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WILD WHEELS is filmmaker Harrod Blank's comic and revealing exploration of Art Cars, personally customized automobiles which reflect the individualistic spirit of their drivers. Traveling across the country in his own wildly decorated VW bug, Blank discovers a memorable cast of real-life characters who are obsessed with transforming their cars into mobile works of art.
They say driving is a privilege, not a right. If you haven't seen this film, driving is neither privilege nor right. Driving is a bore! In "Wild Wheels," Harrod Blank takes the "auto" matic out of automobile for an hour of pure family fun! In this, his second film, filmmaker Blank explores a nation of eccentrics who, like himself, woke up one day driven toward making something new, colorful and personal out of their straight factory cars. At first glance, Blank's 1992 documentary film has a "don't do this at home, kids" kind of feel with Blank getting pulled over by the police for daring to be different behind the wheel. But in no time, Blank has made us forget traffic court and driven us far out across a land of rebel creative souls with cars the likes of which you have never imagined. From the Hippo Car and the Cow-asaki bovine motorcycle to the Wrought Iron VW Bug and the Grass Car, the 46 cars featured in "Wild Wheels" turn the classic icon on its head and make the freeway fun again. I loved this movie! It's the kind of film you can pop in and watch again and again over the years and it never gets old. Now translated into over 36 languages and seen by 45 million people worldwide, "Wild Wheels" is literally changing the way humanity views the automobile. Far from the sometimes frightening proposition of "driving while being different," more and more people are making art cars every year. For many, "Wild Wheels" is where it all began.
Further Information:
*Director's Commentary in English & Spanish
*Subtitles in Spanish
*37 minutes of Extra Footage
*Original Theatrical Trailer
*Gallery of Art Car Photos
*Gallery of Production Stills
*Director's Biography and Filmography
*Closed Captions in English
| Catalog Number: MC-567 |
Type: Feature |
Genre: Documentary |
| Copyright: 1992 |
Length: 65 minutes + extra footage |
Format:
DVD Region: 0 (All) |
| TV System: NTSC |
ISBN: 0-933621-10-8 |
UPC: 881359000015 |
| Label: Harrod Blank Films |
Notes: 2 Discs: Director's Cut & PBS Broadcast Version
This title is available in Europe for Wholesale - List Prices: £19.99 / 29.95€
This is a microcinema exclusive title.
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Exhibition:
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2006-09-12 Educational Media Resources Online
By Reviewed by Brian Burns, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
Recommended
Humorous and definitely entertaining, Wild Wheels is an eclectic romp through the unique and moving form of expressionism that is car art. Writer/producer/director Harrod Blank is also featured with his own car art creation entitled “Oh My God” which is a strangely painted VW Beetle with a broken television sitting atop the car, two large sunflowers protruding from the roof and a globe on the front. The film begins with Mr. Blank in court where he is contesting a parking ticket (he has been ticketed at least fifty times since he created his car art), citing the attention his car receives.
On this DVD the audience is treated to many different automobiles and the unique owners who create them. Some are serious artists, some are attempting to make a statement, some were honestly bored and one created his art car as a memorial, but all of the individuals feel a very personal and deep meaningful passion about their form of art.
Included is the story of an elderly gentleman who could not sleep well and didn’t wish to disturb his family, so he began sewing buttons onto his pants. Once the pants were covered, he did a shirt, shoes, guitar, and eventually his car. He is known as the Button King and has already prepared himself a button covered casket. Many of the art cars are inspired by the 1960’s with some being political and others religious. The two-disc set includes the director’s cut, the PBS cut, 37-minutes of bonus footage, a car gallery, subtitles, closed captioning and director’s commentary.
The film work and editing are fairly well done, while the audio occasionally leaves a bit to be desired, yet not to the point where purchasing the film would result in any amount of regret. There is no way to adequately describe the appearance of the autos in this film, thus no attempt will be made. This truly is a film that needs to be seen, not described. It’s almost like a train wreck in that you simply cannot look away! Recommended for public libraries and those collections supporting a variety of art and pop culture programs. |
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