Customer Reviews

Born Losers [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Awesome biker film! Stars the legendary Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack in this violent tale of bikers terrorizing a small California beach town and raping college chicks at the bikers clubhouse( looks like it was an old spanish mission)It starts off with the charactor Billy Jack who is a green beret/ former rodeo rider/ rancher and who has just returned home from the war. He lives alone in a trailer in the nearby hills and now unemployed comes to town to discuss bank buisness/work Soon after Billy Jack becomes a one -man fighting machine who has to battle it out with the bikers for the safety of the town and Vicky Barrington, a rich, spoiled, but spunky college chick who falls into the hands of the bikers!(the townspeople and police in the town are cowardly fools, with the exception of Deputy Fred) Excellent opening scenes with the Billy Jack theme playing in the background as we see Billy Jack surveying the beauty of the California mountains and wildlife, and then riding down to the town(Big Rock) in his jeep. Very cool scenes with Vicky riding down the Pacific Coast Highway on her " bike"(Big Sur area) decked out in a revealing white bikini, go go boots and funky shades! Later scene with the "Born Losers" theme playing with her being chased and bugged by the bikers and their "hogs"! Violent scenes with an early road rage incident when a motorist bumps the gang leaders bike and it turns nasty! The hostage scenes at the bikers clubhouse and the very cool showdown with Gangrene and the other bikers at a Mobil gas station! The biker gang called the"Losers" has to be the most realistic and scariest portrayals in movie history! excellent cast, script, soundtrack and tale of revenge and mans fight for law and order! Billy jack- tom laughlin jeremy slate-daniel carmody(Excellent actor and standout performance here, also in many tv shows and movies The Mini-Skirt Mob, The Devil's Brigade, Hells Angels 69,True Grit, Hell's Belles, Sons of Katie Elder. Lawnmower Man. many more) william wellman jr-child( son of the famous movie mogul, also in other films Pork Chop Hill,Black Caesar,Winter A Go Go, Swingin Summer,The Trial of Billy Jack) elizabeth james- vicky barrington( later in Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry as a police dispatcher!) robert tessier-cueball( late but great charactor actor in the Deep, Hooper, Longest Yard, Hard Times,Glory Stompers,Breakheart Pass many more) jack starret-Deputy fred(late actor/director in First Blood, Race with the Devil, Hells Angels on Wheels, Angels From Hell, Small Town in Texas many more) paul prokop-speechless(in the Glory Stompers, Peace Killers biker films, Bridge At Remegen) edwin cook- crabs( the glory stompers, others) jeff cooper- gangrene(seen later in the Dallas television series and some other tv and movies parts)Tex Hall-(Losers Biker who gets his arm broken and later hits Billy Jack with the tire iron,look close for him in Hells Angels On Wheels and Werwolves on Wheels he was or played a biker and also did stunt driving in those !) paul bruce- district attorney( late actor seen in Billy Jack, others) stuart lancaster- sheriff (late charactor actor in many films) robert cleaves-mr crawford ( good charactor actor in many films) anne bellamy-mrs prang( charactor actress in many films and most recently seen in Castaway ) susan foster- linda prang(seen in Billy Jack and others) jane russell- mrs shorn( legendary actress in a convincing role!) delores taylor-woman pedestrian(tom laughlins wife and she starred in the other Billy Jack films!) Hey thanks for reading the review! Now go and buy the vhs or dvd if you dont have already, its a must for Biker and Billy Jack fans!

This was never more than a cult movie to begin with and this DVD is the cut for TV version. All but the most benign nudity is gone and so is the more agressive violence. This leaves it a pathetic kiddie version of the original. Unfortunately, there probably is not an original copy left as in the old days, once the movie was cut for TV then the original was often discarded as no further use could be seen for the complete movie. Obviously it would never return to theaters and the original could never be shown on TV so what posible use could it be. VCRS and DVDS, who knew? If your looking for that raw hard cheap exploitation film that we all loved, this ain't it. Save your money.

"Born Losers" began the Billy Jack legend. To most of us, it seemed like a prequel....we didn't see it until after Billy Jack became such a huge hit. "Losers" set box office records for the genre at the time, and was a star vehicle for supporting players like Robert Tessier (who later appeared in numerous movies and TV shows-- i.e. The Deep, Hard Times, and The Longest Yard) and Jeremy Slate (Lawnmower Man, Hells Angels '69, Mr. Horn, and Summer of Fear). "Losers" showcases Mr. Laughlin as the man minding his own business who is forced out of honor to protect himself and others from marauding bikers. As far as I'm concerned, it's the first great biker movie. Movie legend Jane Russell has an appearance (not exactly Oscar quality), but it is Tom Laughlin's power as the enigmatic hero that makes this movie legendary. Some consider "Born Losers" the best of the Billy Jack series. Me, I like them all. And...... check out the Billy Jack website, it's a must for the real fan of Billy Jack.

Before there was Dirty Harry, Han Solo, Shaft, Wolverine, or any other Antihero character you can name, there was Billy Jack. This character defined the word "Antihero" in the classic 1967 independent film " The Born Losers. Made on a shoestring for under $150,000 by director Tom Laughlin, the movie went on to become one of the highest grossing independent films of all time until Star Wars came out 10 years later.
Tom Laughlin is Billy Jack, an Ex-Green beret who plays by his own rules. Returning to the states after a tour of duty, all he wants to do is get back to a normal life in the California seaside town he's been staying in. A man of peace, this Half Native American trained in the martial arts will fight if he has to. And he will when trouble comes to town. A group of bikers known as the "Born losers" have come into town and are terrorizing the local people. Raping several college girls, the losers have the town in their grip. The sheriff won't arrest them and the DA won't prosecute them without testimony from the girls. All of the women are scared to testify except for Vicky (Elizabeth James) who won't give into the biker's threats and intimidation. Billy Jack protects her from the losers and in doing so kicks al lot of butt.
I caught Born Losers one late night on the late movie and since then I've seen it three times each time it got better. It's in my top ten favorite movies. Okay, the acting isn't Oscar worthy and the production values are kind of sparse. (It's a 1967 low budget film so I won't nitpick) But the story is so engrossing (it doesn't hurt that Elizabeth James looked SUPER hot in that bikini and biker boots riding down the coast) and the action shots so cool you can't help but hope Billy Jack beats the crap out of those losers.
A Shawn James Essential Video. Before you watch the rest of the antiheroes, take a look at the movie about the character who defined the words bad*** and Antihero.

When I saw "Born Losers" for the first time around 1970, I had a peculiar feeling that this story was not over---and I hungered for more! Then, of course, came "Billy Jack" and a legend was born. "Born Losers" set box office records for the genre at that time. It's just one of those movies that carries a quiet but mighty message: The good guy wins! On the surface, it may appear to be a simple bikers and chicks flick, but it was so much more. It carried a message of justice....... and how someone who just wants to mind his own business sometimes gets caught up in the fight for justice. I admit... Jane Russell's acting is not Oscar material, but the movie was a star vehicle for Robert Tessier, who later appeared in "The Deep", "The Longest Yard", "Hard Times" and a host of other movies and TV shows. Jeremy Slate also does an excellent job as the leader of the Biker gang too. Born Losers is a must for Billy Jack fans because it was, in most cases, unknown to fans as the precurser to the legendary film and Tom Laughlin masterpiece. And believe me.... there are still tons of Billy Jack fans out there. Check out the web site too.... it's worth it for fans.

This was probably the best out of all of the Billy Jack series, With Billy being the first passive force driven too far in order to become something to be reckoned with. (This has long been the staple treatments of many Steven Segaul characters) The most notable moment is the test of "manhood" between Billy and the leader of the biker gang involving the classic act of placing a burning cigar inside of both's exposed forearms to see who flinches first and pull's away. Most of the violence is rather passive by today's standards, but the characters are still just as ridiculous in todays light as back then, if not more so.

This is a superb movie! The first of the Billy Jack saga, this tells us what he did right after he got back from Viet Nam. We see the societal attitudes that prompted him to leave civilization and seek spiritual truth in the next movie. The acting and direction are wonderful, and there is a VERY interesting character played by Jane Russell. A type of part that she never did anywhere else!

Bikers (the BORN LOSERS m.c.) roll into a small town, raping and pillaging like vikings on a rampage! I love the bikers' names! My favorites are "Cueball", "Crabs", and "Gangrene"! These guys are fairly intimidating and somewhat disgusting in their attack on civilized society. They pretty much take over the town (sort of like in WILD ONE), while an impotent police force stands by and watches. Enter Billy Jack (Tom Laughlin), a green beret who's just returned from 'Nam and is definitely ready to crack some skulls! The gang is no match for our hero, who defeats anyone who dares to engage him! The fights are great (especially for 1967) and will have you cheering and demanding gallons of Born Loser blood! This one beats the sequel to death! No preachy-teachy / touchy-feely stuff here! This is Billy Jack the way I want to remember him, thrashing the badguys and plugging their evil, sociopathic leader right between the eyes! Also, who can forget the beautiful Vicky, that bikini-clad babe with the short, sassy do?! And, she rides a Harley too! Yowza! Classic!...

Ok, ok, so it's violent, often distasteful, and the acting often pretty bad. However, Born Losers is a greatly entertaining macho biker film from the swaggering sixties' Summer of Love. If you want to watch "Citizen Kane"-- go elsewhere. If you want "Superbad" or "Knocked Up" fun and games--get lost. If you want meaning, wisdom and enlightenment in a movie--take a hike. If you've had a long week at the office, the old lady is stressing you out, the kids are going nuts and the bills are piling up, just sit back and obtain some major catharsis. Jane Russell appears in a cheezy, annoying but well-done role. Jack Starrett, who was awesome in FIRST BLOOD [1982] as the sadistic deputy, is in this as a "nice" cop but NEVER steal his patrol car! Elizabeth James was simply beautiful & angelic and a pleasure to look at in this film but her choppy, monotone acting probably doomed her career while her brutalization in the film may turn some viewers off. The "count-to-three" standoff scene between hero Billy Jack and villian Jeremy Slate is a classic, never-to-be-forgotten clip. Again, this receives my highest rating for pure unpretentious entertainment and butt-kickin release value. Surely will not be liked by many but should be part of any retro 60's beach/biker flick fan's library to be used in lieu of a sit-down with Dr Jennifer Melfi.

Contrary to one reviewer's information, "Born Losers" was a smash at the box office the FIRST time it was released in '67. And it's easy to see why. It's the most entertaining of the "biker movie" genre, because it has a story and vivid characters. Elizabeth James is Vicky Barrington, a vacationing college student who comes up against a nasty motorcycle gang in a California mountain town. Naturally, the gang, headed by a weathered Jeremy Slate, take off after Vicky (who is on a motorcycle wearing white boots and a matching bikini) and two of them eventually catch and rape her. She's not the only victim. Three incredibly foolish local girls visit the gang's "clubhouse" and meet a similar fate. But they don't have a champion like Tom Laughlin (in his first appearance as Billy Jack) who manages to get Vicky out of danger (at least for a while) and subsequently falls in love with her. "Born Losers" has a great score by "Wild Angels" composer (and future Lieutenant Governor of California) Mike Curb, good acting by a large cast, and a fine cameo appearance by Jane Russell as the trashy mother of one of the victimized girls. Add some beautiful locations and some slick motorcycle stunts, and you have a "Born Winner!" Incidentally, beautiful Ms. James turned up as a police dispatcher in the seventies cult classic, "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry". She also wrote the screenplay for "Born Losers" (under the pen name 'E. James Lloyd'). [phillindholm]