Biker flicks

August 7, 2008

HELL RIDE, Larry Bishop’s homage to 1960s biker movies, is released this weekend (Produced by Quentin Tarantino, and in effect another GRINDHOUSE movie).

It made me curious which of those 1960s biker movies are available on DVD. This isn’t a definitive list, but it’s got a lot of the highlights.

American International Pictures was ground zero for biker movies:

THE WILD ANGELS (1966), directed by Roger Corman, with Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, and Bruce Dern (Amazon).

DEVIL’S ANGELS (1967), With John Cassavetes. Apparently not on DVD (IMDB).

THE BORN LOSERS (1967), Directed by Tom Laughlin. The first Billy Jack movie (Amazon).

THE GLORY STOMPERS (1968). With Dennis Hopper and Casey Kasem! Apparently not on DVD (IMDB).

THE MINI-SKIRT MOB (1968). Women bikers. With Sherry Jackson (who was a sexy android on the original STAR TREK), and Harry Dean Stanton (Amazon).

ANGELS FROM HELL (1968). Apparently not on DVD (IMDB).

THE SAVAGE SEVEN (1968), with Larry Bishop. Penny Marshall’s film debut. Apparently not on DVD (IMDB).

HELL’S ANGELS ‘69 (1969). Some of the cast are real Hell’s Angels (Amazon).

ANGELS UNCHAINED (1970), with Larry Bishop, and Tyne Daly (Amazon).

HELL’S BELLES (1970). More women bikers (Amazon)!

CHROME AND HOT LEATHER (1971) with Larry Bishop, Erik Estrada, Marvin Gaye (in one of only two acting roles), and Cheryl Ladd’s first film (Amazon).

Other biker pictures, not from American International Pictures:

HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967). With Jack Nicholson (Amazon).

RUN, ANGEL, RUN (1969). (Amazon).

THE CYCLE SAVAGES (1969), Bruce Dern, and Casey Kasem again (Amazon)!

EASY RIDER (1969) with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson (Amazon). Definitely the best movie in this list.

HELL’S BLOODY DEVILS (1970). (Amazon).

KNIGHTRIDERS (1981). Strange George Romero film where a traveling carnival of motorcycle-jousters (Think Medieval Times restaurant with bikers) does a King Arthur and the Knights of Camelot themed-show and start to emulate the characters they play (Amazon).

Of course, there’s the post-apocalyptic biker gangs of MAD MAX and THE ROAD WARRIOR.

And, as for comedic motorcycle gangs, there was the bumbling “Ratz and Mice” motorcycle gang, led by Eric Von Zipper, which tried to hassle Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in the Beach Party movies. And the inept “Black Widows” biker gang, led by Cholla, in the Clint Eastwood orangutan movies (EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE and ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN).
Ratz and Mice!