Cult Movie Challenge 2018 | 39/52 | Biker
A biker gang called The Devil’s Advocates rides across the California highway. A green truck forces one of them off the road, causing them to eat dirt. The other bikers chase down the truck, corner it at a gas station, and take turns punching it. They enter the station for some beer. A biker named Tarot offers to read cards, and Helen asks how she’s going to die. He shows her a fate she cannot change, and The Tower — a catastrophic end.
Back on the road, the gang takes a dirt trail and gets lost. The gang sees a satanic cross off in the distance atop a church. From inside, hooded men watch the bikers approach. They come out in a procession to greet the bikers, offering them bread and wine. A monk takes the hair off of one of the bikers as they all pass out.
That night, in the church, One, the only monk who speaks, invokes Satan, killing a cat to start a ritual which will produce the bride of Satan. Helen, in a trance, races to the church, where they feed her blood-soaked bread, intent on sacrificing her to Satan. Her boyfriend, Adam, awakens to find Helen missing and screams off in the distance.
The gang interrupts the ritual. But what’s done cannot be undone. Helen lives, but at what cost?
So much of this movie is dudes riding around on bikes, but I didn’t mind. Maybe it’s because it is not as indulgent or self-serious as Easy Rider. Or perhaps it’s because I just watched Savage Sisters, which had awful cinematography, and this movie is quite dynamic. The filmmakers make good use of handheld cameras. They also have some intentional compositions. When the bikers reach the desert, we get moments that feel almost surreal, really elevating the experience.
I don’t know, I didn’t mind this one. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a fair amount of crap lately, but the movie does what it says on the box and looks good doing it.
Stray Thoughts
- Shirley is hilariously horny.
- The Satanic ritual is fun!
- The chronic outlaw country is its own kind of hell, but I didn’t hate it.
- I like how many of the bikers are kind of gay with one another. Like, not in a “no homo” way, just kissing on each other and holding each other.
- This finale is trippy as hell.