Sociedade Violenta

Glory Stompers, The (1968)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

AIP biker film has Black Souls member Chino (Dennis Hopper) beating the pulp out of a Glory Stomper (Jody McCrea) and stealing his girlfriend (Chris Noel). They think the Glory Stomper is dead but he eventually comes seeking revenge. As far as biker flicks goes this one here certainly isn't at the top of the group but it's a decent entry. There are enough plot holes here that you might find yourself laughing when you're not suppose to. One such moment happens early on after they beat up McCrea. For whatever reason they think he's dead but they never check a for a pulse or anything else. This here is why he's able to come after them as they didn't finish the job or even check to see if they did. Another such moment is when Hopper tells everyone that they'll never find the biker's body because they hid it yet all they did was put him and his bike under a tree where everyone could see it. It's that type of goofiness that gives this film its charm as well as other scenes including one where there's a mass orgy of body painting. There's some silly sex scenes thrown in but everyone keeps their clothes on and just rolls around in the dirt. Hopper is at his very best here playing a real nut who is constantly coming up with silly things to say and always threatening someone. McCrea doesn't have his father's acting ability but he's fun enough in the role. I didn't care too much for Noel as I found here way too bland for the character even though she is playing the goodie type. Robert Tessier, with hair, has a pretty good role as the muscle-bound thug and most will remember him from his bald roles in HARD TIMES and THE LONGEST YARD. Casey Kasem and Lindsay Crosby (Bing's daughter) also appear. The movie moves along quickly enough and there's enough charm to make it worth viewing if you're a fan of the genre. There's certainly nothing terrific or ground breaking here but Hopper is a lot of fun and makes it worth checking out.

If you can get passed the standard revenge plot, "The Glory Stompers" is considerably better than expected. A fuzz guitar soundtrack adds tremendously to the overall enjoyment. Recognizable talent early on is displayed by Dennis Hopper and a pre "chrome dome" Robert Tessier. Another big plus is the on location photography, with well shot riding sequences. Of course all the "hey man" stuff dates the film squarely in the 1960s, and the acting by those not named Hopper or Tessier is wooden. Best looked upon as a time capsule with a very familiar plot, "The Glory Stompers" is something to be watched occasionally, when one reminisces about motorcycles pre C.G.I.. - MERK

Chino (Dennis Hopper) is the brutal crazy leader of the biker gang Black Souls. Chino and his boys ambush Darryl (Jody McCrea), leader of rival biker gang Glory Stompers. Unwilling to leave a witness behind, they take Darryl's girlfriend Chris captive. Darryl recovers and follows in pursuit.

This is a biker exploitation flick. It has Dennis Hopper doing crazy. That's about it. The plot is really simple. There isn't anything too memorable. McCrea is nowhere near edgy enough to be a biker gang leader. There is a surprisingly limited amount of cinematic road action. There are limited motorcycle stunts and no car crashes. The most interesting stunt may be running over a guy although I'm not 100% sure that the body isn't a dummy. There is an acrobatic chicken run at the end but it doesn't look as dangerous as it sounds. The story lacks intensity. Chris' romance only works if she's trying to trick the guy. Instead of intensity, the movie replaces it with a biker party. It looks like they had a bunch of extras for a day and threw in plenty of alcohol. This is low budget biker exploitation indie at its most middling. They don't even use Dennis Hopper for his fullest. There is a lot of crazy to play with and he only showcases it a few times. He should be dialed up to 11 for the whole movie.

The Glory Stompers is vintage AIP fare, which isn't to say necessarily it's one of the best from the company. But it is an example of what a hardcore genre biker flick from the period was like (sans a few of the extra hippies that dipped in and out of some of the others), with a straight laced biker's girl getting kidnapped by Chico (a usually crazed and drugged up Dennis Hopper, somehow turning in a good performance) and his gang the Black Souls. The girl keeps on trying to escape, and as well gets tortured sexually here and there, while Darryl, her beau, is still on the trail of the gang with an ex-Black Souls member (or is it the Glory Stompers, I keep forgetting, who cares exactly).

It's a lot of rowdy fun for a late night, and there's even an exuberance to some of the scenes where the director Anthony M. Lanza and his cameraman go in like it's half a documentary on the proceedings. The budget was probably so low this was the only way to do it, to get right up into the action like gangbusters and gather what they could to move on. There's at times some tension created too, like when Chris (played by Chris Noel) uses as her bait the one sympathetic biker who seems like a genuine OK dude - not a good idea if there's a crowbar nearby (music cues)! The Glory Stompers is unmistakably dated, but in the context it was made it's no bad shakes when compared to something atrocious like the Hellcats. This is some quality, near "classic" trash, the kind you rub off with your arm to reveal some sharp elbow grease amid some hard rocking, conventional times with the boys from AIP.

Rebel motorcycle gangs love to ride, and ride hard, but there are three other facets that they like: (1) drink, (2) party orgy-like, and (3) wreck things. In this film they don't wreck much, but they do the others well. If you want to see them wreck things, see "Devil's Angels" (1968). Produced for the independent American International Pictures (AIP), "The Glory Stompers" followed the success of the " The Wild Angels" (1966). "The Glory Stompers" cost $100,000 to make, but grossed more than thirty times that much. Now that's a successful production!

A rival gang of the Stompers, the Black Souls led by the unbalanced Chino (Dennis Hopper), kidnap blonde Chris (Chris Noel), girlfriend of Darryl (Jody McCrea), leader of the Stompers. Darryl is badly beaten up and left for dead (never mind the silly details), but somehow has amazing recovery powers. It's up to him and two pals, ex-member Smiley (Jock Mahoney) and Pony (Gary Wood) to track down the bad guys and reclaim his chick. Will he succeed? And will Magoo (Robert Tessier) eventually rape Chris; he certainly tries hard?

Note that the gorgeous girl who strips and skinny-dips along the way is the alluring Doreen (Astrid Warner). Kudos rightfully belong the Mario Tossi for his enjoyable cinematography: See the great shots of the motorcyclists on the sand dunes. So there is some value after all.