BROADWA Y JOE G,ETS IT ON By Ron Schneiders C. C. and Company is a fine chameleon of a movie. It continuously changes tone and texture as you watch it. On the surface, it is one of those formula cowboy-motorcycle movies for the drive-in popcorn set with letts of action, fights, sex, and color. It stars Joe Namath as an improbable member of a motorcycle gang who meets an equally improbable Ann-Margret and becomes infatuated with her, to the detriment of his gang relations. When the gang leader becomes sufficiently perturbed, he arranges to have Ann-Margret kidnapped and threatens her with gang rape unless Joe Namath comes up with $1,000. Nobody is particularly alarmed by that prospect, but the game must be played out, so cool Joe Namath proposes a bet "double or nothing" that he can beat gang leader William Smith in a flat track race on choppers. If you don't know who wins, don't bother to read the rest of this review; go see the movie. As you watch this movie you become aware that some "bits" are a little too much, even for this type of movie. The hero of these plots is usually a good-guy type wh.o somehow becomes involved with a gang of thoroughly despicable motorcyclists. But Joe Namath is a 7 -foot choir boy with an Iowa com grin that won't quit. The few bits of deviltry that he gets into are more reminiscent of Huck Finn than Marlon Brando. For a professional football player, Joe Namath has a surprising amount of acting ability and he does a couple of really funny bits. The heroine in these epics is usually a vacuous, Barbie-doll type who is constantly threatened with rape, in singles and multiples. Her outstanding characteristics are a "perfect" figure, and more clothes than brains. She is always spafkling clean as opposed to the scrubby cycle gang chicks. Ann-Margret is absolutely ideal for the role. Essentially playing herself, her appalling lack of natura! talent goes completely unnoticed, except in few isolated instances. (When she is being taunted by the female gang members in a thoroughly professional way, she finally reaches the limit of her tolerance - indicated by a shake of the head as though both,ered by a fly - and she responds "-.--Off!" Only it sounds like, "Oh Phooey". The fact that the girls. are seemingly intimidated by this is one of the comic highlights of the movie.) Violence is one of the necessary ingredients of all motorcycle gang pictures so there is a collosal fight between Joe Namath and the villian "Moon" (played by William Smith). Since Moon is several inches taller than Namath, there is plenty of brawn, and hits are signified by a sound simlar to that of 2x4 connecting with a side of beef. But even after the conclusion (brought about by the judicious use of a tire chain), no one appears to be seriously hurt and there is no blood. The violence is almost symbolic. There are the obligatory sex scenes between Namath and ..,vera! of the girls, ,. ,. .... ..... , .1) Mike Pnlck's YAIWIA " COIOffA • 1111 E. 6th St. - COfIlla Cl(4) 13~lln ,.:. including the much advertised nude scene between Namath and Ann-Margret. These are about as erotic as a Sumo wrestling match but they fill a vital need: they get the film an "X" rating which guarantees box office success. The impression is skillfully created that you have been exposed to a lot of sex, but it is treated so matter-of-factly that you remain unmoved. When Ann-Margret is threatened with gang rape, noboby is even particularly interested, let alone alarmed. Ann-Margret is (in character) quite wealthy and could easily write a check for ten times the amount that Joe Namath is supposed to produce, but she doesn't offer to. You almost expect her to say, "Well, if you want to rescue me, that's your hang up, not mine." A considerable portion of the film is centered about a sp~ially constructed motocross course where the motorcycle ganK, "the Heads", meet the straight Cycles Save Constructor Thousands By Alex Arr CENTURY CITY, CALIF. - If you are a supervisor on the construction of the world's largest underground parking facility, you drive a radio-equipped Honda motorcycle. The use of motorcycles by supervisors on the vast project is expected to save about $100,000 and YAMAHA SPORTCYCLlS NEW & USED SALES Parts-Accessories-Service Financing-Insurance fONTANA Yamaha-Sach's- 9008 Sierra Ave. Hodaka-Maico- Fontana, Calif. CZ GENE H. MYERS 4151 Redondo Beach Blvd., Lawndale, Ca. (213) 542-4047 Sales- (714) 822-2252 parts - Service MX RIDERS Hard ti me getting parts and accessories? WE STOCK EM! .-... lXVverslty Honda Maco Kawasaki & ell ..... 5908 Roosevelt I/Iti!y NE seattle I/'I'i!Sl. 98105 • SEND FOR FREE CATALOGUE ~~ about 10,000 man-hours during the year and one-half scheduled for the building of the project. It would take about two hours for the supervisor io go on a tour of the section under his jurisdiction. The Hondas make it possible for the project supervisors to make these trips in minutes. The Century City Theme Complexes is excavating a six·level, 6000 car Mi'eo ',".eo WI specialize In .1, Bulllct 1241W. Orn--"', 8IIIa Part (4) &22-&111 subterranean garage facility beneath its dozen acres. The project, a joint venture of the Aluminum Company of America and the American Broadcasting Company will have two 43-story office buildings on the site, plus a huge ABC Entertainment Center. All supervisors on the vast project, including the supervisors for the subcontractors, carry out their work with the Hondas equipped with radios. Penton - Hodaka - BSA.__..." ....... Yamaha - Norton Husqvarna MASTER CHARGE-BANKAMERICARO Discount to Ascot Racers YAMAHA - society in the persons of the motocross racers and fans. After inlially making fools of themselves by riding the wrong way on the motocross course with their choppers, the emerging champion of the gang, Namath, acquires a proper mo torcycle and proceeds to win his ftrst race. (Considering that John DeSoto was one of his opponents, that's no small feat!) The cycle gang is obviously having a lot of fun, while everyone else is obviously very uptight. The director keeps playing very interesting tricks with your sense of right and wron~, propriety and impropriety. F or instance, when Joe Namath is in the process of breaking away from the gang, he wins $600.00 in a race. The gang's rules, which he has accepted, are that all money goes into the community pot. ButJoe holds back $100.00. For this he incurs the wrath of the gang and the great fight ensues. Joe loses, but only because his opponent cheated. Want to straighten out the morality? It's an interestinR picture. For the motorcyclist, there is some special interest in the form of many types of cycling activity. There's some quite exciting motocross racing scenes, some track riding, and some flat-track chopper racing. For the most part it's quite realistic, but there are some lapses. It seems like the director ordered everyone to get crossed-up over every jump, so everytime a motorcycle goes over a jump, there's a little wiggle of the front wheel Also, it seems that Kawasaki furnished the bikes, so naturally Kawasakis win everything. You have to stretch your imagination a bit to handle a rank beginner on a Kawasaki Big Hom winning his Ilrst race on a tough mo tocross circuit by lapping the entire field except the second place man, and beating him by dragging this Big Hom across the Imish line after its front wheel falls off! The distributor, naturally, offers him a sponsored ride for his second rac~. Look out Joel Robert, here comes Joe Namath on his Kawasaki. While the performances of the principles are not likely to win any awards, ther-e are several ftne performances in the supporting roles. The best of these was the performance of Teda Bracci who played one of the girl gang members named "Pig". Fast-talking, tough, earthy and very real, she could easily have stolen the show from star Ann-Margret, had her role been slightly more extensive. As it was her bits were the most memorable of the movie. Jennifer Billingley as the sexy "Porn Porn tt, girl friend of "Moon" also did a very good job. Ted King, playing "Suicide Sam" did some great funny-acrobatic numbers, both on bikes and off. As is apparent, this movie owes everything to its direction which is under the guiding hand of newcomer Seymour Robbie. Robbie has directed such diverse t.V. shows as "The Man From Uncle" and "Omrubus" but this is his first movie. Considering his material, it's an outstanding success. _The movie was produced by Rogallen and is heing distributed by Avco Embassy Pictures. Original Screenplay is by Roger Smith. The movie is now showing at the Pix Theater in Hollywood. . . . CYCUCITY 34198 COAST HIGHWAY DANA POINT, CALIF. 92629 (714) 4~-1001 Saudi Oran.. County Triumph HeadQ~rters WANTED G . ,. .r. ALTA I ex~ienced only. Call Bill Jr. 467-2141 WORLD'S FINEST Ultra-lightweight Trials Bike $575.00 (714) 286-1001 Available Now SAN DIEGO ALTA SUZUKI 4825 EI Ca'on Blvd. San Die "H., D •• ,.,II' We carryall types of insurance coverage - garage liability fire - theft & dealer bonds S.,. U, T.251 JOHN I. IAYNARD INS. '441 ...... Aft., L.A., Ca. . (nJ)l3I-&2ll ENDURO COMPUTER 0 J•••••, •• ,~ '••" ••c. ••t.rc,d•••c•••ic 40 r. week. Insurance, profit shari "I and other benefits. • SPECIFICATIONS: Speed Range: 0 to 99 mph. Readout: 5 place, plah bUtton reset. Resolution: 1/100 mile. 50 parts par mill ion Accuracy: (corresponds to an error 'Of 1_ than 27 feet par 100 milesl. P"""",,: 6 or 12 volts (specify). Weight: Less than 25 ounces. AACOM, INC.5569 Kearny Villa Rd. San Diego, California 92123 (714) 279-8790 M r-: . ~ z ~ ~ w <3 > U ..