Motorpsycho! — Motorpsycho!( Blu Ray)
Motorpsycho! was the 11th film from American filmmaker/ writer Russ Meyer. It was made just before his first breakthrough/cult classic film Faster, Pussycat!, Kill!, kill! In the year 1965. Unlike much of Ms Meyer’s output, there’s no camp, cheese, or wacky plotting elements- as Motorpsycho! is more of a straight, dusty set and gritty action thriller- regarding a trio of bikers who go on rape and murder spree- with the unlikely pairing of a small-town veterinarian, and French Filipino ex-dancer looking for vengeance. The film feels of its time, with its brisk blend of noir thriller, gunplay ‘n’ chase-based action, and drama. Here, from Severin, as part of their series of reissued Meyer films, is a Blu-ray release of the film, taking in a new 4 K scan, a commentary track, and an interview.
Motorpsycho! was shot in the Mojave Desert- moving between dusty roads, isolated gas stations, and grimy rivers- all beaten down on by the unrelenting sun. The film has a runtime of tight and taut seventy-four minutes.
The film focuses three-piece biker gang, led by the unbalanced and unpredictable Brahmin (Steve Oliver), listening to rock ‘n’ roll on his radio Slick (Timothy Scott), and quaff-haired and shade-wearing Dante (Joseph Cellini).
We first see them throwing around/ roughing up a well-proportioned woman in a stripy bikini and her fisherman husband. Then moving their focus onto small town veterinarian Cory(Alex Rocco) and his brunette wife Gail (Lane Carroll)- they first try it on with her in the dusty streets, but he pushes them away- but then the gang track her down to her house- roughing her up & raping her.
As the film unfolds, the gang head out into the desert to escape their crimes- with Cory pairing up with ex-dancer Ruby (Haji) the gang gunned down her husband. We get very dusty car/ truck races, snake attacks, a knife fight, and a hillside shootout.
Cast-wise, Oliver works well as the hard-faced, later mentally unfolding gang leader. Rocco, as our heroic vet, is fine, with a decent rowed up moment- he has a more thickly set & husky voiced Steve McQueen quilty. And Haji( in her first role) is effective as the tough-yet-foxy ex dancer- who mangers to show a fair emotional range.
The film is soundtrack by a mix of gunning instrumental rock ‘n’ roll/ garage rock, upbeat & moody horn-lined fare, and noirish jazz.
While Motorpsycho! may not be the most notable, distinctive, or unpredictable as some of Meyers ' later films. It certainly nods towards what he’d do later, and there were a few/ ahead of its time/ firsts in the film, like the unbalanced Vietnam vet element, and a sassy, tough female.
Moving on to this recent region-free Blu-Ray takes in a 4k scan, so the black and white stock looks nice and crisp, with good clarity throughout. On the extras side, we have two things- a commentary by Film Historian Elizabeth Purchell and Filmmaker Zach Clark- this is a well-observed and researched affair. They begin by talking about how the picture is often seen as a lesser version/ dry run for his next film Faster, Pussycat!, Kill!, kill!- and how/ why this is unfair. They talk about how it feels like the first true Meyer film- as before this he went from nudie cuties, onto gothic dramas. They discuss how they first both came aware of this film and Meyers' other work. They chat about how there is zero padding here, and how the director may have invented the MTV form of rapid editing, finding out there are an astonishing 700 cuts in the film's length. They discuss the ripped-from-the-headlines poster, and how there was some fear of biker gangs in reality in the US. We find out the film was shot in just three weeks, with a crew of six, many of whom appeared in small roles in the film. Later on, they compare the film to other notable exploitation films of 1965, how the picture has a clean/ classic look, and more. So a most worthy track
The other extra here is Desert Rats On Hondas ( 21.26) taking in recently filmed interviews with actors Haji And Alex Rocco- this features some decent stories, and general input from the pair.
While Motorpsycho! is not as important/ impactful as the later key Meyer films. It’s a pacy and tense 60’s exploitation film, with a few firsts in it. This new Severin release takes in a classy print and a small-but-interesting selection of new extras.