Customer Reviews

The Losers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you frequented the drive-ins in the late 1960s/early 1970s, you may not recognize the name Joe Solomon, but you're probably familiar with some of the films he released through his independent company called Fanfare Film Production, Inc., most notably his extremely popular motorcycle pictures like Hells Angels on Wheels (1967), Angels from Hell (1968), Run, Angel, Run (1969), and this one, titled The Losers (1970) aka Nam's Angels, not to be confused with the 1988 film Nam Angels, which was essentially the same story, but with lesser production values and none of the star power, directed by Cirio H. Santiago. This film, written by Alan Caillou (Village of the Giants, Kingdom of the Spiders) and directed by Jack Starrett (Run, Angel, Run, Cleopatra Jones, Race with the Devil), features legendary B movie actor William Smith (Run, Angel, Run, Any Which Way You Can, Conan the Barbarian). Also appearing is Bernie Hamilton (Hammer), Adam Roarke (Psych-Out, Frogs), Houston Savage, Eugene Cornelius (Run, Angel, Run), Vic Diaz (Black Mama, White Mama, The Big Bird Cage), and Paul Koslo (Vanishing Point, The Omega Man), sporting one of the more ridiculous perms I've seen in awhile.

Smith plays Lincoln `Link' Thomas, leader of a small motorcycle gang known as the Devils Advocates, who have been hired by the American army to ride into Cambodia to rescue a captured CIA operative named Chet Davis (played by the director himself), something the army couldn't do because officially, there was no war in the region. Link's crew is made up of some real characters, including Speed (Cornelius), Limpy (Koslo), and two, recent veterans of Vietnam conflict named Duke (Roarke) and Dirty Denny (Savage). Once in country, the boys hop on some motorcycles and ride into a small village near the Vietnam/Cambodian border, where the plan is to modify their motorcycles A-Team style before embarking on their mission. Both Duke and Denny tend to some unfinished business, there's some barroom brawling, Limpy hooks up with a babe, and it looks like the modification work on the bikes will never get done. Things change, though, when most of the gang gets arrested after a tussle with the local authorities, and some army representatives smooth things over on the condition they buckle down and complete their work. After finishing up on the bikes and spending a great deal of time working over the plans, the boys finally head off, invading a compound crawling with not only Viet Cong, but also Chinese army regulars. It's some kick ash action as all hell is unleashed. Things initially go well, but eventually the plan turns to feces as the guy they're sent to rescue is a real, un-cooperative a-hole, and he and Link have a history. The boys, or what's left of them, are captured and imprisoned, stuck behind enemy lines, with no hope of outside help. Things are certainly looking grim for our hapless, hairy heroes, but if motorcycle films have taught me anything, it's that bikers are a crafty, resilient, diehard bunch, and not likely to go down with out a fight.

It seemed to take a while for this movie, which was shot in the Philippines, to really get going, but once it did, woo wee! The first hour or so involved things getting set up, and featured more schmaltz than I would have preferred, especially in terms of Duke hooking back up with the girl he had to leave behind when his official tour of duty was over, and Limpy making time with a local woman who had a young daughter via a relationship with an American army officer who subsequently dumped her. I think these bits, along with a few other sequences, were meant to round out the characters rather than just portraying them as sleazy, dirty, drunken, greasy, hairy, stinky, foul mouthed bikers interested only in booze, broads, and brawling (that's Dirty Denny all over). They work to a point, but they also cause the movie to drag a little on the front end. Things do seriously pick up once the boys invade the enemy camp, riding hopped up motorcycles with armor plating and front mounted machine guns, blowing the hell out of everything in sight. The best parts involved Limpy, driving a three wheeled monstrosity known as the `hog wagon', which featured twin forward mounted, heavy caliber machine guns, along with a oversized rocket launcher. This movie is worth checking out alone for the scenes when he pops a wheelie so that he can fire rockets at overhead guard posts scattered throughout the compound. The action sequences were exceptionally orchestrated and filmed well, as was the stunt work, although the slow motion death sequence routine was over utilized a little. As far as the acting, it was solid all around, and it seemed like there was a good bit of improvisation in terms of the script, which featured plenty of juicy racist, un-politically correct comments thrown about. This might be objectionable to some, but given the context of the story and the characters themselves, it was representative of attitudes present at the time, and ultimately adding a certain level of realism to the movie. The blood may not have looked all that real, but there was plenty of it, especially near the end. One really odd aspect of the movie was the theme song. It's a sort of trite, folksy, fatalistic piece common of the time, sung by a woman with a high voice. I would have preferred a more rockin' bit of music (Stu Phillips composed the instrumental pieces featured in the film), but I think the piece was used to evoke a sense of melancholy for the characters whose destinies were predetermined long before they accepted the dangerous mission played out in the story, tying back to the title of the movie, The Losers.

Dark Sky Films provides an excellent looking, widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic print on this DVD release, along with a strong Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio track. As far as extras, there are English subtitles, a good commentary track featuring actors William Smith and Paul Koslo (along with a moderator), a photo gallery featuring promotional materials for the film, two radio spots, and a theatrical trailer for the movie along with one for another film called Werewolves on Wheels (1971).

Cookieman108

If I learned anything from this film, it's that thatched huts blow up real good and if a vindictive biker ever offers you a beer, be sure to keep one eye on him while you're guzzling it otherwise he'll punch you in your fat gut, causing you to lose your good time vibe (and your lunch).

I have been waiting for this movie to come out since DVD's were invented.This was the first war movie to come out during the Viet Nam era even though this takes place in Cambodia.The beginning action scene is awesome and gripping.I first saw this movie in a drive in theater and the opening night had William Smith and one of the women ( Kim Sue ) there to sign autographs.For the year 1970 this was a pretty good movie.Whether you call this a biker movie or war movie it was a pretty daring move by the director to make this movie while the USA was in the heat of the Viet Nam war..On my original VHS copy it has Joe Soleman as director and later VHS versions called Nam's Angels had a different director. I'll stick with the original.Great slow motion scenes..

"The Losers" is an exciting melding of Hell's Angels/Vietnam War/Hippie
Rebel genres. As such, it is a quickly-made, Philippines-shot, outrageous
hunk of violent exploitation. But the well-written script allows for
interesting character-development, and criticism not only of the Vietnam
War but of U.S. Government Establishment figures, shown here as a weasely
C.I.A. super-agent.

The young film viewers of 1970 could decide which "Loser" they liked
best: the brawny but sensitive Cowboy, the romantic NYC Romeo, the
Tie-Dyed Hippie-Stoner Kid, the "ZZ Top" Southern Bubba, or the paunchy,
balding, racist, but brave Pigpen. (Not their actual movie-names).
The Losers knew their daring raid into neutral Cambodia would never earn
them respect in the U.S.A., but they do it anyway. Then why-- for
patriotism, for excitement, for a chance to kill alot of Red soldiers?
Anyway, this is one Red compound where prisoners are given a choice of
cigarettes or a bag of weed to help while away the evening.

"The Losers" has enough shootings, stabbings, explosions, and wild
Yamaha scrambling through the jungle and grass shacks to satisfy the
most jaded action fan. Remember it was "The Losers" that Bruce Willis
was watching in a motel room in "Pulp Fiction," so it's an icon to Mr.
Tarantino. But you are repeatedly shown innocent civilians being killed,
so it is not entirely escapist entertainment. And of course, when the
gang is called "The Losers," it does not predict a bright outcome for them.

Most praiseworthy is the fabulous photography of the Philippines,
and Bernie Hamilton as the guilt-suffering Capt. Jackson, who deserted
his Vietnamese lady and mixed-race baby, but risks all to save the
mission. Extra features include a hilarious commentary by "Losers"
William Smith and Paul Koslo, with much ribbing about pastimes away
from the movie set.

Cheesey.The plot was OK but the acting, special effects , and music were terrible. I know it was filmed in the late 1960's or early 1970's but it was still sub-par for that era.

this movie is great - well made and action packed - william smith fans will love it - i saw this when i was a kid on tv and remembered it ever since - even acted it out in my backyard on my bike with my friends and our plastic toy machine guns - dark sky films is a great company - they release great genre movies from the 1960s and 1970s - if you are remotely interested in the types of movies they(dark sky) sell, i highly recommend their dvds

The Losers is a 70's based b-movie. Old school biker action not soo much.
More like Old School Bikers on Yamaha's in Nam. Kind of a different twist. Called back to help the soldiers in combat. Loads of action, stunts, politics. Bad bikers gone good? Holds your interest.

I gave this movie four stars because is NOT action-packed! The only action scenes are in the first three minutes and in the last 20 minutes but those two scenes were WILD, FAST, VIOLENT, EXPLOSIVE AND WITH COOL SLOW-MO SHOOTING!!!!

This movie is just like The Dirty Dozen but on stereoids! I mean... these 5 mercenary bikers are like wild animals and the US army release them to attack an entire enemy base with machine guns and rocket launchers that are attached to their bikes.

For a 70's movie this was like "Rambo", but on low budget. If you like movies with a FREAKING COOL EXPLOSIVE conclusion like Scarface then this one is for you.

P.S: I could say that this movie is better than Mad Max because of the action scenes, but Mad Max have a better concept.

Featuring the man, the myth, the legend, William Smith. Bikers showing the military how to fight Charlie Cong. Smith leads his gang to break into a prison camp in Cambodia including Paul Koslo (THE OMEGA MAN), Adam Roake (HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS, DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY), ETC. They don't make 'em like this anymore -- probably because most of the drive-ins this thing would have played in have been torn down. This was the Golden Age of biker films. Once it passed we would not see its like again. Forget THE DEERHUNTER, PLATOON, APOCALYPSE NOW -- if you want to know what it was like see this movie!

The quality of the acting is two stars, the plot well is cycles, bullets, bodies and the CIA. Yep that covers the plot. Look this is an example of cheap low buget fim making of the late sixties and early sevenites. This was cranked out for teenage boys to go to see at drive ins or the cheap theatres in their town to see. Roger Corman started these types of movies and spawned hundreds of copy cat movies. Th only reason to see this is to relive a time of American history or to see what GRIND HOUSE was paying tribute to. These were trash then and now they are kind of funny to watch.
However for me this movie means more. I can tell you exactly where and when I saw this movie and even the seat where I sat. I saw this one in Amarillo, Tx. at the State Theatre. I was in the balcony on the left side on the front row. I went to see this movie becasue the theatre was having a Sneal Preview with it. So for the price one, you got to see two moives and in 1970 that was a big deal. I remember thae audience hoop and hollored through LOSERS. The sneak came up and on the screen was the picture of some Army helicopters flying through some green hills. I though okay another war movie. Then four initals came up on the screen-M.A.S.H and the rest was history. You never a forget your first time to see a classic movie.

I saw William Smith for the first time on the big screen & fell in love!
I have seen ever since in all kinds of movies & on tv!
I love bikers! I love war movies! AND I LOVE ANYTHING WILLIAM SMITH DOES!