THE ROBERTSON TREATMENT VOL 6.4: Reggie "Rock" Bythewood - Expanding Horizons in Cinema
Reggie "Rock" Bythewood
(Feb. 4, 2003) Reggie "Rock" Bythewood makes his feature film directing debut in the Dreamworks release "Biker Boyz." Revered as an action-packed contemporary Western, Bythewood invites audiences to take a ride on the wild side while getting a sneak peek into the underground world black motorcycle clubs. The veteran television writer began his career writing for the hit sitcom and "Cosby Show" spin off, "A Different World." From that point on, things were on the up and up for this screenwriting maverick, whose writing credits include: Pike Lee's "Get on the Bus," and "Dancing in September."
Adamant on telling the story that he wanted without the hassle of answering to the expectations of others, Bythewood began researching the subculture of black biker enthusiasts, a phenomenon that was truly new to him. "I was emotionally attached this story," mentions Bythewood of the film "Biker Boys." The film is based on the now defunct New Times Los Angeles article of the same name penned by journalist Michael Gougis. Set against an urban backdrop, Bythewood along with a stellar cast brought the project to fruition.
In the film we meet Smoke, the fictional King of Cali bad boy of the streets. The question surrounding this character is does he still have what it takes to be the King of Cali? In comes Kid - a cocky young man whose father was killed in a bike related accident right before his eyes. In an effort to uphold the legacy of his father, Kid decides to overthrow the King of Cali. Armed with a heart of steel and a fearless spirit Kid creates his own biker club sans Smoke and calls them the Biker Boyz. Full of amazing stunts, heart pounding action, and hard-hitting drama Bythewood hit the head right on the nose with this film.
"I didn't want this to be a visual effects film where Laurence Fishburne and Derek Luke would sit on a bike in front of a green screen pretending to ride," says Bythewood of the film. In staying true to the game, Bythewood made it a point to train all of the actors how to ride a motorcycle. In retrosect, Bythewood readily admits that working on an action film of this caliber was no easy feat. "It was hard because it meant that we really had to get out there an do it," mentions Bythewood. "There were times that I was like 'God I can't believe I'm not using a green screen' but at the same time it was all so exhilarating," adds the enthusiastic director.
Creativity was the key to bringing Bythewood's vision of "Biker Boyz" to fruition. He did not want to do an action film that was just another film that had action and attitude. Instead the director, wanted to do something that was action-packed but also had a strong storyline with a sense of emotion, which is one of the reasons why he hired the cast that he did. The cast, although primarily African American, is a combination of the best of actors ranging from Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Eric LaSalle, and Larenz Tate, to Kid Rock, Orlando Jones, Lisa Bonet, Djimon Hounsou and newcomer Derek Luke. A truly amazing project, Bythewood maintained the following as his mantra while working, "I figured when making a film like this you need to get everybody into the action, get their mouths open, then BOOM.hit them with some truth," says the director. Needless to point out, that is exactly what Bythewood does for audiences. The truth in which he is referring to here is two-fold: first, it is the fact that blacks are avid bike enthusiasts and participate in much of the same activities white individuals engage in. Second, black action films are of interest to all audiences worldwide.
Despite his highly anticipated feature film debut ("Biker Boyz"), the director maintains that he still has tons of stories that he wants to tell, but keeps it real with why his current film is so important. "What's really important is that this kid comes into his manhood, and comes into his own," says Bythewood of the storyline. An amazing film with kick-ass action sequences followed by a dramatic twist, "Biker Boyz" is a film that audiences can not afford to miss! - Angee Fielder
Hybrid Mode
