Exploitation films in a nutshell (part 3).

Psychedelic.
Means "mind manifesting". It is used to describe the state of consciousness typically experienced while under the the influence of drugs such as LSD, mushrooms, mescaline and cannabis. Consisting of different stages of ego-release and alterations of perception.
This word is also applied to art, movies and music that are inspired by or that enhance the psychedelic experience.

The psychedelic era occurred during the 60's and 70's but is generally regarded to be from 1965 to 1969.

Biker films in the 1960's.
The biker film genre of the 1950's was to be re-ignited again in the 60's. The psychedelic sixties brought even more changes into our culture. Movies got more violent and sex, drugs and rock and roll was to play a big part in influencing the minds of exploitation film makers of this era.
The major studios changed and more independent film makers got involved with low budget films aimed specifically for the youth who were filling the drive-in cinemas.
Some of the earliest biker films of this decade were actually British. Although lame in comparison to the later American films of this genre. These are the damned (1963) Directed by Joseph Losey is an early example.
There were several American biker themed films made in the early 60's including Beach party (1963), Scorpio Rising (Short. 1964) and Roustabout (1964). Although it wasnt until Russ Meyers Motor Psycho (1965) when biker flicks started to portray  the themes associated with exploitation films.

Motor Psycho (1965) Dir. Russ Meyer.

Although primarily known for his Sexsploitation flicks, Russ Meyers Motor Psycho is a serious attempt at drama  without any camp humour. The story involves three bad boy motorcyclists who get there kicks by raping women and generally being a nuisance in society.
It wasnt long after Motor Psycho was released that Roger Corman and American International Pictures were to exploit this lucrative market. The first and probably best known AIP film in this genre was The Wild Angels (1966), Directed by Roger Corman and starring Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra and Bruce Dern. AIP became interested in making a film about the Hell's Angels after seeing a photo on the cover of Life magazine for a biker's funeral.

The Wild Angels (1966) Dir. Roger Corman.

This role made Peter Fonda an American icon and  3 years after The Wild Angels was released Fonda was to reprise his leather clad motorcycling character once again in the now infamous and ultimate biker movie Easy Rider (1969). A landmark counterculture film, Easy Rider  explores the issues and tensions prevalent in the United States  during the 1960's and early 1970's such as drug use and hippie culture.
The film was released in the same year as the Woodstock festival and made in the same year as Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King's assassinations. The build up to the Vietnam war was also to play a major part  in the collapse of the idealistic visions that America had adopted in the previous decade and early 60's. Easy Rider was one of the first films of it's kind to portray a downbeat and bleak vision of the future with promotion slogans for the film proclaiming " A man went looking for America and couldn't find it anywhere".

Easy Rider (1969) Dir. Dennis Hopper.

Still from Easy Rider. Starring Peter Fonda (right), Dennis Hopper (left) and Jack Nicholson (middle).

A short list of other Biker flicks of the 1960's.

The girls from thunder strip (1966).
Director, David L. Hewlitt. Best known for sci- fi films such as Wizard of Mars and Journey to the center of time and written by comic artist Pat Boyette. Released in 1970.
Plot: A vicious gang of murderous bikers goes up against a trio of beautiful bootlegging sisters. IMDB

Devil's Angels (1967).
Director, Daniel Haller and written by Charles B. Griffith.
The film follows Cody (John Cassavetes) and his motorcycle gang the Skulls after being forced to flee their home town when a member of the gang accidently kills a local citizen. Distributed by American International Pictures. IMDB

Hells Angels on wheels (1967).
Director, Richard Rush and written by R Wright Campbell (screenplay). Starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Roarke.
The film tells the story of a gas station attendant with a bad attitude who finds life more exciting after he is allowed to hang out with the Hells angels outlaw motorcycle club. The "Offical" Hells Angels approved film!!. IMDB

The Glory Stompers (1968).
Director, Anthony M. Lanza. Written by James Gordon White and John Lawrence.
Chino (Dennis Hopper) is a tough leader of a motorcycle gang who starts off a war when he abducts and mistreats the leader of the enemy biker gang, Darryl and his girlfriend. Things get violent when Darryl comes back for revenge. IMDB

Naked Angels (1969).
Director Bruce D Clark (and writer).
Mad dogs from hell hunting down their prey with a quarter-ton of hot steel between their legs. After being released from the hospital, a motorcycle gang leader sets out to avenge himself on the thugs who put him there in the first place.
The film's soundtrack was co-written by Jeff Simmons who eventually went on to become a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of invention. IMDB











Other(non-biker) Psychedelic films

The Trip (1967). Released by American International Pictures, Directed by Roger Corman and written by Jack Nicholson.
This psychedelic tribute to the properties of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)  sees Peter Fonda play a disillusioned TV commercial director who decides to drop acid for the first time in the hope of finding some meaning in his life whilst going through a bitter divorce from his wife played by Susan Strasberg.

Psych-out (1968). Directed by Richard Rush. Written by

E.Hunter Willett and Betty Ulius (screenplay).

Another AIP Production starring Susan Strasberg, Dean Stockwell, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern.

Jenny(Strasberg)  plays a deaf runaway  who arrives in San Francisco in search for her brother Steve (Dern). She encounters Stoney (Nicholson) and his hippie band Mumblin Jim in a coffee shop. Stoney and his pals turn the square Jenny into a swinging drug taking  hippie chick. Along with their buddy Dave (Stockwell) they search for Steve amidst the psychedelic splendor of the Haight-Ashbury hippie haunts.

The Acid Eaters (1968).  Directed by Byron Mabe and produced by David F. Friedman. Although this film contains some bikers can't really be classed a proper biker flick. Three hippie couples leave there 9 to 5 jobs in order  to take LSD  and go on a psychedelic adventure.