Search - Red Light Go on DVD

Exceedinly well done independant documentary...

J. Heil | Sandpoint, ID USA | 06/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Big cities have a vibe. Sometimes the vibe is the people and sometimes it's the inanimate feeling of its buildings, streets and parks. NYC is both. Red Light Go captures a microcosm of NYC by profiling the people who move envelopes and packages from one side of the city to the other on a bicycle. Bicycle messengers have a mystique unlike any other. They are admired by some and reviled by others. Red Light Go captures this beautifully. In up close and personal interviews with several messengers we learn what makes them tick and how they feel about the challenges they face day to day. It also captures their love of a transportation option for many of us: the bicycle. Yac, Mike Dee, Amy and Squid live their life exactly the way they want, in their city and on their terms. Even if you aren't a bicycle fanatic you will like this movie. Picture a bicycle race on the streets of NYC at evening rush hour with messengers having to ride back and forth across the city six times competing to be first on streets filled with traffic. This is one of several messenger races captured in Red Light Go. It also captures the simplicity of what many of us do five days a week. Work. This independent documentary shares the spirit of NYC and some of the unique people who give it life. Well done with crisp editing. Who needs special effects. Just watch a messenger ride between a transit bus and taxi with inches to spare. I've watched this several times already and have shared with many others. It's that good."

Entertaining and well executed documentary!

Brendan A. MacWade | New York, NY, USA | 11/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This documentary is a good example of how to assemble a documentary professionally, and use editing to bring the narrative to a thrilling and entertaiing finish. Errol Morris is the master documentary filmmaker of our time, but anyone who makes them has to figure out a way to bring the narrative to a close, rahter than leave it hanging. This is the most entertaining documentary I've seen this year. It focuses on bike messengers in NYC and the allycat races they put on throughout each year. It is a detailed look into their culture, and gives them a face and identity. Messengers take risks and sometimes have injured pedestrians. This documentary does not try to apologize for that. It is a chance for the messengers to tell their stories and express themselves, and tell the audience how they want to be accepted and appreciated. I actually see them in a whole new light thanks to this DVD. And the final act explaining the annual Haloween race, and the legendary daredevil Evil E, is thrilling and provides the perfect finale for this film. Shot and edited over 3 years, Red Light Go is a worthy addition to any documentary collection. It is unrated, and contains mild profanity. But teenagers and adults alike who are either into extreme sports or curious about the lives of messengers should see this."

Courier Rat Races

D. Bickerstaff | Glasgow, Scotland | 09/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Red Light Go! is the engaging tale of cycle couriers in New York and how they organise alley cat races. Alley cat races are cycle races across an urban environment. It focuses on the riders rather than the action and is all the better for it.

One of the best documentaries I've seen in years, well made and with a real empathy for its subject.

It did make me want to buy a fixie (fixed wheel bike) so beware"