Northville Cemetery Massacre

For fans of seventies exploitation flicks, Northville Cemetery Massacre is a must! The film is typically thin on plot, but this isn't important as directors William Dear and Thomas L. Dyke have ensured that the film is packed with the important stuff - that being gunfire and tons of blood! The film appears to take influence from Easy Rider in that it features a troupe of bikers coming under scrutiny from the local community and police force simply because they ride bikes and don't have jobs, but it's clear that most of its inspiration comes from the robust violent flicks that were all the rage throughout the seventies. I don't doubt that this film was a major influence on Walter Hill's popular gang flick The Warriors. The plot focuses on a gang of bikers (calling themselves a biker's club). The local police force is none too happy about them hanging around the town, and after a brutal rape is committed; the blame naturally falls on the gang. A number of their troupe are slaughtered by unknown gunmen, and after their rival gang is dismissed as suspects; the real culprits come to light...

The fact that there isn't a lot of plot is completely unimportant. This film is all about atmosphere, and that is delivered through the gritty picture (the film obviously had little to no budget), the soundtrack and the grubby look of most of the central characters. Northville Cemetery Massacre is wickedly entertaining throughout, and despite the numerous continuity errors; remains enjoyable thanks to the entertainment value. The way that the guns are used is excellent, as we get to hear every shot, and each one usually results in a lot of blood being spilled - the budget certainly had room for a lot of squibs! Despite the fact that the budget is low, the violence is brutal and realistic; and it's all owed to the gritty cinematography. There are a number of standout scenes throughout the movie but, as the title suggests, the ending features a huge shootout; and that's where the film really takes off! Of course, it's mostly just mindless violence - but the constant stream of shooting and bloodshed makes for fantastic viewing, and this ensures that a very entertaining film ends on a major high. Overall, Northville Cemetery Massacre is an under seen seventies gem and I highly recommend tracking down a copy!

I saw this film on VHS back in the early-mid 80's. Being about 12-13 I loved the Ultra-Violence and the entire concept. I must have watched it through twice in as many days and the finale a few times more. Not often a film with 'Massacre' in the title actually delivers but this one did. In Spades.

The only setback was that I seemed to be the only person who ever saw it. Ever. Seriously. Back in those days of the 'Video Nasty' we used to compare splatter films at break during school but I was the only person who ever knew of this one. Same for years. Even up till now, come to think of it.

Its a tribute to its raw power that I can still recall so much of it. The bikers, the corrupt law, the 'Paton' skit,the shootings and the massacre itself. And the fact that not one of the bikers could actually fire in a straight line and had no idea of the concept of cover. Hey-Ho!

And the ending is one of the best, most powerful and most disturbing ever filmed. Its stuck with me over 20 years.

Now THATS what you call a Finale'.

I saw The Northville Cemetery Massacre along with Satan's Sadists as part of the monthly Grindhouse dbl feature in Hollywood at the New Beverly Cinema. The director, William Dear, humbly introduced the film and shared some amusing antidotes. Hopefully I am remembering them correctly.

The title of the movie was supposed to be Freedom R.I.P. As was the case with many genre films of the 70's, distributors changed the title without informing the film makers. The print that we saw had the title Wheels Of Death.

The film which was only supposed to take a few weeks to shoot actually wound up taking several years. They would run out of funds and when they had more funds would resume filming. This explains a few continuity issues.

Due to budget limitations, the blanks used in the guns were for revolvers/rifles/ shotguns. No automatic weapons. This explains why the arms dealer only gives the bikers the firearms that he does. The biker firing a fully automatic assault rifle is firing live rounds.

Nick Nolte does a voice-over for one of the characters.

The DVD came out this Halloween, and I was able to get a copy signed at the 30th Anniversary re-release party in Northville. I hadn't heard about it before, but growing up in the area I was excited for it. It was made almost a decade before I was born so I felt no nostalgia for the time period and the way of life. I did however enjoy seeing what is now a fully-developed town back when it was just farm land.

The quality of the DVD menus and extras are phenomenal. I'm very glad the spent the time and money on creating a quality product. Since I hadn't seen it before, I can't say if the video or sound was remastered. It seemed like there could have been more work done to spruce up the actual film (there are a few jump cuts that seem almost accidental and the audio doesn't always line up with the mouths).

I enjoyed the extreme violence (not something you want to watch while babysitting) and the demonization of the 'pigs'. It certainly speaks of a different time and is rewarding with an interesting combination of action, drama, and comedy. I think I enjoyed most the fact that this was an actual motorcycle club and not actors (for the most part).

In conclusion, this film is never very believable, but is almost always enjoyable. If you are from the area (and not too sensitive to violence, sexuality, and language) definitely pick up a copy. I think this film crosses a few lines (in a good way) and takes you out of your comfort zone. It never really makes you think, but the motorcycle club is well developed as a single character (none of the members really stand out individually) and at times the cinematography is surprisingly good. It's not incredibly well put-together, but for its time and budget, I would consider classifying it as amazing.

Any movie with an underground bunker built like a World War 2 submarine, has to be seen to be believed. With a periscope coming up in the gun merchants front yard through a Madonna lawn ornament, this is just so cool. The film is built around real bikers, which gives "The Northville Cemetery Massacre" a unique feeling of authenticity. Slow motion blood squibs abound, the biker music soundtrack is totally appropriate, and the acting, while crude, only lends to the film's reality feeling. If you are into "biker films" like "Born Losers", or "The Glory Stompers", this is a must see. If it sounds like I am pounding the table for "The Northville Cemetery Massacre", I am indeed. MERK.