Believe it or not, Hell's Angels 69, released at the tail end of the `biker' genre, was not the first film to feature the Angels (that credit goes to the 1967 film Hells Angels on Wheels), but, it was the first film where the boys actually got speaking parts. Co-written by Jeremy Slade (who also co-stars) and Tom Stern (who also co-stars and produced the movie), with the screenplay by Don Tait (Chrome and Hot Leather, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Herbie Goes Bananas), and directed by Lee Madden (Angel Unchained, The Manhandlers), the movie features Conny Van Dyke (W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings), who, along with appearing on numerous television game shows throughout the 70s was also Motown's first, white recording artist, G.D. Spradlin (The Godfather: Part II, Apocalypse Now, Ed Wood), along with a slew of real life Hell's Angels including Charles `Magoo' Tinsley, John `Terry the Tramp' Tracy, Tiny Walters, Clifford `Skip' Workman, and Ralph 'Sonny' Barger, also known as the Godfather of the Hells Angels and the most famous outlaw Biker in the world.
As the movie begins we're in Los Angeles, at a real swinging party, a happening shindig hosted by two seemingly well-to-do brothers Wes (Slate) and Chuck (Stern), in a groovy apartment complete with wall to wall pink shag carpeting...zowie! The boys talk briefly about some plan, and then cut out early arriving at a posh house in the hills. The next morning we see the two leaving, dressed as bikers, driving a pair of choppers (motorcycles). They ride out into the country and stake out the Hell's Angels (the Oakland chapter, to be specific), eventually weaseling their way into hanging out with the club. The pair participate in various club activities like drinking beer, riding around recklessly, drinking beer, terrorizing a small town, drinking beer, brawling with each other, drinking beer and so on...did I mention they drink beer? Also, Chuck buys Betsy (Van Dyke), a tag along bimbette of the club, for a pack of smokes (I wonder what he could've gotten for a carton). Anyway, after Wes and Chuck get a serious beat down from the bikers (I thought it was an initiation of sorts, but this wasn't the case), they hear the Angels are planning on a road trip, to which Wes and Chuck suggest Las Vegas as a destination, as that's where the action is...or, at least the action as far as their plans go. Turns out Wes and Chuck have designs on robbing one of the casinos, and are planning on using the Angels as part of a diversionary tactic. The group does go to Las Vegas, the brothers manage the heist and get subsequently get away, trading in their choppers for dirt bikes and fleeing across the desert. The Angels, learning of the ruse, are hot on the heels of the deceptive duo and it's not to congratulate them for their recent successes...
Okay, first off I want to mention that there is no huge Las Vegas riot scene in this film, despite the fact that on the front of the DVD case it states "This was the RUMBLE that ROCKED Las Vegas!". This was a little disappointing to me, I was really looking forward to some serious bone snapping, head cracking, blood spilling action as the cops and the bikers participated in an all out battle royale. There is a showdown of sorts, but it ends all rather amicably, and without much fuss. One of the most interesting aspects of the film for me was when the group was cruising the Las Vegas Strip, and seeing how relatively quaint the Las Vegas Strip was compared to today (Caesar's Palace was miniscule to its current form). As far as the acting goes, the `professional' performers did all right (none of them broke a sweat, but the material was very simplistic), while Sonny and his club members, while not professional actors, did well enough, and besides, these aren't the kind of guys I'd think would stand around while the director took take after take after take trying to get the shot right. As far as the story goes this wasn't the best biker movie I've ever saw, but it was far from the worst. At the very least it was kept relatively straightforward. Having real life Hell's Angels present certainly provided a sense of authenticity, and the film does feature a lot of what one expect in a flick like this in the four B's...bikes, boozing, brawling, broads (a bit skimpy on this last one, though). The whole subplot with Van Dyke's character realizing there's more to life than being the property of a biker club seemed awkward at times, and near the end it really dragged on the film as her newfound outlook on life leads to complications between Wes and Chuck, but other than that, the story moved along at a decent pace. The stunts were well done, and the fight scenes felt very real which made me wonder if any of it was staged, or if the guys were just cut loose to go at each other. The funniest scene in the film was when Chuck and Wes changed from their biker outfits into suits and really phony looking wigs, prior to robbing the casino. Had I been on the scene when this happened, and the police later questioned me as to if I saw anything strange or unusual, I would have responded, "What, besides the two guys with really bad crew cut wigs?" All in all an interesting film that plods along at times, and features an ending you might not expect, but one should keep in mind the Hell's Angels had a stipulation in that while they could be depicted as being fooled in the movie, they ultimately had to have the last word.
Media Blasters provides a good looking, fullscreen (1.33:1) picture on this DVD, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 audio comes through clean enough. There are a number of special features including a original trailer for the film, an intro by Joe Bob Briggs, a featurette titled `Conny Van Dyke: Message to Her Fans' (9:30), a Connie Van Dyke photo gallery, liner notes and movie info print on the DVD booklet insert, and a commentary track featuring Joe Bob Briggs. Also included are trailers for other Media Blaster DVD releases like Blood Shack (1971), Hell High (1989), Samurai Cop (1989), and The Hollywood Strangler (1979). The movie itself rates three stars, while Joe Bob Brigg's commentary track earns this release an extra star. That man sure knows his cinematic crud.
Cookieman108
If I learned anything from this film it's not to cross the Hell's Angels...they seem reluctant to forgive and forget...and a pack of cigarettes goes far in biker clubs.
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