| by Bel | 7.41am NZ time |

A film that you wish you had seen in theaters

I am fortunate that I have seen a lot of the films I love in the cinema - and many classics which deserve the big screen treatment. With all the developments in 'home theatre' recently, you still can't convince me that there isn't something magical about that shared experience of sitting in a dim room together.

By example, I have seen A Streetcar Named Desire twice at the cinema! First time was in France, when I was a teenager. We went as a school trip for my English class and it was subtitled.

Other than the film itself, there are two things I remember clearly: 1) our teacher bumming a smoke off a student afterwards, when there was a mass exodus to quickly go and light up on the footpath, and 2) having to try and explain to my classmates that Blanche is raped by Stanley off screen.

More recently, the glorious Embassy cinema here in Wellington screened a lovely looking 35mm print. I went on my own, sitting in the cushy premium seating and loved every minute of it!

Ok, but what is a film I wish I had seen in the cinema? It's Star Trek, a film I mentioned way back at the start of this '30 days'.

And my main reason is because I chose to see that godawful Terminator Salvation instead. Gahhhhh.

To think that the torment of sitting through that P.O.S. movie could have instead been the gleeful experience of seeing Star Trek for the first time! Woe!

Posted by Bel. The time is 12:36pm here in Wellington, NZ.

In 1916, sisters Augusta and Adeline Van Buren rode their motorcycles from the east to west coast of America. Frustrated that they were not permitted to be part of the armed forces in the build up to World War I, they used this epic journey (on what would now be considered ramshackle equipment) to demonstrate their willingness and ability to be involved.

It was just the public opinion that they had to work against. They were actually arrested on more than one occasion - because they were wearing "men's clothing", the leathers most suitable for this kind of arduous long journey, on roads that were not yet the super highways now common in the States.

You can read about the Van Buren sisters in more detail here.

This story appeals to me on so many levels. I love their determination and their feminist attitude (wanting both sexes to be treated equally). Their plan to carry out action and achieve change as a result brings to mind other inspirational women such as Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhart.

Also, my family are a bunch of motorbike hoons from way back. As a child, my parents often teasingly bemoaned my presence on this earth and how it prevented them from continuing their carefree jaunts on hulking Japanese roadbikes which apparently were a near daily occurrence before the restraints of parenting came along. *rolls eyes*

This is photo of my great uncle, taken in the 1940s. (My mum calls this the 'Che Guevara photo'.)

Conversely he, and his brother, my grandfather, were conscientious objectors, who did hard labour for their pacifist views.

Motorbikes are often a symbol of freedom and rebellion, used iconicly in films such as The Wild One starring Marlon Brando and Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (who also directed. Who knew). For me though, the gloss has worn off - mainly thanks to my cousin who broke his leg in six places coming off his dirt bike. Six places, people. Count it out on your leg. Uggh.

And here endth my rambling vaguely interconnected post. Oh wait - maybe a photo of Brando, just for good measure:

***Addition by Lou***

I love Easy Rider and think Peter Fonda is unspeakably sexy in it, so am adding this piccie: