From: mbkomor@anableps.berkeley.edu (M. Beth Komor)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.mike-jittlov,rec.bicycles,alt.cult-movies
Subject: Re: WIZARD's "Up-Hill Biking" - the TRUTH
Followup-To: alt.fan.mike-jittlov
Date: 15 Sep 1992 09:38:38 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: anableps.berkeley.edu
Summary: The Truth...Examined
Keywords: bicycle, wizard, movie, effects, the truth

In article <jittlov.716462720@gumby.cs.caltech.edu> jittlov@gumby.cs.caltech.edu (Mike Jittlov) writes:
>Re-Re:  The Amazing Hill-Climbing Bike Scene in
>        "THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME" feature
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Okay, okay, AWRIGHT!  *LEO S. SCHWAB WINS!!*  HE WAS RIGHT!!!!
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Below is a corrected schematic of the Biking-Up-the-Hill Scene
>     (The previous diagram had a slight angular askewity)
>
>\
> \
>  \
>   \                         *                   e    _gggggag 
>    \               ....... _$v                #@W    -MMMMMMM
>big  \______________________O>O________________/\H_____HHHHHHH
>hill  axle-kill          mj biking           camera    gawkers
>
>
>The preceding post #858 was indeed the *OFFICIAL* Explanation.

...and like most "official explanations" it leaves *some* things unexplained.
For instance, in the glyph depicting the camera, which character represents
the Wiz-rat totem-mascot? -it's difficult to tell just from looking at the
picture. ...and What's That Jumpy-Spider Doing On Top Of Your Head? -I don't
remember seeing it in the film!

>NOTE 3:  The close-up of "Ego" on the bike-front was a hold-over
>from an edited-out pun.  After Mike bikes up the driveway and
>*larf-larf* crashes into his garage, he exits and exclaims: "The
>Ego has landed".  [You can save a movie through editing, y'know.]
                                                                               
Oh, wow! -here all the time I was thinking the sequential shots showing "ego"  
& then the "Trek" logo were the pun: "Ego Trek" (you called it one, on your    
own, as you'll recall). Was I seeing things? (eraseeraseerase...don't answer   
that -*ANY* OF YOU!:) )                                                        
                                                                               
>NOTE 4:  Also seen on the Wiz-bike is my desperation-invention -
>a cuff-guard, which fits against the front gear, so that my
>fashion-rare bell-bottoms wouldn't get snagged in the open chain.
>Lot more effective than cuff-clips - I'm surprised that/if no one
>else has thought of the idea.
                                                                               
Fortunately for *you*, I think you've sufficient proof of prior invention  
so probably your rights to same could be protected.          

>NOTE 5:  I am now *selling* this fabulous, one-of-a-kind bicycle
>and working prop from a world-acclaimed movie [teardrop here :~<]
>- hence this cross-posting in rec.bicycles!  Made in `Merica, the
>WIZ-bike pre-dates Pee Wee Herman's bike by two years, and it can
>be Yours for just $600 cash (minus magnetic U-coils, forcefield,
>and cuff-guard)!  [email for details]

Brian Lucas: "Mike, why are these marked so low?" --<now I feel really bad
about our escalating phone bills>

 
-Meriday Beth


mbkomor@mica.berkeley.edu
<who has only just now figured out the Freudian meaning 
of having a jumpy-spider on top of yer haid>