catfish-er I watched WILD RIDERS as part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics (featuring Crown International Pictures releases) on DVD.The similarities between Arell Blanton's character (Pete) and Peter Fonda's cannot be an accident – it has to be the hair, sideburns, glasses; and, the times. No doubt, Crown International shot WILD RIDERS to ride the coattails of EASY RIDER, released two years earlier.However, this movie has more in common with Crown International's TRIP WITH THE TEACHER (also part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics) than its better-known road trip movie.Both Crown International films share the same crude production values, sadistic motorcycle goons, and shocking ending. However, a better telling of the rape / torment / revenge story (without the motorcycles) is the excellent LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.While EASY RIDER is about the trip, we find none of that in WILD RIDERS, which takes us from a desolate Florida execution of Pete's girlfriend to the Hollywood Hills during the title sequence.Speaking of the opening sequence, Arell Blanton sings the opening folk song, "he's my family" (keep your day-job!) The song comes across as Pete's love-anthem for his best friend, Stick, unless you really listen to the words.If you do, you find that the song really sets the tone for the entire movie; "if you knew him, would you think he could kill?" Elizabeth Knowles did a credible job as the bored housewife / curvaceous, redhead Rona. She is a bit of a thrill-seeker, entertaining the neighborhood peeping tom, while her musician husband is away. No wonder she succumbs to Pete's offer to trade a dip in the pool for a ride on his motorcycle… ahem… among other things.Stick, his seemingly retarded buddy, played by Alex Rocco, quickly goes after the sexually-repressed Laure (played by Sherry Bain), while Mona and Pete begin getting it on in the pool (while Laure watches).According to Mona, the only kind of games Laure likes to play are spectator sports; but being this close to the action is just a little too real for her… I thought director Richard Kanter drew a stark contrast in the sequence of quick cuts between Pete and Mona's lovemaking and Stick's rape of Laure. The music during this sequence just builds the intensity of the violence.It seems that post-coital, both the lover and the rapist are quick to descend into a pit of violence, degradation, and humiliation. However, all the trips back and forth by Pete really slowed the pace of the movie. The bar scene, the bike chase, and attempted escape were just to fill time… Other reviews have described Pete and Stick as some crank-addicted George and Lennie in a white-trash version of "Of Mice and Men". I think this is an apt comparison.It is not a must-see movie; but I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to fans of low budget movies.

Scott_Mercer This film starts off promisingly, (for sick, sick thrills) when our two main characters torture and kill Pete's girlfriend because she dared to cheat on him, and with a man who had the gall to be born with a high melanin content, no less. This is too much to stand, even for the rest of the scuzzy biker gang they are riding with, so the gang leader tells them to beat it, hit the road and don't come back, the gang is splitting up and some of us are going to California.So, the two scuzz buckets, Pete (reminiscent of Peter Fonda's Heavenly Blue, only meaner) and Stick (he's a bit slow but lovable, for a moronic sadist), go off by themselves like some crank-addicted George and Lennie in a white-trash version of "Of Mice and Men". Out of money and desperate, our two anti-heroes take over a somewhat posh suburban home where two sisters are holed up, bickering, since hubby is away on business.The two creeps take over the house and hold the ladies hostage, and we settle in for over an hour of what appears to be a sort of bargain-basement "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf" on meth. Various physical and psychic tortures are inflicted upon both the victims and tormentors, as mind games galore play themselves out, until the inevitable, bloody conclusion. And since this was made during the post-Altamont era, you just know that the ending is most certainly NOT going to consist of the main characters going off into the sunset or sharing milk and cookies. Let's just say you'll never look at the cello the same way again.A violent creep fest full of ugliness, recriminations and unnecessary cruelty. But in spite of that, I still didn't like it.I can sum up the problem here in four words: not enough bike riding. A few more chase scenes, biker parties with naked chicks, or even a shootout with the police, and I might have gotten on board with this little sleaze fest. But, they blew it. I totally get that they had a very low budget to work with, but this wasn't the way to solve that problem. In spite of this, I give it a three since Alex Rocco puts in a good performance as a mildly retarded reprobate.

Woodyanders This typically trashy Crown International Pictures release may not be the foulest, single most scuzzy and revolting biker movie ever made (Al Adamson's cartoonishly repellent doozy "Satan's Sadists" gets my vote for that particular dastardly dishonor), but it still rates pretty highly as a real sleazy slice of wonderfully rancid drive-in cinema schlock just the same.Vicious, quick-witted dirtball Harley hound Pete (sneerfully played to the hissable hilt by Arell Blanton, who also co-wrote and sings the hideously slushy folkie theme song) and his brutish, mangy, unshaven, garbage-eating rapist retard buddy Stick (a terrifically odious and ferocious let it all hang out greasebag performance by Alex Rocco; Moe Greene in "The Godfather") get tossed out of a Florida motorcycle club after they murder a woman by nailing the luckless screaming lass to a tree (ouch!). En route to California the deadly disgusting duo seek refuge from the authorities in a remote hillside mansion. In said fancy abode resides bored buxom brunette thrill-seeker Elizabeth Knowles and repressed ravishing redhead Sherry Bain (who also appeared in the excellent, underrated AIP biker item "The Hard Ride" the same year), who not surprisingly wind up being savagely victimized by our twisted sicko outlaw twosome.Director Richard Kanter gleefully rubs the audience's noses in a virtually nonstop graphic orgy of coarse violence, raw fisticuffs, abject degradation and stirring last reel harsh retribution, thus making this so-nasty-it's-downright-gnarly nugget a must-see for hard-core fans of lowdown gritty early 70's exploitation swill. The spirited performances, unceasingly gross and seedy subject matter, and especially the rough, unpolished production values -- shaky cinematography, ragged editing, a raunchy sub-Davie Allan fuzztone guitar burning score -- add immensely to this grungy marvel's substantial scroungy appeal.

william turner ***spoilers*** Smooth talking Pete and his smelly,idiot pal Stick leave Florida(as well as a girl nailed to a tree)and travel west to California. From a lookout point in the Hollywood hills,Pete spies Rona by her pool sunbathing with her friend Laura. Before long,Pete manages to talk his way into her yard,into her pool,into her home,and into the bed of the sex starved lady of the house. Meanwhile,Laura insults Stick, so he beats and rapes her. When Laura tells Rona, Pete gets violent. The terrified women are then held captive as the two bikers ransack the house and threaten them with more rape and worse. Despite this, Rona falls in love with Pete. Unfortunately for Rona,her musician husband returns home and proceeds to kill Pete and Stick with his cello! This movie kind of reminded me of a much tamer "Last house on the Left" with it's crude production values,sadistic goons,and shocking just desserts. It even has a theme song written and performed by it's lead dirtbag. Surprisingly, "The Wild Riders" predates the other movie by a year I wouldn't go as far as to call this a must-see,but I enjoyed it enough to reccomend it to fans of low budget,low class exploitation.