New Digitization: John Carney’s Black Jackets and Choppers

Posted February 1st, 2022 in Announcements, New Acquisitions, New Digital Files, News / Events

Now available from Canyon Cinema: A new digitization of John Carney’s documentary cult film, Black Jackets and Choppers.

Black Jackets and Choppers (1978, 25 minutes, color sound, digital file or 16mm or DVD)

John Carney and Gary Partlow got together one day in the mid-70s and decided to make a documentary about Gary building his motorcycle. John at that time was attending the San Francisco Art Institute. Partlow had been riding his HD Sportster for a while and wanted to give his bike a new look. This resulted in a complete teardown and rebuild with a new hand-built frame and fresh motor. This chance meeting was just the beginning of something much bigger. It kick-started a wave of excitement and with the help of his brother, “Late” Lonnie, bike riders all through the West came forward with stories and opinions about motorcycle culture.