They are THE BIKERIDERS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital, streaming on Peacock and soon to Bluray from writer/director Jeff Nicols and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the story of THE BIKERIDERS.

Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) is a photography student who wants to hear the story of the Vandals and speaks to Kathy. It is 1965 and a very lovely Kathy (Jodie Comer) is with friends at the Vandals Motorcycle Club. Not wanting to stay longer, she gets up to leave when she sees Benny Cross (Austin Butler) and is stopped in her tracks. Also watching her is Johnny (Tom Hardy), the leader of the Chicago based Vandals. When Kathy accepts a ride home from Benny, they are married weeks later.

Kathy finds herself caught up in the whirlwind of being a woman who is in the club. When Benny is beat up badly, she tries to convince him to leave the club but he is dedicated to the club and the members in it. Johnny has another way of handling things and it is dangerous and destructive but it is how the club handles anyone who hurts a member.

One day, passing through on a ride, a young man known as The Kid (Toby Wallace) sees the power in riding and wants to be a part of the club. Johnny doesn’t believe he has what it takes making it clear that he is not going to be a Vandal. The Kid isn’t about to be dissuaded in any way and decides his time will come and when it does, the Vandals will never be the same.

Hardy as Vandals leader Johnny is a leader that believes in action before talk. Hardy plays this character as one who is keenly aware of the responsibilities to the members but gawd help anyone that hurt one of his guys. Looking out for them is a full-time job and he looks to Benny to help keep everything together.

Butler as Benny is quieter than the Vandals leader if that’s possible. He finds love with Kathy but makes it clear that the club comes first which puts a strain from time to time on their relationship. Butler uses his longing stares and wicked smile to the role of a man who puts himself in harms way intentional or not and usually with consequences that don’t seem to change him.

Comer as Kathy has no trouble talking about her history with Benny and Johnny and where the club was when she started hanging out in 1965. She also has no trouble talking about her feelings regarding everything she experienced and the changes to the club that were inevitable. Comer is quick in this role and has moments where her accented sarcasm is so well done and suits the character absolutely.

Wallace as The Kid comes in later to the story but is important as he is the catalyst for changing everything on his terms with no apologies. There is a streak in this character that has even less fear that Benny and Johnny and that’s all it took, that one extra step of ‘no fear’.

Shout out to Michael Shannon and Norman Reedus! I’m happy anytime I see these two actors on screen. Reedus gets a chance to be crazy and back on the bike so I’m sure he jumped at the chance to play Funny Sonny.

Other cast include Boyd Holbrook as Cal, Damon Herriman as Brucie, Karl Glusman as Corky, Happy Anderson as Big Jack, Paul Sparks as Gary, Will Oldham as the Bartender, Emory Cohen as Cockroach, Beau Knapp as Wahoo, Michael Shannon as Zipco and Norman Reedus as Funny Sonny.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

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Exclusive Bonus Features include Johnny, Benny & Kathy – From the accents to the attitude, get to know the lead characters of THE BIKERIDERS. Hear from the cast and producing team on how they took the personalities and environments from a book of photographs and brought a narrative to the big screen, The Era of THE BIKERIDERS – Grab your leather jacket and gear up for a ride as we enter the era of THE BIKERIDERS, and Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Jeff Nichols.

THE BIKERIDERS is a story about those who rode their bikes and the troubles they got into for it. Growing up in the 1970’s, there were plenty of stories out in the world (yes, before the internet) about “biker gangs” and the havoc they were wreaking on society. Living in a small beach community, we had our own biker bar that had one window and gawd help the town if anyone tried to peek inside. The bikes were big (so were some of the riders) and the bikes were loud, that was all we needed to know.

That’s the feeling I got from this film, as if I took a step back in time. The look and feel of the film is truly amazing and nostalgic. This was a club of bad boys who just wanted to do whatever they wanted to do with no repercussions if someone tried to interfere. The women are second to the club and if you couldn’t cut that, well, then being a biker ole lady wasn’t (and still isn’t) something to be a part of.

The cast did a fantastic job of bringing this story from book to screen. The story is inspired by Danny Lyon’s photo-book THE BIKERIDERS. Lyon’s was himself a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club for a year saying, “I was kind of horrified by the end…realizing that some of these guys were not so romantic after all”. Soon after, Lyon’s turned to documenting the lives of inmates in Texas prisons.

In the end - outsiders become legends!

It is THE LAST DUEL on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray Combo, DVD and Digital from director Ridley Scott and 20^th Century Studios comes a tale of knights and betrayal leading to THE LAST DUEL.

Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) is a man that has fought hard for King Charles VI and his country of France losing his wife and child. Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) is his closest friend and overlord of the King. That makes their friendship tense, especially when Jacques arrives to collect the taxes to help pay for the war, but Jean must admit that he has nothing.

Jean sees Marguerite de Thibouville (Jodie Comer) and an arrangement is made for them to marry. Count Pierre d’Alencon (Ben Affleck) shows him the lands that come with marrying his daughter. There is one piece of land that Jean notices and wants. Striking a deal for land and wealth, the marriage is done.

He learns that the one piece of land he particularly wanted, Pierre had already given to his friend Jacques. Jean decides to sue for the land, but King Charles (Alex Lawther) denies the case. Jean’s father passes and everything begins to swiftly move in the wrong direction. Pierre sides with Jacques and now Jean realizes his friend has received a military station at a generational family fort because of the suit he brought for the land.

When Jacques wife has a child, Marguerite and Jean find it a reason to celebrate and perhaps mend bad feelings between friends. All of that will have to wait because of the fighting in Scotland and Jean always goes where the king wishes. Coming home for a brief visit, Marguerite tells her husband that Jacques has violated her. The only way to handle this situation is with one thing – a duel to the death!

But who is telling the truth?

Damon as Jean is a man who has fought for king and country, lost his family once and could hardly maintain his own estate. Marrying saves everything, except one piece of land that comes between friends to the point of a duel. Damon is straight forward in his character and hides his emotions very well and instead finds other means to his detriment.

Driver as Jacques is a man who sees nothing wrong with getting what he wants even if it means betraying a friend. Knowing that the land Jean wants is part of a martial deal, he pretends to be the victim in all of this. When confronted he does not help his friend but instead enjoys the benefit of Pierre gifts. Driver also shows very little emotion, but it is clear this character knows what he is doing.

Comer as Marguerite seems to enjoy being married to Jean and is thrilled when she sees a chance to reconcile her husband and Jacques. When it comes time for her side of the story to be told, it is harsh and heart-breaking. It is a ‘he said-she said’ in a time when whatever she says means nothing in the era of men. The one thing that is absolute, Marguerite pays attention to everything that goes on around her from farming, horses to the tenants – even the cruelty of a mother-in-law and her station.

Affleck as Pierre is a man of indulgences, no morals and enjoys hurting people by any means whether it is fighting or taking something away from someone else. I have to say, Affleck looks like he is enjoying playing this character. Using Jacques to clean up his finances, he also sees ways to manipulate situations for his amusement.

Other cast include Harriet Walter as Nicole de Buchard, Serena Kennedy as Queen Isabeau, Sam Hazeldine as Thomin du Bois, Michel McElhatton as Bernard Latour, Oliver Cotton as Jean de Carrouges III, Adam Nagaitis as Adam Louvel, Clare Dunne as Ceila, Zeljko Ivanek as Le Coq, Caoimhe O’Malley as Elizabeth, Tallulah Haddon as Marie, Md. Tayeen Khan as Jack Smith, Bryony Hannah as Alice and Marton Csokas as Crespin.

Twentieth Century Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) manages The Walt Disney Company’s vast content commercialization and distribution ecosystem that delivers the Company’s unparalleled storytelling to audiences worldwide.

THE LAST DUEL is a period piece that gives us everything we would want for that time period. The dampness of war, lords and ladies, kings and queens, mystery, betrayal and revenge surrounded by castles. The destruction of war and the destruction of friendships are inlay for this based on a true story film.

Director Scott has given us a look at an ugly time in the Frances’ history of war and all the intrigue hiding behind fine clothes, wine and those who move the chess pieces to get what they want. I love the costuming and set design which always adds richness to the story and allows us to be distracted but the intrigue.

Telling the story in three parts is a way to see the accusations from perspectives that the others can not see. Jean and his family troubles, Jacques and his dealings with Pierre and Marguerite as well as the plotting done between the two. All these men against one woman’s say – it came to another fight!

In the end – a woman defied a nation and made history!