The "LOW RIDER" movie on 16mm

I have a couple friends that collect 16mm films. Quite a few years ago my friend Jeff bought this movie that was just called "THE LOW RIDER". It was way before I got as into these cars as I am now so we watched it once, enjoyed it thoroughly and it got put away.

Over the past 8 years or so my interest in lowrider history flourished and I would regularly ask Jeff about the movie. He had gone through a bunch of life changes so all of his films were buried away in storage... until a couple weeks ago.

I was afraid that my memories of the film would build it up to be something that its not, but it didn't disappoint. It turns out that it was produced as an LA county anti-drinking-and-driving educational film. Uunfortunately its in pretty rough shape, the very beginning is missing a few miinutes and the sprocket holes in the early part are pretty trashed, we screened it twice last Friday and on the second showing another 20" of the beginning got ripped up further. The next time (if ever) it will be thrreaded onto a projector it will be to make a digital transfer.

Luckily I took some pictures. So I present a brief summary of what we know as "LOW RIDER".....



It starts with two dudes waiting for the bus to go to work. They're wearing hard hats and drinking beer. One of them is trying to convince the other that they should get a car... it would be "TRANSPORTATION...that's all"

While they're sitting there a car drives by... oh shit... what car is it??!!!

Yep... its Gypsy Rose



They end up missing the bus



And in the next scene you see them in a car...



...that turns out to be a rough '63 Impala behind a wrecker



While in the towed wreck they make the deal that they would fix it up to be "TRANSOPRTATION... that's all", and they get checked out by a homie in a really sweet '73 Caprice





Cut to one of the best "fixing up the car" montages...

Remember to always use the proper tool for the job:

Trim removal with screwdriver:



Bondo and tall cans of Budweiser



Homie's girlfriend paints the car in the garage...



...while they down some more Budweiser



When the work is done, the finishing touch is added:



And they hit the street to show off that their hard work (drinking) paid off.
Their clapped out '63 is now a beautiful pearl white...

'64 !!



They pull over to tidy up a bit



Polish the Rockets....



....and the white donut



And hit the boulevard



While criusing around they get props from... WHO?

Yep, Jesse Valadez in Gypsy Rose. He invites them to come to a party with the IMPERIALS



They are stoked.

They continue on and take a break to hit the switches







Then its on to the party





Where homie ends up getting into a fight with his lady and gets wasted



His buddy tries to convince him not to drive



But he doesn't listen. He tears off and runs into a telephone pole and manages to turn that beautiful '64 back into a '63



The next morning they assess the damage and agree to fix the car again. They make a pact to never drink and drive again.



Cut to the '64 again behind a wrecker



FIN



-Rasputin