Hell Ride is a grindhouse throwback directed by Larry Bishop, in partnership with executive producer Quentin Tarantino, which follows a band of rebellious bikers hell-bent on maintaining power in the dusty, sun-baked deserts of the western U.S.
Bishop stars as bad-ass biker boss Pistolero, who hits the road with fellow bikers The Gent (Michael Madsen) and Comanche (Eric Balfour) to avenge the 1976 slaying of Pistolero’s former love Cherokee Kisum (Julia Jones) by the Six Six Sixers - a rival motorcycle gang.
Billy Wings (Guy Ritchie vet Vinnie Jones) and bike riding legend Deuce (David Carradine) also star as members of the satanic biker gang the Six Six Sixers. Dennis Hopper also joins in the fun as former Victors member Eddie Zero.
Hell Ride should be very familiar to anyone old enough to remember the biker flicks of the 1960s. Bishop is a veteran of the genre, with a notable role in ‘68s The Savage Seven - which follows a rowdy motorcycle gang as they tear through an Indian reservation looking for nothing more than a good time.
His influence is obvious, as Hell Ride is unapologetic for anachronistic motifs and spaghetti-western feel. The simplistic plot, which is essentially a classic tale of revenge, seems to exist merely to put the characters in sequences that drip with coolness.
The *wink-wink* moments of parody in last year’s Grindhouse opus are nowhere to be found in Hell Ride. While the Victors and Six, Six, Sixers are often outlandish and comical, the humor is played with complete seriousness. The violence is never cartoonish, and at times can be downright disturbing. The vicious murder of the nubile Cherokee Kisum is portrayed realistically, and the camera never falters or cuts away.
Hell Ride is broken from the same mold as the movies it hallows with a torrent of Tarantino ultra-violence and sex tossed in for good measure. Bishop swaggers through the desert landscape, backing up his nickname of The Pres by putting down anyone who challenges the power of the Victors. The viewer enters the situation as the Victors are struggling to maintain the status quo.
The Victors are followers of three simple tenets: bikes, beer and booty, all of which are in plentiful supply in Hell Ride. There is nudity galore, with many scenes bordering on soft-core porn. Almost all of the actors perform while actually riding motorcycles, a great decision by Bishop that makes the action feel more authentic.
The “old timers” get their time to shine in Hell Ride, though, with Hopper’s Eddie Zero at the front line. His sarcastic humor shines some light on an otherwise unflinchingly grisly movie.
Hell Ride’s visual style is decent without being revolutionary. Most scenes occur in the desert or in bars, so the washed out colors and extreme white levels actually work pretty well. Much of the cinematography echoes Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2, with wide outdoor shots taking precedence.
The movie’s score is really well done. I heard songs that sounded familiar and catchy, but haven’t been overplayed in recent years. Most of the songs reflect the western motif, with enough variety to be engaging. The surround mix also complements the action nicely, accenting the visuals with authentic effects.
The biggest problem Bishop has with Hell Ride is finding places to insert believable emotion. The viewer is shown scenes that are meant to prompt some guttural response, yet the characters being killed are often shallow and uninteresting. Many times, the focus of the character development is put on Pistolero, whose motivations are totally clear: he wants revenge. The story might’ve been better served if the inspirations of the supporting characters were as easy to pick up on.
The DVD comes with some decent special features including commentary by writer/director/producer Larry Bishop and director of photography Scott Kevan. There are several features that take you into the making of the movie and also give you a better look at the characters and the bikes of the film. The DVD also includes a video diary from Michael Madsen.
Many young viewers will probably misunderstand Hell Ride as a simple attempt to cash in on the work of Tarantino. In all honesty, the film often plays the part of the copycat. However, there is another layer of homage to be found in Hell Ride, as it attempts to remind us of a time when being a biker was a symbol of independence and rebellion.
Viewers who can see through the blatant grindhouse packaging and who enjoy violent revenge flicks can probably find something to like in Hell Ride.
Hell Ride is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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