Faves

It's been a long time since I blogged a list of favorites, so here's my personal list of my top 10 favorite motorcycle and travel-related DVDs, in no particular order:

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip - The story of the first transcontinental automobile road trip, accomplished in 1903 by Dr. Horatio Jackson. It had huge historical significance because it set in motion an unprecedented period of road-building and highway development that evolved into today's road network that makes it possible to drive damn near anywhere in the U.S. and opened up travel to the average American. It's a 2003 PBS documentary by Ken Burns.

Wild Hogs - Tim Allen, John Travolta and a couple of other guys are suburban biker wannabes who decided to ride from Cincinnati to the Pacific Coast. It's funny on so many different levels, whether you're a rider or not.

Ghost Rider - Film adaptation of Marvel Comics' cult title Ghost Rider stars Nicolas Cage as motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who transforms into a skull-faced angel of vengeance to battle the forces of evil. Peter Fonda and Sam Elliott are brilliant in supporting roles.

Long Way Round - Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman ride around the world on BMW R1200GS motorcycles. There's a cameo appearance by my friend Ted Simon, who chronicled his first round-the-world ride in Jupiter's Travels.

The World's Fastest Indian - The true story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who took his home-modified 1920s Indian to the Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1960s and set a land speed record. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as the cantankerous old Burt.

The Wild One - Marlon Brando's 1954 film about a biker gang that terrorizes a small California town, loosely based on an incident at Hollister, Calif., in 1947. It was banned in England for 20 years. A young Lee Marvin is wonderful in a supporting role.

Easy Rider - The definitive biker road trip movie, made in 1969 by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper and introducing Jack Nicholson. The DVD includes a featurette on the making of Easy Rider that is fascinating in its own right. Fonda's account of how riding the chopper on the first day of shooting nearly paralyzed his arms is a scream. It was the first movie to incorporate popular rock hits of the time into the soundtrack. I once had the pleasure of watching this movie on TV with Willie G. Davidson, of the Harley-Davidson Davidsons, in a Holiday Inn motel room in Lebanon, Ind.

Rumble Fish - Mickey Rourke is the "motorcycle boy" in this brilliant, arty Francis Ford Coppola film starring Matt Dillon. It's not strictly a motorcycle movie, but Rourke looks cool on his Kawasaki KZ550. The supporting cast includes early work by Nicolas Cage, Christopher Penn, Vincent Spano, Laurence Fishburne, and musician Tom Waits.

Mad Max - Mel Gibson's breakout firm with great riding scenes. I can never get used to seeing them riding on the left side of the road in Australia, though. And, of course...

The Road Warrior - Gibson's better-made sequel to Max Max with even better riding scenes.