Angels from Hell

In 2015, it's a bit hard to imagine that evil biker flicks were so popular in the late 1960s. Although the films seem incredibly naive and silly today, at the time they were box office gold for American International--a studio specializing in cheap and trashy drive-in fare. But the films were wildly successful despite their many shortcomings.

Unlike many of the biker films which starred the likes of Joe Naimath or Peter Fonda, this one stars a relative unknown. Tom Stern stars as Mike--a newcomer to town who soon becomes the leader of the Madcaps biker gang after he breaks the leg of their old leader. Now with a taste of power, Mike becomes a bit of a megalomaniac--feeling invincible and drunk with power. So, when his gang goes too far, he does little to reign them in and it's soon war with the local police. And, when 'Nutty' murders a girl, instead of turning this psychopath in, Mike covers up the killing and continues to think he can do pretty much what he wants. What's next for Mike and the out of control and rather stupid gang?

So is this film any good? Well, yes and no. Compared to many other biker films it's a bit better---with a bit more realism and a great ending. But it's also very low-brow and not exactly a must-see film! Not terrible overall despite the title.

Tom Stern plays a Viet-Nam veteran who comes home with the dream of forming the most powerful biker gang around. His "wild bunch" consists of such immortals as Smiley, Nutty Norman, Tiny Tim, and Angry Annie. Turns out most of the cast are real bikers and their performances steal the show from the real actors.

Stern however reminds one of a young Nick Adams or Steve McQueen. He doesn't overplay his role; just giving it the sharp edge it needs to be realistic. His anger is a product of his war experiences and his frustrations are those of a man who is powerless to control the events happening around him. For a "minor" film, Stern does an outstanding job. It makes you wonder why this talented actor/director never made it to super-stardom.

AIP does what it does best, exploitation of stereotypes. Good fun though with the real bikers being used. The real actors aren't as good as them. Incredibly terrible soundtrack.

(1968) Angels From Hell CRIME DRAMA

It opens with motorcycle bike rider, Mike Connery (Tom Stern) beating up a couple of racists who ganged up to beat up a young African American man wanting to use the washroom. And by the time he helps to carry him out, is when other African American guys riding motor bikes show up. After this was done, he then rides away to meet up with his former bike gang group "Madcaps" hanging out in a bar. And we find out Mike had just returned from serving in the military, and decides he want to upstart his own gang again. Except that the Madcaps have a current leader already, Big George to whom Mike has never met before. Big George then challenges him to a fight since he knows Mike has a long history with majority of the members, and wants to prove he is worthy. Once Mike takes over the Madcap group the movie then flips back and forth between righteous and chaos. It was routine until there was a single moment it became interesting is when two low ball cops became judge and jury and breaking the law themselves are and are worse than bikers themselves. The movie worsened as it continued, as if it forgot what it wanted to say as the makers was making it.

...for cheesy biker movies like this. It's got it all: motorcycle clubs, a hippie commune, a disaffected Viet Nam vet, free love,(and brutal rape), a dive bar that takes Mastercharge (long before it became MasterCARD), go go dancers, skirts so short (and a wardrobe budget so tight) one girl takes a micro-mini dress she wore in a previous scene, tucks it in bell-bottom pants, and voila! It's a blouse; a generic rock score, hard for the bikers, soft for the hippies, chockfull of cliche' "Freedom" anthems, all with lyrics that are trite variations on the counter-culture slogan "Fight the Power!", and a script almost totally devoid of any standard English words, strictly hip "rap" LONG before it went gangsta. So chockful of 60's slang it should be in a linguist's historical archives.

Lead "actor" looks remarkably like porn "actor" Long John Holmes, and is given frequent opportunities to show off his hot bod to the ladies, to the point where the sheriff, his nemesis tells him to "button up:" i was thinking I'm sure he was speaking for the entire audience as well, Only real acting is done by Jack Starrett (Sheriff) and Arlene Martel, "Ginger", (the all-purpose "Hot Chick" name) the woman who owns the biker bar where she takes Mastercharge, best known as one of Captain Kirk's dalliances in the original "Star Trek" TV series. Nobody else of note, except that the Madcaps, the actual biker gang the movie's fictional one is based on, are mentioned in the closing credits, and its members fill up empty space onscreen as needed throughout.

Of course, on their miniscule budget, they can't afford to ride cross-country in search of America, so they hightail it from Bakersfield couple hundred miles to BEVERLY HILLS to become MOVIE STARS--I kid you not.

Absolutely belongs in a time capsule, for appreciators of ancient artifacts.