Being Evel

Being Evel
(2015 American documentary about the life and times of
daredevil/superhero Evel Knievel;

directed by Daniel Junge)

In 1974, I was 11 years old.
And Evel Knievel was my hero -
that daredevil who everyone in the world was talking about.
For the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat!
Yes, I watched Wide World of Sports, too.
Anyone of age with a television set at the time watched that,
and every other bit of the media circus surrounding 

Knievel’s jump across the Snake River Canyon.
Oh my god, was that exciting, or what?!
And the dramatic footage of his failed attempt to 

jump the fountains at Caesar’s Palace?
Completely unforgettable, right?!
Oh yes, watching this documentary sure did bring back memories.
I found those jumps just as exciting to watch now as it was back then!
It was also a reminder of all the crazy things people did back in the 70s,
with no regard for safety.
(Like playing with Clackers!
Amazing how I didn't whack my brains out playing with those,
or kill myself wearing Super Slider Snow Skates. Jesus!)
And yea, Evel could be mean and ugly –
but, 

he was a good lookin' bad boy riding a motorcycle in an Elvis suit,

sporting tons and tons and tons of courage.

No wonder he was my hero.
He’s still my hero. 

A true showman whose failures were as exciting to watch
as were his successes,

if not more exciting.

And what about that time the Hell's Angels put a beating on him?

Exciting!

Because he never backed down,
and always got back up.

The other thing I liked about this doc was
Peter Frampton in the soundtrack!

The trailer for Being Evel...