Angels Hard as They Come

source: Angels Hard as They Come

Several members of the outlaw biker gang the Angels are framed for the rape and murder of hippie gal Astrid (a solid and appealing portrayal by the fetching Gilda Texter, who was the * motorcycle rider in "Vanishing Point") by psychotic rival biker gang leader the General (fiercely played with fire-breathing ferocity by Charles Dierkop). Director Joe Viola keeps the enjoyable and engrossing story moving along at a brisk pace, maintains a gritty tone throughout, makes neat use of the dusty desert ghost town main location, and delivers a satisfying smattering of tasty gratuitous female nudity. The clever script by Viola and Jonathan Demme makes valid points about loyalty, betrayal, the abuse of power and authority, and the failure of the 1960's hippie love generation, with the passive pacifist mentality embraced by the hippies being taken cruel advantage of by the more hostile and aggressive bikers. The sound acting by the capable cast keeps this movie humming: Scott Glenn as the confused, but basically decent Long John, James Iglehart as the amiable Monk, Gary Littlejohn as the traitorous Axe, Gary Busey as easygoing longhair Henry, Janet Wood as the friendly Vicki, Dirty Denny as the scrappy Rings, Don Carrera as the addled Juicer, and Brendan Kelly as the sarcastic Brain. The rough'n'tumble fight scenes deliver the exciting goods. The funky-throbbing score by Richard Hieronymous hits the get-down groovy spot. Best of all, the bikers are drawn with some depth and come across as the genuinely grungy article. A worthwhile grindhouse item.

The drug dealing Angels are invited by the Dragons to party with them at a ghost town hippie commune lead by the meek Gary Busey. They have fun and games until a girl turns up dead. The Dragons, lead by a psychotic Charlie Manson look-alike (Charles Dierkop) hold a kangaroo court and convict all the angels. Standard drug use, bike races, girls dancing topless, fist fights, torture that defined the era. Poor video transfer to DVD. Sound Track of the era, combination rock and whack-a-da music. The over billed Busey looks like a pretty boy. Parental Guidance: F-bomb, Nudity.

A pretty good standard biker flick made by the fact it was written and produced by the guy who would go on to direct such hit Hollywood films and The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. It was also one of the first films released on Roger Corman's own New World Pictures for which it turned a pretty impressive profit for. Scott Glenn isn't the most charismatic lead, but, he moves the films very western style plot onward with the help of the guy that plays "The General" who throws in some fun evil overacting. Theres some * towards the end and Gary Busey cameos as a young hippie leader, so what's not to like.

Jonathan Demme (Married to the Mob, The Silence of the Lambs) impressed Roger Corman with his writing ability and was asked if he wanted to try a motorcycle movie. His idea? Rashomon on motorcycles. He turned to his friend Joe Viola, a commercial director, and created this film. Long John (Scott Glenn, The Silence of the Lambs), Juicer and Monk (James Inglehart, Randy Black from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls!) get caught up in a busted drug deal before meeting up with the Dragons gang and heading to a ghost town. There, they meet a hippie commune, where Long John falls for Astrid. They argue over the bikers being evil because of Altamont while he counters that hippies have been tainted by Manson. The Dragons do, too. A fight ensues and Long John's girl gets raped and stabbed, with the Dragons framing the Angels. Their leader, the General (Charles Dierkop, the gas station attendant in Messiah of Evil) sentences them to fun and games, which means they all get dragged behind motorcycles. Monk escapes and organizes the rest of the gang, leading to a violent battle to end all biker battles. This movie is packed with long bike riding montages, sex, drugs, debauchery, mayhem and a young Gary Busey. It's talky, though and if you're not super into biker movies, this is probably not the one to start with.

Don't be fooled by Scott Glenn and Gary Busey's appearance in this film as it still sucks. Glenn who plays Long John the grumpy drug dealing leading man biker, who I guess we are supposed to like, is wooden and one dimensional doing his best imitation of Davis Carradine. Busey, who plays the hippie Henry, can be forgiven for his performance considering it was one of his first speaking roles. That being said, Busey was absolutely terrible in this movie. The highlight was Charles Dierkop as the General the vocal leader of the Bad Guy Biker Gang, who at least added some energy as opposed to Glenn's constant emoting, and the lovely Gilda Texler who played Astrid. Ms. Texler was the best actor in this film IMHO. I know, Glen and Busey developed into great actors, however, both were miscast in Jonathon Demme's first effort as a screenwriter. Ms. Texler will always be remembered for her cameo in the classic Vanishing Point. One must wonder why the competent and pretty Gilda was not cast in more films.

Saw this on netflix when I looked up The Harder They Come. Really fun movie until the virginesque girl gets gang raped and killed but for some reason no one is really freaked out and the movie sorta continues on without missing her. There are some fun gems in this movie like the really smooth drug dealer guy in the beginning who seems half asleep and the funny dialogue between the bikers in the beginning. Also mixed in is a little racial conflict. Like when the dune buggying wasp couple finds the escaped good guy who happens to be black. The guy wasp admonishes the tired/thirsty man for being on welfare but then asks his girlfriend to have sex with guy, when he refuses they try to run him over with the dune buggy! The bad guys come straight outta sixties westerns except for the gang raping parts-which can be really upsetting but the fact that the movie was made by Jonathan Demme(Silence of the Lambs) sorta makes sense, as the late sixties and seventies B movies were training grounds for future directors("Duel"-Spielberg). This movie is basically a sexplotation and violenceplotation flick but it has its unique moments, netflix it now. And while your at it, get "Inglorious Bastards." When people say the 1970's was a focal point for which creativitey exploded away from itself into separate factions-I believe it when I see this movie.

ANGELS HARD AS THEY COME is a B-flick biker exploitation movie with a great title and lousy execution. The low budget story is set in a Californian ghost town, where two rival biker gangs hang out alongside the usual hippies of the era. A murder leads to some low key confrontation between the groups, but generally this is a tepid account of bad behaviour, lame dialogue, lots of nudity, and a little violence. Jonathan Demme worked on the screenplay, but that's no reason to tune in, and nor is the presence of the taciturn Scott Glenn as the lead or the great Gary Busey in a small role as one of the bikers.

As a biker movie, this is great. As an action film, it is pretty good. As a drama, it's awful. But if you want sleazy 60's style biker action, this film delivers in spades. I've seen most of the biker films from 1965-1973 (the original era), and I'd put this one near the top. These bikers are convincingly dirty, scummy and backstabbing (in more ways than one). They are some of the most bearded, shower-needing, dirt-eating, denim vest wearing reprobates that I have seen on film. I had the DVD of this film for a long time before I watched it, and I'm sorry I waited so long. You get sleazy, evil bikers lured to a ghost town and challenged and put upon by some other, even more sleazy, supremely evil bikers. There's also some hippies there, but they are basically pawns in the power game between the two biker factions. Soon enough, things move from drinking, sex and drag racing, to fist fighting, injuries and murder, as things get more and more intense and people's "honor" comes into play more and more. The bikers here don't meet up with with straight society; such people are barely seen in this film (a few police cars pass by a few times). There's just an arena, and two groups of gladiators doing combat with each other. Pure conflict between two wild animals, with no outside influences coming in to complicate things. I'd put this film right up there with The Wild Angels and Hells' Angels 69 for biker movie thrills. Also check out a crazy over-the-top biker thing, The Tormentors, if you can find it. I'd like to add that this film is Public Domain due to some idiot at Roger Corman's company failing to place a copyright notice on it. Therefore, you might be able to find a DVD of this film for as little as $1, or part of a multi-pack for cheap. If you do find this film for a dollar, then you have no excuse to avoid picking it up. It's a don't miss recommendation at that price, unless you don't like biker movies at all.

Terrible Just Terrible I picked this up on VHS at the Salvation Army I was excited because it was a 70's film and obviously by the title it was some Hell's Angels knock off film, so hell how could it be bad. Bikers doing bad stuff, fist fights! NO There is one fist fight and it's so dark on the VHS you can't see anything, in fact half the movie is that way. The Movie is garbage A guy even gets stabbed with a plastic hatchet! Don't Watch this, even if you want to see it for nostalgia value it's really not worth it The only good scene in the damn movie is when this black guy is walking through the desert and he comes upon a couple on a dune buggy, and the black asks him for some gas then the guy continues to say hey I ain't welfare so then the guy offers him his girlfriend to some jungle lovin in which the black guy turns down FOR SOME REASON!?!?!?!? AND THIS WAS NOT A MIRAGE