“I didn’t realize I had such hatred for these people… All I know is I have a weird desire to make quick right hand turns in my Honda without checking the side-view mirror. Just kidding.”
— Stover E Harger III, staff writer for the PSU Daily Vanguard
Portland State University’s Daily Vanguard newspaper has published a very negative review of the new film, Veer: A documentary film about bicycling culture.
Vanguard staff writer Stover E. Harger III gave the film 1 star out of 5 and wrote that, “it’s really awful”. Harger also wrote that filmmaker Greg Fredette has created “a self-indulgent piece of fluff that plants its feet way too close to its subjects to be anything but clichéd and boring.”
Reading his review, it’s obvious that Mr. Harger III is no fan of some aspects of Portland’s bike culture, or the people who are a part of it. Here’s a snip from his review (emphasis mine):
“Veer…attempts to follow the adventures of those quirky, oft-mustached, bespectacled, weirdly-skinny bikers that populate Portland with the ubiquity of rats in a subway tunnel.
…I didn’t realize I had such hatred for these people until I watched the movie, and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. All I know is I have a weird desire to make quick right hand turns in my Honda without checking the side-view mirror. Just kidding.”
And here’s what Harger thinks about the Veer’s portrayal of some of the Portland bike scene’s more colorful social groups:
“The idea of a bicycle-themed dance troupe, like the Sprockettes, or a bunch of daredevils flying at dangerous speeds down a highway, like the Zoobombers, could be of interest to someone with no previous knowledge of the subjects, but only if they [the filmmakers] really got into what makes these people tick. Instead we are treated to drawn-out, slow-motion scenes of them riding around town, or doing their clunky dances, while we watch and wonder what these people are all about.”
Harger’s review isn’t all harsh criticism. He does write that he wishes Veer would have gone more in-depth on some of the storylines and characters (which he liked, but wanted more of).
I was interested to read Harger’s review because it was clear he sees the bike culture scene in this town from the outside. I’ve been wondering how it would look to someone like him, who does not bring a love for bikes and/or a personal and emotional connection to the stories and and the people in the film (which myself, and many other people in Portland’s bike scene have).
But really, what’s with the hate? And I think he went a bit overboard with the side-view mirror comment.
— Read the full review at DailyVanguard.com.