|
really
say that in general that I'm a TV Movie kind of guy but this pulls you
right in and keeps you hooked. Well worth a watch.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
The
extras consist of an audio commentary from star Eads and director Badham.
EVEL
KNIEVEL FACT FILE
1938
Robert Craig Knievel is born on Oct. 17, 1938, in Butte, Mont.
1953 The name Evel Knievel comes about when a prison guard joked
that he had local gangsters "Awful Knoffel" and "Evil
Knievel" in his jail at the same time. Knievel likes the sound of
the name "Evil" and adopts it. He later changes the spelling
to Evel to avoid upsetting religious fans.
1965 In attempt to attract locals in Butte, Mont. to his
motorcycle dealership, Knievel jumps and clears a mountain lion but
lands on a box of rattlesnakes.
1968 On Jan. 1 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Knievel clears
the 150-foot-long fountains but crashes on landing, putting him in a
coma for 30 days. Famous footage of the jump was shot by Linda Evans and
John Derek.
1971 On Feb. 28, Knievel sets a world record in Ontario, Calif.,
by jumping 19 cars.
1972 On March 3, Knievel suffers severe injuries from a
motorcycle crash at San Francisco Cow Palace. Also this year, George
Hamilton stars as the famous daredevil in the theatrical film Evel
Knievel, co-starring Sue Lyon.
1973 On Feb. 18 at the L.A. Coliseum, Knievel clears 50 cars
stacked four deep.
1974 On Sept. 20 at Snake River Canyon, Idaho, Knievel attempts
to jump the ravine after watching two rocket ships plunge into the
waters. Knievel's jump fails after his parachute prematurely deploys,
sending him back to the side from which he took off.
1974 Knievel is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and
listed in Who's Who and the Guiness Book of World Records for having
broken 35 bones.
1975 Knievel earns ABC's Wide World of Sports' all-time viewing
audience record, garnering a 52 household share when his Kings Island
Performance is broadcast live.
1976 For the first time, a bystander is also injured during a
Knievel crash when a cameraman is struck, eventually costing him an eye.
1977 Knievel goes Hollywood, playing himself in the theatrical
feature Viva Knievel!, a fictional action picture in which villains
attempt to have the daredevil killed in Mexico so they can use his truck
to smuggle drugs into the United States. Lauren Hutton, Red Buttons,
Leslie Nielsen and Dabney Coleman co-star.
1978 Knievel is credited with re-vitalizing the poorly performing
toy industry in the '70s after Evel Knievel toys, as well as such other
products as pinball machines, bicycles, watches, radios and other
accessory items, draw more than $300 million in sales.
1981 Knievel retires from stunt work after 35 broken bones, 14
surgeries, one coma, countless crashes and one failed crack at Snake
River Canyon. Today, he spends time promoting the work of the
Make-a-Wish Foundation, an organization that arranges the fulfillment of
the dreams of children suffering from terminal illness.
The
factfile is © 2005 Turner Network Television.
|
