Synopsis:
A bored gas pump attendant (Jack Nicholson) joins the Hells Angels and falls for the “Momma” (Sabrina Scharf) of the gang’s leader, Buddy (Adam Roarke).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Gangs
• Jack Nicholson Films
• Motorcyclists

Review:
This exploitation flick — made with input from Sonny Barger, founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels — was just one of many sub-genre films attempting to cash in on the success of Roger Corman’s Wild Angels (1966). Unfortunately (surprise, surprise), it’s a disappointing mess: all we see is yet more evidence of how viciously unappealing this gang is (was?) as a counter-cultural alternative to squaresville. As DVD Savant describes the gang in his review, “They intimidate people, scare girls, break up bars and use every opportunity to get into brawls.”

They casually kill a couple of people, too. Fun. The single redeeming feature of their lifestyle is, not surprisingly, their rides out on the open road:

… but these simply serve as interstitial respite. As noted in TV Guide’s review, “Even Nicholson’s presence can’t lift this trash to a one-star listing.”

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Leslie (Laszlo) Kovacs’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review (spoiler alert)
• Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review