Jeff Nichols had dreamt of making a film about a 1960s motorcycle club for over 20 years. The obsession started when he first cracked open Danny Lyon’s book "The Bikeriders,” a New Journalism-style account of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club in the mid-1960s. He saw it as a story about rebels, romantics, frauds and the end of an era.
But he didn’t quite realize just how terrifying it would be to film the motorcycles in motion. The bikes were vintage. The actors, including Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, would be riding at high speeds.
And there would be no helmets. At some point, one of his stunt coordinators just came out with it, "There is no way to make this 100% safe.” They went for it.
The danger was kind of the point. And everyone made it out unscathed. "The Bikeriders” ( racing into theaters nationwide Friday ) is a rare summer gem.
An original film with stars (including Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus and Mike Faist), cool cred, pathos and a clear-eyed wistfulness for a brief moment and a type of guy. "This is a film that’s really about nostalgia,” Nichols said. There is a sadness that comes with that.
But there’s also a joy in remembering it.” Nichols has always had luck with casting, getting movie stars in his films right as they’re about to break big (like Jessica Chastain in "Take Shelter”). For "The Bikeriders,” it was Butler.
"Elvis” had yet to come out, but when he met him, he was certain. This is a movie star. "I read a lo.
