Urban Outlaw
It's been a while since I felt compelled to write about something for this section since posting the interview with the Sherryvallies lads. So it seems only right that one of those gentlemen, Nathan Reid, put me onto this 2012 film, Urban Outlaw. Again, late to the party, very late in fact by internet standards, but as I always say, it doesn't particularly matter when you find it, just that you did. I'll happily aid it's circulation further in any case as it's worth the time.
The piece is directed and filmed on a Canon 5D by Tamir Moscovici, who seems to have an affinity for car culture, judging by his other projects. It has been touted as a "cultural touchstone" which is icing on the cake post winning best documentary short at the 2013 Independent Filmmaker Showcase Awards.
Here, we follow Magnus Walker through a story of process, design, craftsmanship, aesthetic and purpose. Magnus is a Porsche 911 obsessive. His passion led to a desire to own at least one iteration of the model from '64 to '73, though that seems to spiral uncontrollably in to a much bigger collection. Walker gleans parts from several sources to restore the old vehicles, handcrafting elements from steering wheels and door handles to shaping the body work thus creating his own "Outlaw" 911s. Personally, I've never been a fan of the 911 but I can appreciate craftsmanship in any form and this is stunningly translated here. Beyond that we see Walker's diversification into multiple creative industries using his home, in the L.A. arts district as a hub.
In my younger years, say 15 to 20 years ago, I used to pride myself on being able to name the manufacturer and model of almost any car at a distance. It became a game of sorts driving around with my parents. I used to love cars, much like any young boy.My dad bought me the steering wheel and pedals for the SEGA Saturn along with Daytona USA. I probably genuinely thought I could drive at about 8 or 9. Fast forward to gaining my driving licence and the cold reality of financing the vehicle I wanted obliterating my dreams.
It was a Golf Mk III VR6, I believe. The insurance was a about quadruple the value of the purist example I wanted. From there, my passion slowly turned into simple appreciation for cars and self justification for not really needing one.
So, utmost respect to Magnus for turning his obsession into profitable business, even though that wasn't the aim. Hopefully I get to a point one day where I can craft my own. I think that's why I felt obliged to write something about the film as it resonated with my younger and now, older self.
So I'll leave you with this,
“If you have half an hour, this is pretty great.”
You can watch "Urban Outlaw" below. On a completely unrelated sidenote, I finally watched Kung Fury with my brother the other day. There are no words. Just check it out here. Over 17,000 people contributed on Kickstarter to bring the 80's action comedy to life. The merchandise is superb as well. Anyway, thanks for reading once again.
