Le gang sauvage

The last of three movies directed by exploitation legend and pioneer of the 'nudie cutie' Russ Meyer in 1965, Motor Psycho is one the filmmaker's few 'normal' movies, that is one not filled to the brim with impressively-breasted babes and scrawny, sex-mad males. It instead falls into the biker gang category, one of the many branches of the 'juvenile delinquent' sub-genre which emerged as parents and the media alike voiced their concerns about the increasingly rebellious youth culture of the time. Similar in many ways to one of Meyer's other 1965 movies (and undoubtedly his most popular film), Faster Pussycat... Kill! Kill! (Mudhoney was also released that year), Motor Psycho substitutes the strong, revenge-fuelled gang of women led by the unforgettable Tura Satana for a trio of tortured men, and the result is actually pretty good.

The gang, led by demented Vietnam veteran Brahmin (Steve Oliver), have taken a liking to antagonising the locals of a small town, firstly terrorising a young, beautiful women trying to relax with her passive, hen-pecked husband, before their intentions turns even nastier. They torment veterinarian Cory Maddox (Alex Rocco, who played Moe Green in The Godfather) before raping his wife while he is away from home flirting with a voluptuous horse-breeder. He returns to find his wife battered and abused, but it is "nothing a woman isn't built for," according to the local sheriff (played by Meyer himself). Maddox decides to take matters into his own hands, gradually tracking Brahmin and his cronies as he follows their path of destruction. He comes across Ruby Bonner (Faster Pussycat's Haji), the wife of a man the gang have just murdered in cold blood, and the two partner up to end the gang's reign of terror once and for all.

Any fans of the director going into Motor Psycho hoping to see a collection of naughty vignettes featuring some of his familiar roster of beauties will likely be disappointed, although the film is another fine example of Meyer's skill with editing, cinematography and use of music. A minimal budget rarely hampered Meyer, and Motor Psycho is fast-paced and jazzy, and surprisingly features a handful of decent performances. This was one of the first times a damaged Vietnam veteran had been portrayed on screen, and Oliver has fun going way over the top as the sadistic, angry young leader. For a film dealing with rape (and Meyer takes the subject matter seriously), it is also very funny in places. Most memorable is a scene in which Maddox is bitten by a snake and demands Ruby to suck out the venom. "Suck it! Suck it!" he screams as he forces her head onto the wound. It would seem that Meyer couldn't resist a little playful innuendo. This is a competent little western revenge B-movie, often released under the more eye-catching title of Motorpsycho!.

Really. How could anyone ever come up with a better film title than "Motor Psycho?" No one ever will. Now that we've said that, let's get on with the story. Alex Rocco makes his film debut as veteranarian Corey Maddox, whose wife is violently raped by a gang of motorcycle hoods. Maddox tries to hunt down the gang to glean a little retribution, or perhaps bring the gang to justice. In the process, he meets Ruby Bonner, whose husband has been murdered by the same thugs. Ruby and Corey team up and get caught in a canyon where they are forced to violently confront the by-now-totally-nutso leader of the group, who happens to be a wacked-out Vietnam vet. This film is a little-known Meyer gem; you get the opportunity to see how good he really was at shot composition and editing. What's it got going for it? Awesome title, incredible sixties twangy guitar soundtrack, great period dialogue, a great tense snakebite scene, and perhaps the first example ever of a film character who's clearly spent too much time in the Vietnam jungle. Odd side note: everyone in this 1965 film drives a Toyota. Three out of four stars.

Three motorcyclists by the names of "Brahmin" (Steve Oliver), "Dante" (Joseph Cellini) and "Slick" (Timothy Scott) are riding through the California desert when they come upon an attractive woman sunbathing in her bikini. When her husband comes to her defense they beat him up and then rape the woman before continuing on their way. They then come upon a woman by the name of "Gail Maddox" (Holle K. Winters) and her husband "Cory Maddox" (Alex Rocco) who proceed to escape. Undaunted Brahmin leads his two companions to Cory and Gail's house and then rape her while he is away. Swearing revenge he decides to follow them. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this turned out to be a pretty good film all things considered. I especially liked the performance of Haji (aka Barbarella Catton) as "Ruby Bonner" who seemed to dominate every scene she was in. On the flip side, however, I didn't really care for the rather bizarre ending that much. In any case, I enjoyed this movie and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

Motor Psycho wasn't exactly the Russ Meyer film I was hoping to see. Not that it's a bad movie – far from it – but it lacks the eccentric character of his other work. Motor Psycho is a raw drama about delicate topics such as rape, murder and revenge. The plot involves a battle between vets! A veterinarian's wife is raped by 3 relentless bikers (one of them being a Vietnam-veteran) and he goes after them, accompanied by a busty lady who has been widowed by the same gang. Normally, Meyer's films are a feast for all senses…there's always something extravagant to discover or admire. Compared to that, Motor Psycho is pretty lame and it merely depends on two ultra-strong sequences and a delightful breast-parade (even though all female flesh remains covered). The sequence in which protagonist Alex Rocco forces his female companion to suck a snake's poison out of his leg is brilliant and so is the grotesque finale in which the main villain (Stephen Olivier) revives his Vietnam trauma's. I'd recommend the film for those parts alone! If you're a fan of the director's personal style, I advise you to check this film out…It won't take much of your time anyway, since the film only last a good 70 minutes.

MOTORPSYCHO was made in 1965, the same year FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL KILL was made. MOTORPSYCHO was made first and it's basically the male version of FASTER PUSSYCAT: three bad guys roaming the desert and looking for kicks. There are several plot points that are even identical between the two movies. But today, MOTORPSYCHO has been totally eclipsed by FASTER PUSSYCAT or BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. It's ironic because MOTORPSYCHO was a bigger hit than FASTER PUSSYCAT, the latter having flopped on its initial release. FASTER PUSSYCAT is now a bona fine cult hit while MOTORPSYCHO toils in near obscurity. And it's unfortunate because it's one of the grittiest Film Noir I've ever seen. It's a true pulp novel come to life. It's a combo of Orson Welles' A TOUCH OF EVIL and a countless Film Noir from the 1940s. But unlike TOUCH OF EVIL or the older Film Noir films, MOTORPSYCHO doesn't shy away from the violence or the "thrilling" aspects of the story.

Some might say the subject matter of rape is too serious to be used in a so-called exploitation film but Meyer handles it pretty well. It's still unpleasant at times (when the guys forces the wife to dance with them) but

the film never crosses the line. In fact, MOTORPSYCHO is a rare breed of movie: it depicts the actual disturbing subject and even exploits it (close-up of women's bodies) but doesn't go overboard with it as it never stray away from its story. The film keeps interest with its characters and situations until the very end. It's never overshadowed by its sensationalistic aspects. This is because some of the acting is pretty good and the stunning use of B&W photography (excellent composition from Russ Meyer himself) and the overall grittiness of the story. It's a pretty darn good feat for an exploitation film.

The acting from everyone is surprisingly good. Alex Rocco is excellent and believable. The bad guys are never over-the-top. The woman who played Rocco' wife, the beautiful Holle K Winters, is also excellent and believable. Her scenes when she's harassed by the three men feel authentic and are difficult to watch. Strangely enough, this was Holle's only movie. And then there's Haji. Haji is THE ultimate Femme Fatale ever put on screen. You can't help being attracted to her and know she's nothing but trouble. She's like a babe on the cover of a pulp novel come to life.

I prefer MOTORPSYCHO over FASTER PUSSYCAT, which is also a remarkably well made actioner but it's more campy and at times too over-the-top to be taken seriously, or BTVOTD, which is just plain stupid. MOTORPSYCHO has just the right amount of violence, grittiness and believability to make it feel like a great if overlooked Film Noir.