Hell's Angels '69

I'd watch "Hell's Angels 69" a hundred times before I'd watch "Easy Rider" again. If you are tired of stoner biker movies where essentially nothing happens other than perhaps several pretentious ego trips, then skip "The Wild Angels", and come along for a ride with the real deal, "Hell's Angels 69". This is a film that actually has a plot, infiltrating a biker gang to pull off a casino heist, while leaving the bikers holding the bag. Things don't exactly go as planned, ending with a desert chase on dirt bikes, and a final showdown. Sonny Barger and his authentic cycle gang buddies deliver realistic performances not found in other biker films. Recommended of it's type. - MERK

Two brothers have a plan on how to rob the Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas.

They join a motorcycle gang and while the others are drinking and partying outside of town, they change their clothes and head off to rob the casino.

Of course, the police do not look for two well dressed criminals among the Hell's Angels.

Not a fan of this genre, but this is actually a good little movie with real Hell's Angels.

Interesting to take a look back at Las Vegas in the 60s too.

This movie starts off inauspiciously with a "jet setter" party featuring the tackiest collection of faux 60s hipsters ever assembled in one room. The men's costumes are especially hideous, the kind of embarrassingly cheesy duds sported by clueless weekend hippies.

Luckily this scene gives way to a cool atmospheric sequence as the two main characters ditch their creepy threads for biker cuts and zip off down a misty highway on two gorgeous choppers.

Soon the real stars enter the picture - dozens of genuine Hells Angels from seven California chapters riding in a massive slithering serpentine formation. The camera work is outstanding and the sound crew captured the raw thunder of the big bore Harleys, rendering an incredible close-up experience of an outlaw biker run.

The spirit of the Angels is captured in all its maniacal glory when they blast down sidewalks at high speed, play reckless road games, stunt ride and roughhouse.

The pack narrows down to the infamous Oakland chapter in their clubhouse, headed up by Sonny Barger and a dozen of the most legendary Angels of all time, in their prime.

The Angels pull off their acting duties ably and the three main (non-Angel) actors ride and act impressively. Also on board is GD Spradlin, who played the CIA wonk in Apocalypse Now - just as tightly wound here as a Sheriff laying down the law in Sonny's cocky face.

If you're into biker movies this one deserves a place high on your list.

This movie begins with two brothers by the name of "Chuck" (Tom Stern) and "Wes" (Jeremy Slate) who mysteriously decide to head out west in order to meet the Oakland branch of the Hell's Angels. Donning a jacket with their own motorcycle club logo they manage to partially ingratiate themselves with the group and then proceed to coerce them into riding to Las Vegas. What the Hell's Angels don't realize is that these two brothers have a secret plan which carries a great amount of risk for all concerned. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie I will just say that it had a bit more mystery than most "biker films" out there and tended to get better as the movie progressed. Admittedly, the acting wasn't exactly top-notch but even so it was adequate enough. Likewise, there were a couple of scenes toward the end which seemed a bit too unbelievable but that's typical of Hollywood I suppose. In any case, I thought that this was a solid biker movie and because of that I rate it as about average.

"Hell's Angels '69" takes the premise of "The Thomas Crown Affair" and re-tools it as a biker flick. It's a clever idea, and "Hell's Angels '69" is better than most biker flicks from this period, with a bit more story, character development and subtext. Unfortunately, it's still not much of a movie.

The movie's first misstep is revealing its hand from the beginning: Tom Stern and Jeremy Slate are crooks, not "real" bikers. Knowing this from the get-go removes an element of mystery, and the story might have been a bit more interesting had this fact been revealed later. Then again, the moment Stern and Slate hook up with the Hell's Angels -- featuring actual members of the notorious biker gang -- it's obvious they're not the rough n' tough bikers they claim to be. A big tip off: Slate asks the gang's sole "old lady," Conny Van Dyke, if she's ever considered settling down, getting married and raising children. Van Dyke is too clean-cut looking to really pass as a jaded biker chick (she looks much more at home in the powder blue dress and low-heeled pumps she dons later in the movie), but since that's the role she's playing one would assume she'd become suspicious when Slate starts talking like a high school guidance counselor. Apparently, these Angels were so impressed by Stern and Slate's bike tricks ("Watch this!") they're willing to overlook the guys' square tendencies.

Another misstep -- and one I'm surprised was allowed to happen -- is featuring real Hell's Angels and sanitizing them. In this movie, the gang just likes drinking Olys, riding their choppers and perpetrating vandalism, pretty much in that order. The guys get nasty in the final act, but for much of the movie they're presented as nothing more than 1950s juvenile delinquents with beards and a fondness for Nazi memorabilia.

Finally, "Hell's Angels '69" makes the same mistake of almost all biker movies: overestimating the entertainment value of guys riding bikes. You get plenty of footage of the gang riding down two-lane highways, riding through Vegas, riding through the desert, and, of course, riding through town while frightened squares look on. Yeah, they're bikers, we get it, but a little goes a long way, and it makes "Hell's Angels '69" go on a little too long.