Circle the Wagen

This is a great movie - "road trip/buddy/docu/dramedy" is a great description because not one category can define it and it has the best elements of all the genres. It has a great hook and a great set-up and then you're along for the ride, on what might as well be a buddy narrative dramedy, but it just happens to be true, which makes it way more moving and way more hilarious! The fact that Dave and Charlie are so accessible and honest and fun, and that the people they meet along the way are so helpful and kind and open, really leaves a sense of nostalgia in your mind for a few days after watching it, of a better time when people took care of their neighbors. And the fact that Charlie - while definitely worthless in terms of car repair - is oh so devilishly good-looking - it's worth a watch just for him alone.

I had a chance to watch this recently and I was thoroughly surprised by this "documentary"

I put that word in quotes because it really didn't play to me like your typical documentary does. This was a very endearing story about a couple of really likable guys who set out to do something rather ambitious yet mundane - drive this VW bus halfway across the United States.

It sounds simple, but it ends up being anything but. This bus - "the croc" is about as close to vehicular death as any vehicle can be. Travelling the shortest of distances down route 66 proves to be an exercise in frustration and futility.

Here's where this movie really sets itself apart. There are much deeper human stories going on here. First you have Dave - the owner of the croc. Dave you find out through family and friends is a very affable, friendly not-so-handy guy with a long history of unfinished business. The act of getting this bus to California ends up being much more than just simple transportation for Dave - it's a very meaningful life journey.

Dave's sidekick on this journey is Charlie, who is part comic relief and part unflinching much needed moral support. Sometimes just seeing Charlie in-frame smoking his pipe is enough to put a smile on your face.

Lastly, something that really shines through here is the connection between people that really restores some faith in humanity and the good will around you. All along this journey Dave, Charlie and the croc are pushed, pulled, disassembled and revived by a brotherhood of VW aficionados and their associates that will amaze you with their generosity and kindness.

You will groan with frustration when the croc sputters and dies...again and again and again. You will cheer when it starts back up again limping Dave and Charlie westward one mile at a time.

I thoroughly enjoyed attending the World Premier of Circle the Wagen at the Route 66 Film Festival. Our classic Camper Bus was part of the impressive line of classic VWs on Central (historic Route 66) in front of the Guild Cinema theater.

Documentaries usually don't entertain me but this film is a refreshing departure from what I expect out of a documentary. Ryan Green did an excellent job taking the viewer along the ups and downs Dave and Charlie lived with the Croc. Being a long time classic VW enthusiast (and therefore also a homegrown mechanic) I wanted to jump into the film to help fix the Croc! Fellow enthusiasts did jump in and fill the need.

My word for this film is "inspirational". I left the theater wanting to revisit and complete every undone project I've ever started. To think they almost didn't complete this film! I'm so glad they did!

How did they get to LA? You'll have to watch it to find out. I will say it wasn't easy but if it were, where would the adventure be?

After speaking with Charlie on the phone regarding reservations, I most definitely wanted to see the film. As my shift at the motel ended 90 minutes before viewing time I wandered over to the theatre to see about getting in. I was one of the lucky ones! Charlie? I was willing to pay for my ticket... Thank you again.

What a wonderful movie! Once I made it back to my computer and logged on to Facebook, I sent a message to my friends asking them if they had the chance to please go to see "Circle the Wagen" and briefly explained what it was all about. Many asked right then and there where it would be shown; so I'm hoping in the not too distant future they will be able to view it. It was so good I'm thinking you guys just might have a future in this movie making stuff.

I attended the premier of Circle the Wagen last weekend during the inaugural Albuquerque Film and Media Experience and I can say without reservation that you will enjoy this film. In addition to providing a glimpse into the untold, unsung and remarkable world of the vintage Volkswagen cult, you have here both a satisfying 'buddy picture' coupled with an amazing, extended road trip. In documentary style, Dave Torstenson and Charlie Pecoraro record every foot of the journey from Tulsa to Santa Monica, much of which takes place on old U.S. 66. For anyone who has ever attempted a cross-country trip in a vintage vehicle, you will recognize all their trials and tribulations (including a hair-raising montage of the road from Kingman to Oatman, Ariz.). One cringes as the next inevitable crisis unfolds. The story is well told with good humor and a decided lack of the ear-banging and fast cutting that plague most current films. The hand of a skillful editor is apparent in the production. Circle the Wagen also features some brilliant animation slightly reminiscent of Monty Python. This is first class stuff and given the tight budget and that this is a first effort, it is something of a minor miracle. I don't know of any definite distribution plans, but should you have the opportunity to see Circle the Wagen, do it.