By Gregory Crofton
It’s not too hard to dislike Johnny Knoxville. He made a bunch of money doing stupid, dangerous stunts on TV, and a lot of women think he’s cute.
Put all of that aside when you watch “BEING EVEL” (2015), a documentary that’s streaming on Amazon Prime. Knoxville is a host of sorts for the film, and he produced it, which means he helped make it happen. But Knoxille isn’t the point here and he stays enough out of the way.
It’s Evel Knievel, the coolest and bravest, yet most Trump-like superhero America has ever known, who is centerstage, where, of course he would want to be. Just like our president, Knievel was a dangerous mix of bluster and stupidity.
Thankfully this doc includes a complete picture of Knievel, showing his dark, big-ole-jerk side, as well as providing a complete historical record of his motorcycle stunts, some of which put in him in the hospital.
The film, replete with a fantastic collection of archival footage, emphatically and rightfully points out Knievel’s meteoric impact on American culture, especially on world of extreme sports.
You can watch the trailer below, and learn more about the film here.