Black Angels (1970)

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Blistering performances.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Judging this from the German dubbing "Black Angels - die sich selbst zerfleischen", I have to say the dialogue in this one is funny as hell, just as in almost every other 60/70s biker movie.This one features a black biker gang (the Choppers) that lives in harmony with a white biker gang... until circumstances are stirring both gangs up against each other.The film contains bike rides, weird side characters, surprisingly not-that-cool music and a really funny bar brawl scene that features funky 60s posters (Weedies, Speed Kills, Hendrix), including a huge poster of Fonda in "Easy Rider", a nice meta-joke. There are even real-life wildcats in this one. Also, a character wears an outrageous Shakespearian shirt and urinates on another character while sittin on a tree.But... The potential of the Blaxploitation-like title is never really "exploited", the film even revolves a lot more about the white gang (the Satan's Serpents) and there is a sad lack of cool black bikers riding bikes. The topic of racism is introduced as a minor character who plays a significant role in the movie's illogical conclusion. An ending that nevertheless features a satisfying final battle.Still definitely one of the better biker movies if only for the trash-nostalgia.

I always wanted to see "The Black Angels" because James Whitworth and Channon Scot,the director of lost and forgotten Bigfoot horror flick "Sasqua" were in it.Channon Scot during our "Sasqua" interview told me about "The Black Angels":"'The Black Angels' was the 1st feature film,I,Big Jim Whitworth and others that were in "Sasqua" did in,I believe,1969,if that's when they landed on the moon I got the year right.We shot that in 14 days at Paramount Ranch and all for a $1 a piece and never got to change our clothes.The director Lawrence Merrick wanted us to really feel like a biker.We stunk for all that time.That's when we met the Manson family and that's when one of our buddies took a 16mm cam and filmed them on the Sphan Ranch.Afterwards is when they committed all those crimes".The film tells the story of a fierce rivalry between two motorcycle gangs:the white Serpents and the black Choppers.It's pretty dirty and exploitative as it features rape scene,stabbings and even wild cats attacking people.If you are a fan of bikersploitation sub-genre you will enjoy "The Black Angels".7 out of 10.

I agree with the other comment posted here - we're talking Ed Wood bad -- we're talking Plan 9 might have to step down. This movie is so full throttle awful - you wont believe it - bad writing, awful camera work, ugly chicks, for no reason live raccoons and a mountain lion partying with the bikers sas they drink beer and smoke weed, the WORST fight sequences, terrible "rock" songs with a message and one of thos early 1970's downer endings that supposed TO MEAN SOMETHING, MAN!!!! My friends and I howled and hooted and applauded. Some of the acting is so bad, you are left numb. Fight scenes that my brother and I did better when we were 6 and 7 "fighting" in the back yard. I cant believe this movie isnt more famous on the Midnight movie circuit!!! If you love turkey cinema - go on and feast!

Here is a biker flick that tries to deal with interacial tensions between black & white clubs. There are fights, drugs, riding, sex (to include a vary racy (no pun intended) rape with 2 black men & a white woman). Its fun to watch this in its silly production, 1 just has to remember this is a exploitation film, it is intended to make money off this type of flick, that is biker's & black's.