Spy Cam Captures V-Rod Going 3D

The Green Hornet -- Kato's V-Rod

That’s right.  Last Friday the Harley-Davidson V-Rod motorcycle went 3D in the latest super-hero action comedy, The Green Hornet.

With all the sequel’s you might get confused by similar movie names like the Green Lantern or Green Mile or Soylent Green!  But, I’m talking about The Green Hornet which is based on the 1960’s Marvel comic book series about a masked crime fighting duo.  It was made into a radio series and a TV show.  The TV show actually launched the acting career of Bruce Lee, who played Kato.  In the 3D movie version, Kato is played by Jay Chou who rides the V-Rod in several scenes throughout the movie.  Seth Rogen is the playboy turned crime-fighter and Kato sidekick.

The flat-black custom V-Rod features a chopped rear fender, Destroyer wheels and a one-off custom L.E.D. headlamp.  Clearly the only type of motorcycle that a big-budget superhero film can be seen riding…

The technology the movie and consumer electronics industry most wants to push down our throats, is 3D.  Just back from CES, I can tell you firsthand about all the blurry, double-vision flat panels that were hung on every available surface of the Las Vegas Convention Center — televisions that looked sharp only when you put on ridiculous-looking 3D glasses. Many of those glasses are just as big, heavy and expensive as last year’s versions (at $100 a pair, exactly how many friends will earn a place at your Comcast Super Bowl party?).

Maybe Harley-Davidson will brand a pair of co-designed Porsche/Harley glasses that are less hideous — or even launch them when The Green Hornet hits the Blu-ray disc window?!  I think the star of the movie is that 1965 Chrysler Imperial!

Photo courtesy of H-D and Sony Pictures.

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Ridin’ Easy

It’s iconic.  “A man went looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere.”

Forty years later Sony Pictures prepares to re-release (on October 13th) a newly digitized version of “Easy Rider” on Blu-ray disc and leverage movieIQ technology which allows fans to access relevant cast and crew trivia online.   At the same time, Kerr Leathers, a Salem, MA., company has an exclusive contract to produce replicas of the Captain America leather jacket which Fonda (Wyatt) wore. As one of only a couple American leather makers left,  Kerr also has the contract to produce other anniversary memorabilia, including Fonda’s vest and T-shirt, a CD of the movie songs, and commemorative posters.

The original leather jacket was designed and manufactured by Clarice Amberg of ABC Leathers in South Gate, California.  In 1971, ABC Leathers was bought out by Bates Manufacturing and later the company was renamed Bates Industries.  Currently its Bates Custom Leathers.  Bates is owned by two women, Dawn and Dana Grindle. At the time, ABC Leathers made two jackets and one set of pants for the movie.  The movie secured private financing of $440K and grossed over $19 million.  You can hear Fonda speak about the jacket HERE (.wmv file)

Kerr Leather "Captain America" Clothing

Millions of baby boomers who relate to the movie will undoubtedly line up to obtain one of only 3,000 Captain America jackets to be made.  All are signed by Fonda, and will retail for $459. In a brilliant coup d’état, all of the gear will be sold by Harley-Davidson dealers worldwide.  In addition, each of the dealers will receive a Fonda autographed American flag on one jacket, which will be raffled off for the dealer’s favorite charity.

And speaking of the American flag — the original, one-and-only American flag patch worn on the back of Wyatt’s motorcycle jacket, was sold in 2007 for more than $89,000 by Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, TX.  The flag was featured prominently throughout the movie.  Fonda kept the jacket after production wrapped, and wore it until the jacket wore out. He then saved the patch, framed it, and then decided to make some of the memorabilia available to fans.  Ironically, for a film so fervently anti-establishment, the Department of Defense pin that adorned the jacket was valued at over $15,000. 

The launch of the re-released movie on Blu-ray is set to coincide with the 26^th annual Love Ride during California Bike Week (October 23 – 25).  As the population ages it’s common these days to see commemorative clothing and products hit the market.  Nostalgia sells.  The last time Kerr Leathers first produced an “Easy Rider” commemorative jacket was for the film’s 25th anniversary in 1994.

Photos courtesy of Kerr web site.

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