Hellriders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Hellriders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 29, 2020

Biker films had their time and place, experiencing a heyday during the 1950s and ‘60s, with the image of a raging Hell’s Angels-type was used to strike fear in the hearts of moviegoers, offering them the exotic threat of menacing types clad in leather riding around on deafening vehicles. In 1984, such acts of intimidation didn’t carry the same weight, leaving “Hell Riders” with little to work with while it strives to assemble a terror show featuring particularly inept biker gang members. While it has the star power of Adam West and Tina Louise, “Hell Riders” doesn’t offer much more than the occasional bit of amusing oddity, watching director James Bryan struggle with basic acts of storytelling and conflict.

Struggling with a broken-down car, prostitute Claire (Tina Louise) rolls her way into the small town of Ramsberg, which is currently being held hostage by the Hell Riders biker gang. The club is split into two factions, with Snake (Ross Alexander), an angry man, looking to take control of the gang, proving his vision by terrorizing strangers making their way to the main street, home to Doctor Dave (Adam West). As the Hell Riders escalate their attacks on tourists and locals, Doctor Dave is called into action, seeking to defend his home with blunt force, challenging the Hell Riders with smarts and, when necessary, raw power.

While West and Louise take top billing in “Hell Riders,” it’s really screaming that guides the story. Nearly every character has trouble expressing themselves in a reserved manner, with the Hell Riders especially prone to exposition and banter at top volume, making sure threats are heard at least two counties over. There’s not much to the tale of Snake’s rise to power and Doctor Dave’s last stand, leaving Bryan and co-writer Renee Harmon (who appears as the crazy “Motorcycle Mama” of the family) with a lot of time to fill, and they do so by focusing on endless arguments within the club, which is struggling with power plays and general idiocy. And there’s motorcycle riding. Oh, so much motorcycle riding, with lengthy stretches of “Hell Riders” devoted to watching the greasy men speed around town while the soundtrack repeats the same music cue, trying to sell the relentless dread of easily avoided morons who live make trouble for themselves and others.

There’s something about Claire and her hooker history in Las Vegas, a little more about Sheriff Jim (Jerry Ratay) and his daughter’s upcoming wedding to an older man (actually, a guy who looks old enough to be the future bride’s father, which is a subplot worth following), and Doctor Dave slowly loses his patience with the invaders (West’s part is largely completed with stand-ins, only working with close-ups), but there’s no tension in the movie. It’s just the biker experience, delivered with obnoxiously bellowed performances and an underwhelming level of threat, missing any real personalities. Surely exploitation doesn’t need dramatic hospital corners, but Bryan loses sight of storytelling fairly quickly, often caught trying to make sense of performances where the lead actors weren’t involved with the shoot for more than a few days, while the supporting cast primarily works to make themselves seen as much as possible. The fun factor of “Hell Riders” isn’t quite there, as too much of the endeavor feels randomly captured and sloppily edited, missing that certain spark of insanity that could power a subgenre film 15 years after the subgenre died out.

Hellriders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is billed as "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its original camera negative." There's some wear and tear on the source, finding mild speckling and scuffing periodically, but this is a clear view of the production particulars on "Hell Riders," giving the viewer a sharp look at creative achievements and many budgetary limitations. Detail is vivid, with defined facial surfaces, which examine the soiled appearance of the biker gang and the cleaner, slightly more elegant care of the locals and tourists. Makeup work is appreciable, Costuming is fibrous, dealing largely with denim, spandex, and polyester. Exteriors are dimensional, making nature tours compelling, visiting mountains and parks, while the western town at the heart of the conflict is distinct with decorative additions, including clear signage. Colors are bright and inviting, keeping greenery alive and natural. Skintones are exact. Period clothing provides alert primaries. Delineation is communicative. Grain is film-like.

Hellriders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is dealing with a production that's not attentive to the nuances of sound, marching ahead with a repetitive score that's clear, securing rock guitars and steady percussion. Dialogue exchanges reach the limits of the original recording. Intelligibility isn't threatened, but inherent synch issues are occasionally found. Endless screaming hits a few fuzzy highs, but performance choices aren't lost. Sound effects are understood, including roaring engines and gunshots.

Hellriders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Straight to Hell" (15:16, HD) is a chat with co-writer/director James Bryan, who shares his history with co- writer/producer/star Renee Harmon, marveling over her discipline when assembling a screenplay, working hard on lines of dialogue. Italian distributor demands mangled some of Harmon's labor, with Bryan forced to please a great number of production participants and deal with members of Harmon's acting class, who were given parts in the picture. Memories are provided of Adam West, summarized as a nice man happy to have the work, playing well with others. Tina Louise was problematic, so obsessed with her contractual work hours, she had a special way of keeping time on set. The extensive use of stand-ins in "Hell Riders" is explained, along with employment of Rent-A-Gang, the biker unit hired for the feature. Tidbits about the western town set are shared, and the first screening of "Hell Riders" is recalled, with Harmon's pupils turning the showing into a raucous party, unaware that Louise was also in attendance. The movie's VHS release is also recalled.

• Original Storyboard Excerpts (:58) offer a few production plans from the "Hell Riders" shoot.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Hellriders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hell Riders" offers a few diverting B-movie moments, including an extended visit to the local diner, where the bikers decide to make a mess of everything, smashing up the joint while picking on Allen (Dennis Mancini), a hapless tourist easily tossed around by the vest-wearing ghouls. West stays professional with little to do, and Louise tries to survive the shoot while changing into multiple outfits. The screenplay saves gunplay (the natural response to such a small town invasion) for the final ten minutes, trying to steer the picture into a western-style viewing experience with Doctor Dave in the Clint Eastwood role. Such heroism doesn't take, but there's at least a little effort to do something else besides photograph men riding loud bikes and drunkenly wrestling one another, which "Hell Riders" is content to offer as much as possible as it stretches to reach a sellable run time. Biker films need a lot more verve and attitude than what Bryan is capable of summoning, making the viewing experience more about surviving repetition than cowering in fear.