MCQUEEN MONDAY

"Your a big man, but you're in bad shape. With me it's a full time job. Now behave yourself."

This is my scene!

McQueen Monday!

Stormtrooper of the Week.

Hank Williams III - Long Hauls and Close Calls

Turn off the TUNES to the right!!!

Slayer on Sesame Street

Turn off the tunes on the right side to enjoy properly.

All My Friends Are Dead

Bike Buyin' Basics

This is from Mike D. @ blottoparts.blogspot.com


Mike Deutsch at Blotto Parts has been hustling rusty iron for years, so he knows the game as well as anyone, and the knowledge he drops is bound to save you some coin when it's time to turn someone's trash into your treasure.

So, after saving all your pennies from the paper route and slinging the bud you’ve pinched from Pops’ sack all summer long, you’ve finally got enough scratch to buy a knucklehead of your own. Slow down there, sonny boy. Before you blow your load like you did last Tuesday night on Tawny at the Tastee Freeze, take a second to reflect on some bike-buying basics. I like to call my tricks of the trade “How to Hustle a Hustler.”

Step 1: Ride, then Decide. Before you choose a bike, figure out what you’re looking for. Do you want a machine you can ride all summer long, or are you looking for a project you can tinker on between episodes of “Jon & Kate plus 8.” Are you partial to panheads, or are you ready to start a tumultuous love/hate relationship with a Trump? These are questions only you can answer, but only one thing is certain: it’s a buyer's market. In the immortal words of Kenny "The Gambler" Rogers, "Ya gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em." That's why you need to figure which bike is going to please you most often, and how much money you've got to spend. Once you've gotten that far, do not deviate from your budget or your plan. If you've got to borrow your bro's bagger, steal your sister's Sportster and kipe you comrade's Kawi, do what it takes to figure out what kind of freedom machine you're looking for.

Step 2: Wait and Evaluate. Spend time on places like ChopCult, JockeyJournal, eBay and CraigsList to determine what a particular make and model is selling for. While you're lurking around, figure out how available the bike you're looking for is on the open market. Are there a lot of your dream machines to choose from, or is your dream sickle a little harder to find? What about options and accersories? Sometimes a bike loaded up with chrome-plated plastic might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but all that bolt-on bullshit can be flipped for an instant rebate at the local swap meet or the H.O.G. message board. Just because the bro spent 500 bucks for pleather saddlebags and "Live to Ride, Ride to Work" trinkets doesn't mean you have to compensate him for those mistakes. Also, never decline the seller's extra parts or take-offs, as these can easily be turned into quick change when it's time to turn your slick sickle into the next ChopCult feature bike. Do your research and you'll quickly determine a fair baseline price for the bike your loins have been yearning for.

Step 3: Lookin’ and Lurkin’. After picking your dream machine and determining fair market value with the best research tools available, start lurking on CraigsList at all hours of the day, multiple times a day if possible. The early bird gets the worm or the knucklehead, as the case may be. Have cash ready when the deal that's too good to pass up comes by, and be ready to scoot out the door at any given time to peep your potential putt-putt. If you're looking for a 1936 to 1969 H-D, this is the Holy Grail of motorcycles and they can be a little harder to come by. Start by talking to every greybeard in a long-sleeved defunct Harley dealership t-shirt you see. These cats know where the old iron is but don’t expect them to give up the knowledge easily, or for free. Instead, give them your phone number and offer a finder's fee. This goodwill gesture is sometimes the only way you’ll get invited into the treasure trove of choppers that live in the clubhouses and tweaker's dens working stiffs like us never get invited to. Use the same line if British bikes are your thing. If you see a bloke wearing knee-high boots and sporting an Ace Cafe t-shirt, ask him if he's got any mates who might be interested in parting with some old pot metal from across the pond. Or as DicE Matt Davis might say, "Ton up, Bruv!"

Step 4: Run it, Son. The Vehicle Identification Number or VIN, that is. On old bikes, always run the VIN through your local DMV to make sure it’s not on listed on any stolen vehicle reports, or worse, registered as a Special Construction. Special Construction titles vary from state to state, so I won't get into the pitfalls of this situation today, except to say you’ll have a hard time insuring a Special Construction bike, and that it's becoming more difficult to export SC bikes to certain countries, as well. My short recommendation: buy original. An authentic Harley or Triumph adds instant value and will make your bike that much easier to sell when Pro-Street becomes The New '70s digger. If you’re buying a newer bike, run a CarFax report on it. They cost around 35 bucks per pop, or you can buy a five-pack of CarFax service for around 75 bones. Sounds expensive, I know, but it’ll save you lots of time in the long run. There's no sense looking at a bike in Vegas if its been salvaged in California. CarFax will show the important facts about the dates of registration and also note any accidents or insurance claims associated with the VIN, even if the accident or claim was in another state.

Step 5: Inspect and Re-Inspect. When you go to the aforementioned tweeker den to check out that period-correct bobber chop with the neo-traditional tribal skull paint job and the old-school red wheels and "gangster" whitewalls, bring a friend. Better yet, bring someone who actually knows what he’s looking at, maybe someone who's owned the kind of bike you're looking at. An extra set of eyes can help you spot potential problems, and these flaws will give you leverage when it's time to bargain. Sometimes, we get so excited about our pending freedom machines we forget to look at the important stuff like the VIN boss, belly numbers, case repairs, aftermarket parts, late night meth-induced frame repairs and the three rolls of electrical tape wrapped around the "OEM" wiring harness. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. Take your time and don't be afraid to ask your friend for his advice and you'll eventually land the perfect pan, Beezer, or troublehead as the case may be.

Step 6: Walk Away. Decide what the sickle's worth, make the seller an offer and walk away. Don’t haggle for hours over a ‘72 OIF Triumph that doesn’t have a title. Remember: you hold the cards and the cash. If the seller's desperate, Dudes are desperate, capitalize on this fact by giving him your price and walking away. Easy to say and hard to do, but it's the best bargaining tactic I know of. If that ironhead Sportster is destined to be nestled in your garage, it'll happen.

Saturday Morning Inspiration

Ghost Rider - Fuck Police

This is INSANE!!

Young Brothers

Dennis Coffey- Fuck You

This is cool. Most can relate.

ludes

Much better than ambien.

McQueen Monday

Let Steve inspire you for another week.

 

Oh My God!!

Is there a higher power...does it exist?  When I see something like this, I know.

Northville Cemetery Massacre

Shot independently in Michigan as “Freedom: R.I.P.,” the movie which would be known as NORTHVILLE CEMETERY MASSACRE was the brainchild of young filmmakers Thomas L. Dyke and William Dear. Commenting on how their generation was often stereotyped and judged by their outward appearances, the film was obviously inspired by the carefree counter culture attitude of EASY RIDER, as well as the excessive comic book violence of THE WILD BUNCH, two of the most popular films of their era. The much deserved cult status for NORTHVILLE has been a rather quiet one, and it’s almost as if you’ve seen it, you’re part of a private club. One of the most surprising titles to get the “special edition” treatment, VCI has kindly obliged with this rousing DVD release.

Hyped as “The Ultimate Biker Flick,” NORTHVILLE CEMETERY MASSACRE may or may not be that, but it certainly ranks among the most intriguing cycle pictures and is an all-out satisfying slice of exploitation that can even be classified as a modern Western. From the opening moments -- featuring the Spirits toying with an old couple pulled over on the road, only to repair their flat tire -- you know this is not your typical AIP or Crown International biker fare. The bearded, longhaired Harley riders here are posed as misunderstood rebels who just want to have a good time, and the Scorpions of course play them authentically and with pathos. No one’s gonna win any performance accolades here, but the rest of the cast is made up of local actors who hold things up well. Interestingly enough, lead actor Hyry was over-dubbed by an easily recognizable Nick Nolte some years before he became a household name.

The film’s WILD BUNCH-style violence is displayed in the numerous slow-mo shootings, complete with exploding blood squibs, all which are impressively photographed. The violence is offset by some clever satire, including a scene where the Spirits are ordered by a judge to ride their bikes through a car wash, and an oddball arms salesman giving a Patton-like speech in front of a hanging U.S. flag. Ex-Monkee Mike Nesmith (an underrated solo artist in his own right) did the country/rock score in a raunchy style that really befits the film (someone should release a soundtrack CD pronto!). It’s interesting to note that the film started production in 1971 (pretty much the year that the biker film had died) and completed over a period of a few years, though not released theatrically until 1976 by Cannon.

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie: 16th Note Shuffle

A massive session player he is famous for the "The Purdie Shuffle". Ever wonder how Bonzo found that groove on Fools in The Rain? Toto's Rosana? This is where it came from.

The Book of Stone a.k.a. El Libro De Piedra [Mexico] 1969

Julia is hired to be the governess of a young girl, Sylvia who has an emotionally distant father, Eugenio, and a new stepmother, Mariana. Sylvia insists that she plays with a little boy named Hugo - whom the adults all see is a stone statue in the courtyard. When strange things begin to happen (such as Mariana, whom Sylvia dislikes, experiencing strange pains) the adults begin to wonder if Hugo may be more than just an imaginary playmate.

MOONEYES Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show 2010

Mc5 - Ramblin Rose

A Quiet Place in the Country - Franco Nero - 1969

Avant garde artist Leonardo Ferri (Nero) decides life in Milan is stifling his artistic creativity, and persuades his agent and lover, Flavia (Redgrave), to rent a secluded villa, just outside Venice. Ferri's hopes of enjoying a period of tranquility are shattered by timeslips, disconcerting replays of the past and an unseen presence who appears to be targeting Flavia.

Petri's screenplay - set in the mid 60s' - tells the story of a beautiful countess who was murdered near the end of World War II, and of her continuing influence from beyond the grave. Petri does realise many genuinely chilling moments, though this is a long way from being traditional haunted house fare.

The central theme - Ferri's inability to distinguish fantasy from reality - succeeds in placing the viewer on level ground with the dazed and confused artist and a grating, yet entirely appropriate score, further adds to a sense of almost total disorientation.

Granted, A Quiet Place In The Country does occasionally threaten to slide into over-indulgence, but one of its main strengths may be that Petri was either unable or unwilling to play by the rules.

With this type of film, I guess the director can get away with practically any finale he cares to shoot: here, the ending works supremely well with a beautifully ironic closing line, delivered by a real class act..

This important work really does need a fully-loaded DVD release to raise public awareness of a beguiling mix of Nic Roeg and Mario Bava.

Quite extraordinary.

Late Transitional Period

Post-Bobber Pre-Chopper. Any way you call it...cool.

Silver Shamrock

La Saga de los Drácula AKA The Dracula Saga - 1973

Count Draculas administrator Gabor (J.J Paladino) picks Berta & Hans up from the hotel they've been staying in & takes them to the castle to reunite Berta with her Grandfather Count Dracula & her two Cousins Irina (Cristina Suriani) & Xenia (Maria Kosti). Once there the castle seems deserted, furthermore while looking at her Grandmothers coffin in the family crypt Berta finds coffins with her Garndfathers & Cousins names on them. Things begin to get nasty, Berta suffers from nightmares, the wine they are given to drink tastes horrible & looks suspiciously like blood, Hans disappears & there happens to be a mutant one-eyed web fingered kid locked up in the castle belonging to Count Dracula, he needs a child of his own to carry on the Dracula name & Berta is about to give birth...

This Spanish production was directed by Leon Klimovsky & I have to say I really liked it, a lot. La Saga de los Dracula seems to be a pretty obscure film with very little information about it on the internet, I personally think this is a bit of an injustice as there are so many crap Euro horror films out there this deserves much better, I think it might be because it doesn't have Paul Naschy in it! Anyway, the script by Emilio Martinez Lazaro & Juan Tebar is a classic Gothic Dracula tale but has enough ideas & individuality to stand out on it's own. From the superstitious locals, the castle, the caped Count Dracula, the innocents, sleeping in coffins & plenty of blood drinking. The film moves along at a nice pace & while it's far from the most exciting or action packed Dracula film it's very entertaining & has a good solid watchable story helped by decent character's & dialogue. The twist that comes towards the end also surprised me a bit as I definitely wasn't expecting it, basically La Saga de los Dracula is just a fantastically told Dracula story that I personally enjoyed watching & I loved the climax where Berta decides to take some sweet revenge on her family with an axe! One thing that did annoy me is that we, the viewer that is, never actually get to find out what that wine really was, it was implied that it's blood but it's never confirmed. On the negative side I would have liked a bit more blood & gore in it although this is a minor gripe as a horror film doesn't have to be gory or violent to be good, although it helps!

Director the late Klimovsky, who has 77 films credited to him as director alone, does a wonderful job & this has to be one of the best looking Dracula films I've ever seen. The best way I can describe it is as a Spanish Hammer film but even better, from the fantastic brickwork castle, the candlelit dungeons, crypts & dining rooms along with the spooky woods, graveyards & local village. The props, costumes & production design are sumptuous, from the horse drawn carriages & long white curtains flapping in the breeze to the period dresses & corsets to the amount of detail. I loved the way La Saga de los Dracula looked, it has a brilliant atmosphere even when nothing is happening on screen it still felt just a little bit eerie, there are a couple of cool shocks & as a whole the film is great to look at. There's not much gore here, there's a really freaky nasty looking deformed mutant kid, a couple of Vampire attacks, someone is stabbed which involves a very impressive special effect, someones head falls off during a dream sequence & at the climax Berta runs riot with an axe although very little graphic gore is seen apart from her chopping someones hand off. There's a fair amount of nudity as well.

Technically La Saga de los Dracula is far better than you would expect, it's a fantastic looking film although it's let down by some poor English dubbing as usual for these types of low budget Euro horror. The acting was OK & the ladies are pretty enough. I wasn't expecting to but I really liked La Saga de los Dracula & that's the biggest recommendation I can give it. If you like this sort of Euro horror than I can't recommend La Saga de los Dracula enough, a real surprise & a bit of a treat.

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Mcqueen Monday

Let the power of Steve flow through your mind and body. Helps me through the first day back.