Les Machines du diable

William Smith is my all time favorite B-Movie actor- a truly talented individual whose list of lifelong accomplishments is extraordinary. He single handedly made movies like "The Losers" watchable and even enjoyable if you don't take them too seriously. The film centers around the U.S. Army hiring a motorcycle gang to rescue a presidential adviser being held captive in Cambodia. Smith plays gang leader Link Thomas, whose Army Sergeant brother sets up the mission. Most of the movie is spent focusing on events leading up to the mission with the gang partying, smoking, getting in fights and souping up their choppers as the rescue nears.

The acting is average, although a respectable cast (Adam Roarke, Paul Koslo & Bernie Hamilton) was assembled. There is too much time spent on love interests which tends to bog down the film, but the latter half especially is very entertaining as the mission takes place. This is 70's schlock through and through, but is a treat for William Smith fans, as he gets top billing and the lions' share of screen time.

No one will confuse this with anything Oscar worthy, but so what? A good way to numb your mind for an hour and a half.

While watching History channels "Gangland" a program dedicated to show the origins of various crime syndicates, I got the feeling that most outlaw biker gangs were created in the aftermath of Vetnam.

Bandidos, Mongol Nation, Warlocks, are just few the many notorious biker gangs that was founded by Vietnam vets. In case of Bandidios, their leader was former marine who supposedly used the marine corps as rolemodel when it came to structure, chain of command.

This biker film is apparently inspired by an offer Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger made to President Johnson. Barger offered some of his men to be used as an guerrilla force behind enemy lines in Vietnam.

Johnson turned him down and thus Hollywood took over the idea.

Basically this film is about some very mean, violent, outlaw biker gang who are deployed in Vietnam in rescue mission of an American diplomat.

But as it turns out, is not going to be easy...

To be honest this just your average B-movie biker film, but it does have a few surprises up its sleeve.

The director is clearly inspired by Sam Peckinpahs films, when it comes to the violence(often shot in slowmotion) but the also the main protagonists being antiheroes.

Even one of this films taglines is inspired by the The Wild Bunch (1969):It's The "Dirty Bunch" On Wheels! There are also heavy criticisms against USA and its foreign policy, the way US military handles the Vietnam war. Another subject this film touches upon is the racial tension that exist in the US army.

It is unusual to see that kind of material in a cheaply made b-movie and makes this film a bit more interesting then the rest.

William Smith playing Link Thomas is very convincing here and plays the gangs leader very good.

Vic Diaz, who always been a favorite of mine, plays another one of those sleazy characters that he was so good at.

So if you like bikerflicks but want something a little different from the average then see this even though it is cheaply made b-movie its still more interesting then Twilight(2008).

Man,I hate to read how some people hate the good classics.When there's all this commercialized,politically correct & sensitive "stuff" that some Hollywood loving"whoose"would call good entertainment.A little note for the people that are un-aware about "Hollywood movies"and how they claim to make the best movies in the world.They spend more on advertisements for the movie than they would on the budget for the production of the film.They are always afraid to take chances on new ideas and very talented writers and directors that think for themselves and don't worry about the box office "mumbo-jumbo"or the "bratty"youth demographic.The Losers is a real great movie,that is the real thing when it comes to "real" stunts and "real" action."Real" being the key word when talking about this movie.I as a viewer appreciate stuntmen going to risk their careers and lives for the sake of art,entertainment or just a pay check.GOOD PEOPLE!!The only thing I hate about this movie is that"love song"..Man,that's a weird song to put in that movie!!The movie holds up for many reasons.One,there was a horrible remake of The Losers last year.Two,The Expendables is practically the same movie!Except,for the 5 million dollor cast!Which should've only been worth $200,000 for the whole "over-rated"cast and probably the whole computerized crew.Three,The Losers is better movie than all that I've seen from this era.How can you hate a movie that has real fights in the movie and behind the scenes?

The biker film was a staple of American exploitation cinema in the late 1960's, culminating in the "generation defining" studio funded classic, Easy Rider (1969). What we have here is somewhat of a genre mash up, placing a bunch of Californian bikers in the midst of an "exotic" war zone. Five gang members, led by Link (William Smith), are employed by the CIA, sent into the heart of darkness in Vietnam, to rescue a captured agent, Chet Davis (played here by director Jack Starrett - who most will recognise as the vicious police officer, Galt, from First Blood (1982)).

The first hour of the film is spent with the gang as they integrate into a small village, basically brawling, f*****g, drinking and fomenting relationships with the all-too-easy ladies. It is a completely ludicrous premise; OK so perhaps this gang of low-life's were more expendable than the troops being sent out daily, but it is hard to believe. That being said, this is exploitation cinema at its most ridiculous.

The action accelerates in the last reel, as the bikers infiltrate a camp, their bikes armed to the teeth, but the action is repetitive, and with little merit: Bikes jump, huts blow up. Besides this though, some of the characters are likable enough, with their dialogue of clichéd, counter-cultural hyperbole, but it doesn't really save a pretty tedious affair - perhaps the trailer was exciting, so maybe you should just see that. Like all exploitation films of the time that were set in exotic climates, this was of course filmed in the Philippines (where filming is cheap!).

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I like when directors try to mix genres like "Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town", "Blade Runner", "Rock'n'Roll Wrestling Women Vs. The Aztec Mummy" etc. You don't always get the best results but at least it's interesting. In "The Losers/Nam's Angels" B-movie veteran William Smith leads a bikergang against the Viet Cong. Fun idea but the film spends too time with the bikers' love affairs, bar fights etc. In the end the gang gets their s**t together with their special built warbikes (no Harleys!). It's too late to save the movie but Tarantino must've been impressed since he used some scenes in "Pulp Fiction"! Nice try but see "Satan's Sadists" or "Apocalypse Now" instead.