Being Evel

For over two decades, Evel Knievel, America's best-known daredevil, captivated the American imagination. To say he was a maverick sports icon of the 1970s does not begin to do him justice. Knievel performed over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps and one failed attempt to fly over the Snake River gorge in a steam powered rocket. Wikipedia lists he broke at least 433 bones, earning him a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records in that category. To put it plainly, Knievel was a crazed entertainer who made a lucrative living out of looking death in the eye. It is difficult to say what contributed more to his fame - multitudes of jumps across buses or showmanship a 'la Elvis and Houdini. Director Daniel Junge builds an emotional and controversy-filled biography using the memories of people from Knievel's closest circles, illustrated with fascinating archive footage edited by Davis Coombe in veritable rock 'n roll rhythm.