Watch Angels Hard as They Come For Free

Too much of everything

Overrated

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A Disappointing Continuation

Jonathan Demme (Married to the Mob, The Silence of the Lambs) impressed Roger Corman with his writing ability and was asked if he wanted to try a motorcycle movie. His idea? Rashomon on motorcycles. He turned to his friend Joe Viola, a commercial director, and created this film.Long John (Scott Glenn, The Silence of the Lambs), Juicer and Monk (James Inglehart, Randy Black from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls!) get caught up in a busted drug deal before meeting up with the Dragons gang and heading to a ghost town. There, they meet a hippie commune, where Long John falls for Astrid. They argue over the bikers being evil because of Altamont while he counters that hippies have been tainted by Manson.The Dragons do, too. A fight ensues and Long John's girl gets raped and stabbed, with the Dragons framing the Angels. Their leader, the General (Charles Dierkop, the gas station attendant in Messiah of Evil) sentences them to fun and games, which means they all get dragged behind motorcycles. Monk escapes and organizes the rest of the gang, leading to a violent battle to end all biker battles.This movie is packed with long bike riding montages, sex, drugs, debauchery, mayhem and a young Gary Busey. It's talky, though and if you're not super into biker movies, this is probably not the one to start with.

I, John Hand, was the editor of CUSTOM CHOPPER Magazine in 1971 and I had a car and bike painter friend named Bill Carter who was appearing in the movie with his Harley. So I went out to the desert and watched them shoot some scenes. I put a report of this movie in my magazine but I have to admit that I never saw the movie later. Mr Demme the director sent me a letter with some clarifications about the movie and I put the letter in my magazine. Jonathan Demme, the director also told me to keep my eye on Scott Glenn, because he was going to go places. Well, as it turned out, they both went on to make and star in the big blockbuster and award winner SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Who would have thought?

Terrible Just TerribleI picked this up on VHS at the Salvation Army I was excited because it was a 70's film and obviously by the title it was some Hell's Angels knock off film, so hell how could it be bad.Bikers doing bad stuff, fist fights!NOThere is one fist fight and it's so dark on the VHS you can't see anything, in fact half the movie is that way.The Movie is garbageA guy even gets stabbed with a plastic hatchet!Don't Watch this, even if you want to see it for nostalgia value it's really not worth itThe only good scene in the damn movie is when this black guy is walking through the desert and he comes upon a couple on a dune buggy, and the black asks him for some gas then the guy continues to say hey I ain't welfare so then the guy offers him his girlfriend to some jungle lovin in which the black guy turns down FOR SOME REASON!?!?!?!? AND THIS WAS NOT A MIRAGE

As a biker movie, this is great. As an action film, it is pretty good. As a drama, it's awful.But if you want sleazy 60's style biker action, this film delivers in spades. I've seen most of the biker films from 1965-1973 (the original era), and I'd put this one near the top. These bikers are convincingly dirty, scummy and backstabbing (in more ways than one). They are some of the most bearded, shower-needing, dirt-eating, denim vest wearing reprobates that I have seen on film. I had the DVD of this film for a long time before I watched it, and I'm sorry I waited so long.You get sleazy, evil bikers lured to a ghost town and challenged and put upon by some other, even more sleazy, supremely evil bikers. There's also some hippies there, but they are basically pawns in the power game between the two biker factions. Soon enough, things move from drinking, sex and drag racing, to fist fighting, injuries and murder, as things get more and more intense and people's "honor" comes into play more and more.The bikers here don't meet up with with straight society; such people are barely seen in this film (a few police cars pass by a few times). There's just an arena, and two groups of gladiators doing combat with each other. Pure conflict between two wild animals, with no outside influences coming in to complicate things.I'd put this film right up there with The Wild Angels and Hells' Angels 69 for biker movie thrills. Also check out a crazy over-the-top biker thing, The Tormentors, if you can find it.I'd like to add that this film is Public Domain due to some idiot at Roger Corman's company failing to place a copyright notice on it. Therefore, you might be able to find a DVD of this film for as little as $1, or part of a multi-pack for cheap. If you do find this film for a dollar, then you have no excuse to avoid picking it up. It's a don't miss recommendation at that price, unless you don't like biker movies at all.