A 1980's Snapshot of Australia w BMX Bikes
I am fascinated with anything vintage. This passion has taught me much and one thing I have learned is that often I forget that all cultures, as they are all unique, have their own unique vintage. Here’s what I mean. We can watch Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, etc., and get a good snapshot of the 80s in America. But there was an 80s in England, Portugal, Japan, and the list goes on. When we dive into a movie like BMX Bandits, we’re reminded of this. So, let’s go to Australia in the 1980s and have a conversation.
Don't Share my Friend's Enthusiasm of BMX Bandits
This may be the shortest blog I’ve ever written. I feel like I’ve said that before and been wrong. Anyway, this movie was one of those films that held my attention long enough to get me too time-invested to quit when I realized I could have made a better choice with my watch time. A friend of mine who turned me on to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which I need to blog about, was excited when I told him that I had watched BMX Bandits. I did not share his excitement this time around. The story is simple really. BMX bike-riding kids accidentally acquire stolen goods that belong to gangsters who, naturally, come looking for it. You can read the plot more in-depth here. Now, let’s put our helmets on, jump on our BMX bikes, and ride on into my observations on BMX Bandits from 1983.
A 16yo Nicole Kidman was in BMX Bandits
Color and its use in films is something I gravitate to. Naturally, since I’m an artist, this is fascinating to me. In the opening scenes, there is a police station that has the primary colors for its interior color scheme. So, red, blue, and yellow are used throughout the building’s surfaces. The walls are primarily blue, and the counters are yellow. The suits worn by kids and the BMX bikes they ride also tended to have similar color schemes as well. One of these kids, I might add, is a young Nicole Kidman who was around 16 years old at the time of BMX Bandits. Color is always cool to me but never as cool as the stuff in a movie.
As usual, I paid more attention to what was in the movie nostalgia-wise than the film. Especially since the film was more filler than movie – I watch movies often to stay awake so, I must find something that holds my attention within them. There were many common things in BMX Bandits but, this was filmed in Australia. So, even commonality had a foreign element. You can read more about filming locations here. Viewers can look for ice cream trucks, fire trucks, Castrol barrels, and a water park in BMX Bandits. A speedboat in BMX Bandits had some cool art painted on it that was fun. Learn more about the cars in BMX Bandits here. Another fun thing for me was the weird vintage pig masks worn by the robbers in BMX Bandits. Yep, this wasn’t a horror movie either. Or was it?
Horror of BMX Bandits
Maybe I liked this movie what little I did because of the horror sprinkled in it. Yes, it had some frightening things in it. There’s something about being on tiny boats in the Australian seas. If there are things supposedly as big as Volkswagens in the lake near where I live, there are certainly things in Australia’s waters that would snack on a teenage kid. The Land Down Under has the most poisonous snake, the most poisonous spider, and the only poisonous mammal so, God only knows what’s swimming in those waters. I’m joking really but, being in the water in Australia would scare me. Recently I went to Florida and learned a local rule – any body of water, yes any of them including your pool, could have an alligator in it. Apply that to Australia and the gator could be a great white. Thus, I’m a little horrified.
Why the Hype? Let Me Know in the Comments
While I am going to have some Fast Times at Ridgemont High and blog about it, there will be no more BMX rides for me. I struggled through this one and will not be watching again. I’m glad I had my helmet on so that when I was beating my head against a wall wanting the movie to end, I didn’t get a brain injury. I understand this movie’s place in time, but I’m not a fan of BMX Bandits. For those of you who’ve seen this one and are fans – what’s the hype? Please, let me know in the comments. While you’re on my page, check out my artwork and photography here. You can read more of my blogs here and follow me on all social media here. All likes, shares, subs, and follows are appreciated.