Chase_Witherspoon

Uneven but mostly lighthearted parody of the biker film genre as a flamboyant group of himbos don leathers and become sidehackers on their merry way to an LA trans ball, encountering everyday prejudice and an outlaw motorcycle gang along the way.

Prolific exploitation film actor Alderman plays the enigmatic leader, whilst equally prodigious B-movie actor Pataki leads the opposing gang whose disdain for 'bananas' ('you know, cupcakes' as he helpfully explains to a clueless concierge) becomes homicidal when his fragile sense of manhood is threatened.

The capable cast also features future 'Grizzly Adams' Haggerty playing one of Pataki's brawny crew, and there's a vague subplot with Mitchell as a bumbling General that seems to represent the ultra conservative establishment and their heavy-handed attempts to suppress liberal expression.

Witty dialogue ('two cold drinks please, just something stiff and stimulating for Arnie's throat') woven into a cheap and inoffensive counter-culture statement that doesn't take itself seriously, but will likely be too unstructured and satirical for mainstream audiences which is a shame, because it's well-acted and well-intentioned despite obvious technical limitations.

Overlong Canadian slasher film doubles as a psychological thriller with edgy teen Anderson under psychiatrist Ford's care, trying to recall repressed memories which may help explain the recent disappearances of her friends.

Fresh off the wholesome prairie, Anderson leaps into the sordid slasher genre, suitably anxious as the conflicted teenager who can't (or perhaps won't) recall her tragic past, and although her role is small, Acker is a highlight playing her now deceased mother in the frenetic flashbacks.

Big name Ford seems withdrawn in an uncharacteristic setting, sympathetic toward Anderson's character but his stilted delivery feels quite detached at times, perhaps a post-sync issue or genuine disinterest in the film.

A few gruesome character endings, some quite novel, but the film really needs those shears taken to itself; 15-minutes worth of cutting could've delivered a more efficient flick without sacrificing any of the essential plot which is really quite basic in spite of its epic near two hour duration. Mysterious it is, gripping it is not.

Disbelief aside, whilst surprising, it probably won't be the ending many audiences will welcome, and overall despite being helmed by a proven auteur (Thompson) this rather cliched slasher isn't at his usual cinematic standard. Mildly entertaining but considering the inherent potential, it's mostly a disappointment.

Beatnik version of 'Compulsion' co-stars Falk playing a riddle-speaking philosopher and drug dealer who gets the idea to murder someone - anyone - for kicks.

In his second picture, Falk cultivates a calm, calculating mafia-esque persona with a psychopathic streak, more than a hint of things to come in a subsequently long and illustrious career.

Despite Falk's masterclass, it's Jack Betts who stars as a grieving brother obsessed with finding a killer(s), whilst Lord (future mother to Patrick Warburton) is the wayward production assistant who befriends then agrees to help him entrap the culprits.

Compact, tense and well-acted Canadian noir exaggerates lyrical dialogue - 'why don't you cut out man' - and also cuts a few plot corners in an economical 65 minutes resulting in a satisfying crime-thriller that's entertaining in spite of its austerity and a must-see for Columbo fans.