Low Grade Savages

 

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SAVAGES FROM HELL-1968-In some small town, Marco (Diwaldo Myers) and his sister Teresa (Vi Lloyd) are migrant workers with their parents. They don't like the work so Marco gets a job as a mechanic. Teresa likes to hang around the gas station and meets High Test (William P. Kelly), the leader of a gang of bikers who she thinks is wonderful but he's just a dirty asshole in a jaguar vest. When he finds his girlfriend Lucy (Bobbie Byers) coming on to gas attendant Reuben (Cyril Poitier) a fight ensues which Marco breaks up. The next day High Test takes Teresa to the dune buggy races but she spurns his advances and Marco winds up slugging him. High Test vows revenge. Later he kidnaps Teresa and shoots Lucy. Mortally wounded, Lucy leads Marco & Reuben to the hideout where after a couple of fights, Teresa is rescued and Lucy runs High Test down before dying. Terrible acting.

Director Joseph G. Prieto made FIREBALL JUNGLE the same year. One of the screenwriters was K. Gordon Murray. Cyril Poitier was the lesser-known older brother of Sidney.

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"Gabriel, can't you see we're menacing somebody?"

 

 (wkipedia)

CHROME AND HOT LEATHER-1971-Casey (Michael Hayes), a member of The Wizards motorcycle gang led by TJ (William Smith) kills the finance of Green Beret Mitch (Tony Young). To get revenge Mitch recruits his army buddies (including Marvin Gaye) to hunt down the gang. Mitch tries to infiltrate the gang but is found out. Fortunately his buddies save him. Later while TJ and Casey fight for the gang leadership the Berets attack. After the gang gets its ass kicked TJ is forced to finger Casey as the culprit and they all go to jail. Big band singer Herb Jeffries is a bartender. Bobby "Boris" Pickett is Sweet Willy. 

Director Lee Frost was a force in exploitation films in the 60's and '70's (MUNDO BIZARRO, THE ANIMAL, LOVE CAMP 7) but the next year made the notorious THE THING WITH TWO HEADS. Co-star Michael Hayes co-wrote the script and was also a stuntman in many movies. This is one of two movies singer Marvin Gaye appeared in. The other was a TV movie in 1969 called THE BALLAD OF ANDY CROCKER.

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Not Bad For A TV Movie

GARGOYLES-1972-Dr. Boley (Cornell Wilde) and his daughter Diana (Jenifer Salt) visit an old desert rat named Uncle Willie (Woody Chambliss) who has an unusual skeleton of what he says is a demon from a local Indian tribe. While interviewing Willie, they are attacked by something with claws that kills Willie and sets the place on fire. The father and daughter escape (with the skull) but one of the creatures attacks their car. They stay at a hotel owned by the boozy Mrs. Parks (Grayson Hall). The local sheriff blames some bikers but Boley tries to convince him otherwise. Later some gargoyles invade the hotel and one is hit and killed by a truck. Boley wants to take the dead creature back to LA but the gargoyle leader (Bernie Casey) wants it back. They re-invade to get the body and kidnap Diana too. With the help of the police (including Scott Glen), the bikers and some dogs, Boley infiltrates the lair, saves Diana and ruins the gargoyles' plan for world dominance. 

Director Bill Norton directed this above average TV horror movie after making his debut earlier with CISCO PIKE. He made some other mainstream films like MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI and BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND but later went back to making TV movies.

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Bikers

THE REBEL ROUSERS-1970-Strange biker film with Bruce Dern as JJ Weston, the philosophical leader of a weird motorcycle gang which includes Bunny (Jack Nicholson decked out in wool hat and striped pants), the seemingly out of place Halverson (Harry Dean Stanton) and (phony) Mexican Miguel (Robert Dix). Weston meets his old high school buddy Paul Collier (Cameron Mitchell) now an architect who's having problems with his pregnant girlfriend Karen (Diane Ladd who was married to Dern at the time). They smoke pot and talk about abortion and marriage. Eventually she's kidnapped by the gang. Paul is beaten up and escapes but no one in town will help him except some Mexican migrant workers. Weston and Bunny wind up having a knife fight. 

Many people who worked with Al Adamson contributed to this Paragon Entertainment Pictures production. It's also the only movie directed by Martin B. Cohen who years later provided the story for and produced HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP. He was the executive producer of Adamson's BLOOD FROM DRACULA'S CASTLE the year before.

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I Don't Need Your Rules or Your Uniform,Man!

HELL'S ANGELS ON WHEELS-1967-A recently fired gas station attendant named Poet (Jack Nicolson) gets in with the LA branch of The Hell's Angels when his motorcycle's headlight is busted by one of the bikers. In a bar he helps them beat up another gang. He hangs out with them and takes a shine to Shill the "old lady" (Sabrina Scharf; later in EASY RIDER) of their leader Buddy (Adam Rourke). Some sailors beat him up at a carnival. After the Angels get revenge on the sailors the whole gang has a drug and sex party. When the cops come the spray the room to eliminate the grass aroma and cry harassment. Later they have a weird wedding ceremony at a church where Bruno VeSoto is the pastor. They also tangle with some frat boys (led by future director John "Bud" Cardos) and act mostly like drop-out hippies than an actual motorcycle gang. A falling out between Poet and the leader spells the end of Poet's membership and a firery crash caps the end of the movie. Real life Angels (including leader Sonny Barger) play themselves.

WHEELS is a dated but amusing biker film with lots of guys saying "man". Not much really happens but it should make you laugh!

In addition to Bud Cardos (and Nicolson) WHEELS features three other future directors Jack Starrett, Gary, Bob Kelljan and (unbilled) Gary Kent, who was also did stunts. The same year Nicolson had a bit role in THE ST. VALENTINE'S MASSACRE and was on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW twice!

In 1968 director Richard Rush made PSYCH-OUT with Nicolson but since then he's only made 6 films.

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Fung!

SHOWDOWN-1993-Some bikers beat up some drug dealers and take their stash. The Mayor assigns police captain/martial arts teacher James Long (producer/writer/director Leo Fung) to do something about it. After a botched up stakeout where an undercover officer is killed Long vows revenge against the crime boss Kincade (top billed Werner Hoetzinger). The bikers invade the small town of Sanctuary, a haven for retired gangsters where Richard Lynch is "The Commander". When an ex-mobster (Frank Marth) who recently reunited with his daughter Mickey (Michelle McCormick) is blow up by the gang The Commander calls in Long to "terminate" their leader, the weird looking kind of effeminate Kincade. (Long doesn't seem surprised when on hearing this) Long beats up three bikers and kills two of them. Later a black female gas station attendant beats up half of the gang! Things really hit a wall when one of the ex-mobsters sings at a seniors meeting. Mickey beats up a biker chick but is later taken captive. Long rescues her while beating up guys much bigger than him. Later Long uses a rocket launcher and teams up with The Commander to wipe out the gangs but Kincade escapes and the story suddenly shifts to micro-chips and 2 comedic smugglers. One of them beats down Long but he gets up, gets in his car and follows them like nothing happened! I thought this movie would never end but Long finally beats up Kincade and arrests him.

Troy Donahue appears in one scene at the beginning. The direction, editing and acting in this is martial arts action drama are all sub-par but it was cool to see Lynch in a cowboy hat. Werner Hoetzinger was a set dresser for some movies and TV shows. Thank the lord this was his only acting role! Sometimes confused with the Billy Blanks movie of the same name (made the same year).

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The Bad Penny Finally Turns Up!

THE HELLCATS-1968-When a police detective investigating a drug dealing motorcycle gang is murdered, his fiance' Linda (Dee Duffy) and soldier brother Monte (Ross Hagen, a regular on TV's DAKTARI at the time) infiltrate The Hellcats, a bunch of weird drug using bikers with names like Six Pack, Hiney, Snake, Zombie and Scorpio. Their kind of leader is Snake (Sonny West). Linda and Monte hang out with the stoned gang and drink beer at a place run by an old man (Fredric Downs). Sometimes everyone talks in a strange incomprehensible slang. Snake and another guy have a chain fight. Monte breaks it up saying "Peace brothers. No more war...yet". Later Monte and Linda are roughed up by the dealers but it's scummy dirtbag bikers to the rescue!

There's a lot of bad acting, boredom and people riding motorcycles...and not much else. Future director Gus Trikonis is in one scene. One of THE HELLCATS producers was Anthony Cardoza (who worked on Coleman Francis' 3 movies) who appears as an artist who gets beat up. Co-writer/assistant director Tony Huston co-starred in 3 Larry Buchanan movies! Director Robert F. Slatzer (who made BIGFOOT in 1970) is Mr. Adrian, a drug dealer.

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Savage Seven

THE SAVAGE SEVEN-AIP-(1968)-How good could a 60's biker flick produced by Dick Clark be? Well...not bad actually! Adam Roarke is Kisum, the leader of a violent beer drinking, pot smoking motorcycle gang that invades a town of impoverished American Indians (led by Robert Walker Jr. and Max Julien!).

At first they cause a lot of trouble but later on decide to help out against the town boss and his underlings. Things go their way pretty much until a local girl is raped and killed. After the suspected gang member is crucified by some locals The Bikers attack for an allegorical (sometimes unintentionally funny) "cowboys vs. indians" style battle until the real kiler is exposed!

THE SAVAGE SEVEN's director Richard Rush had made another biker movie HELL'S ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967) which starred Roarke (and Jack Nicholson) and several other SAVAGE SEVEN actors: Richard Anders, John Garwood and John "Bud" Carlos. He also made the bizarre PSYCH-OUT (with Julien, Roarke and Nicholson).

After this Rush's output slowed down considerablely. He made only 5 movies between 1970-2000. His most well known film THE STUNTMAN was plagued with trouble.

THE SAVAGE SEVEN also marked the screen debut of Penny Marshall. The soundtrack features songs by Iron Butterfly and Cream.

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