Akira (Special Edition)

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Artist-writer Katsuhiro Ôtomo began telling the story of Akira as a comic book series in 1982 but took a break from 1986 to 1988 to write, direct, supervise, and design this animated film version. Set in 2019, the film richly imagines the new metropolis of Neo-Tokyo, which is designed from huge buildings down to the smallest details of passing vehicles or police uniforms. Two disaffected orphan teenagers--slight, resentful Tetsuo and confident, breezy Kaneda--run with a biker gang, but trouble grows when Tetsuo start to resent the way Kaneda always has to rescue him. Meanwhile, a group of scientists, military men, and politicians wonder what to do with a collection of withered children who possess enormous psychic powers, especially the mysterious, rarely seen Akira, whose awakening might well have caused the end of the old world. Tetsuo is visited by the children, who trigger the growth of psychic and physical powers that might make him a superman or a supermonster. As befits a distillation of 1,318 pages of the story so far, Akira is overstuffed with character, incident, and detail. However, it piles up astonishing set pieces: the chases and shootouts (amazingly kinetic, amazingly bloody) benefit from minute cartoon detail that extends to the surprised or shocked faces of the tiniest extra; the Tetsuo monster alternately looks like a billion-gallon scrotal sac or a Tex Avery mutation of the monster from The Quatermass Experiment; and the finale--which combines flashbacks to more innocent days with a destruction of Neo City and the creation of a new universe--is one of the most mind-bending in all sci-fi cinema. --Kim Newman

Description

In 1988, the landmark Anime film AKIRA, by director Katsuhiro Otomo, defined the cutting edge of Anime around the world. By today's standards, Akira remains the pinnacle of cel animation and retains the explosive impact of its highly detailed animation and its intensely violent saga of power and corruption. Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists. The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him! Nothing can stop the destructive forces that Tetsuo wields except possibly the last boy to destroy Tokyo. Insert: 1) Black BRC response card (regular version).

2) Todd McFarlane Toy Insert (limited to 300,000 total inserts) * Anime masterpiece first time ever on DVD for North American release! * Created and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Special Features: * Digitally re-mastered including High Definition film transfer, High Definition restoration. * THX Certified * New English dialogue, new 5.1 mix (on the English audio only), scene access and more. * Disc 2 contains supplementary materials including "Akira" Production Report, "Sound Clip," director's interview, trailers, production materials, Restoration of "Akria", and "Akria" glossary. * Widescreen format (1:78) and enhanced for widescreen TV's (anamorphic). Akria The Special Edition (DVD9, 2 discs)

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal animation.......2007-09-08

Members of a motorcycle gang in the dystopian metropolis of Neo-Tokyo become involved with a powerful psychic force and the governments agents who seek to control and exploit it. "Akira" has been hailed as a watershed in the history of anime. I don't know enough about the genre to evaluate it on that level, but I can certainly testify to its power as spectacle. Though made in 1988 using traditional animation techniques, it equals or surpasses anything made today, including the current plethora of CGI productions. The images and backgrounds are detailed, the movements are smooth, and the story is apocalyptic enough to provide a suitable foundation for such incredible visuals. The script is mostly successful as well, but the resolution that I so eagerly anticipated turned out to be incomprehensible metaphysical gobblety-gook. Though that prevents it from attaining 5-star status, it remains an impressive achievement and a must-see film for animation fans.

Weak Story, But Good Animation.......2007-07-31

I didn't enjoy Akira as much as I expected--it's one of those films that gets sillier and more preposterous every minute, and not in an ironic, funny way--but I would still recommend it to fans of The Matrix (it explores some of the same themes) or of anime generally. Although the premise and the plot wore thin after a while, the animation is excellent and the English dubbing is also quite good.

I'm being totally 100% dead serious about this........2007-07-26

Akira: Most certainly NOT the most superbly overrated, pseudo-philosophical brain fart, piece of garbage to ever be splattered on the screen.

So, I watched this movie and at first I didn't like it, but then I talked to fans of the movie and I was informed that it was not only impossible to dislike this film, but it was also practically criminal. Phew! I was this close to writing about how this was an incomprehensible jumble of idiotic nonsense with poorly developed characters whose actions seem to be decided more by dumb luck and lousy writing rather than genuine character development. Now, however, I've been informed that I'm not allowed to dislike this film; thanks Akira fans!

From the very beginning of this excellent movie, things start off strong and never let up. There's this intellectually deep and thought provoking scene wherein the characters are riding around on motorcycles and beating people up. This is obviously social commentary on modern obsession with celebrities. Suddenly, government officials kidnap a biker named Tetsuo and give him telekinetic powers, all for reasons I'm sure are just too advanced for me to grasp. Tetsuo breaks out of the secret government facility very easily because that makes perfect sense and is a very smart way to advance the plot. Once free he seeks out his biker gang friends, who are all so nondescript as to be interchangeable which symbolizes how the youth of today wear strange clothes.

After a few scenes of bike races, violent schools, attempted rape, and Tetsuo hallucinating himself tearing his gut out in graphic and therefore good detail, Tetsuo passes out and is picked up by the government who conveniently happened to be passing by. Then comes the sublime artistic maneuver of having elderly looking kids attack Tetsuo with giant teddy bears that bleed milk. Tetsuo realizes the full extent of his new powers, learns of the being called Akira who caused massive destruction years ago. Tetsuo follows the logical course of action and decides to go on a random killing spree while tracking down this Akira with a motivation so deep that it isn't even present in the movie. Which I believe to be a form of commentary on the Rorschach inkblot test.

The last portion of the film is every bit as poignant and moving as the first, which is to say very, very much so. Tetsuo continues his rampage across the city killing all his friends in the process, save one. This one remaining friend then resolves to kill Tetsuo, he picks up a laser gun off of one of the soldiers who died fighting Tetsuo and despite the fact that he has no formal training and is not a professional soldier he manages to survive encounter after encounter after encounter with Tetsuo whereas whole armies were swept aside by the unstoppable youth. The realism and dramatic tension of these battle scenes surpass any work by such two-bit hacks as Shakespeare and Hemingway, additionally they are also numerous and satisfying, comprising what must be at least a third of the film. This movie, unlike weaker degenerate movies made by the pig dogs at Disney, has not just one or two climaxes, but has several climactic moments which have been stacked one on top of the other making it seem as if the movie was twice as long as it actually was. Remember, you can never have too much of a good thing!

Some hippies think Tetsuo is Jesus or something and then get killed by him with no explanation. Phenomenal!

The enigmatic titular character Akira turns out to be dead. Sensational!

Tetsuo transforms into a giant meatloaf for no appreciable reason. Mind-blowing!

A giant ball of light appears out of nowhere and sucks in Meatloaf Tetsuo. Stupendous!

The few cast members left standing survey the carnage and nonchalantly comment on how they think Tetsuo isn't really dead as if it's a good thing. Amazing!

The camera flies through a tunnel of light and Tetsuo says "I am Tetsuo!" from off screen. Unbelievable, fantastic, exceptional, splendid, vivid, exciting, magnificent, wonderful, spectacular, outstanding, and it's good too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Akira is most certainly not one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life, and it is entirely plausible that people like this film because it was good and not just because they are pressured into it or it was the first anime they ever saw. In fact, I did not find it such a terrible unwatchable piece of crap that I hold it in the same regard as Read or Die: The Movie, another excellent film!!!!!!!

Originally written for the Anime Sucks Foundation.

The amoeba that devours them all.......2007-07-20

You'll understand the title after you've seen the movie. Know this: when this anime hit theaters (yes, it was on a limited run), I can't imagine anybody but the underground really knowing what they were getting into. In the States, animation was either Disney/ Looney Tunes or those old, badly dubbed Speed Racer cartoons. "Akira" changed all of that. Decades later, the film still holds up against your average Adult Swim anime. Its adult themes, gloriously colored animation and haunting soundtrack still inspire awe. Admittedly, the story gets a bit confusing - but pay attention to the amoeba. This one'll leave you screaming "Tetsuoooooooo!" and wanting more.

Astonishing........2007-05-14

I'm relatively young in the grand scope of things, but after growing up on all things animated and illustrated, I'm still blown away by Akira's graphics. The attention to detail and painfully meticulous artwork on this film holds a special place in the realm of anime and in my heart, especially in the context of when it was created. I was handed this DVD as a passing "la-dee-da you should watch this it's really good and trippy zomg" and didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised and very very very confused by the story. I had to watch it more than once to completely understand what was going on exactly, but after the second time it dawned on me that this was truly something special. Not only are the visuals stunning, but the story is complex and wonderfully laden with philosophical nuance. The movie covers about the first volume of the Akira manga. (Which is why it is so confusing in the first place; it only covers a fraction of the story!) I strongly advise reading the comic books at some point before (or after) viewing the film as it will prove to be a good read and a crucial supplment to Otomo's story.

Average customer rating:

Great 80s Movie revamped - Terrible HD DVD
Never looked or sounded better!
What a great old cult type flick.

Streets of Fire [HD DVD]
Starring: Diane Lane , Willem Dafoe , Bill Paxton , Michael Pare , and Rick Moranis
Director: Walter Hill
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QEIOU8
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Customer Reviews:

Great 80s Movie revamped - Terrible HD DVD.......2007-09-07

I am sorry for the review for all the HD Fans out there . I purchased a HD DVD player to go along side my Blu Ray player so I am not restricted to the issue of titles avail. So as I love this move and it is rated in my top 10 movies I went out and purchased THIS FILM and AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON ON HD DVD even though I have the other versions And boy was I so Disappointed, once agian with HD DVD. The picture quality alone on A normal DVD via A BLU RAY Player is far supior to this HD Version. SAVE YOUR MONEY

Never looked or sounded better!.......2007-07-28

For fans of this film, your wait is over. Streets of Fire on HD DVD is a joy.

The picture is awesome and Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack is so much better than what was previously available.

What a great old cult type flick........2007-07-15

I am kind of wondering though about the billing on the movie. You forgot to mention Michael Pare. Sure he sort of dropped out sight after the 80's, but everything he did was great. Even his start on the old TV series, Greatest American Hero. I don't know where you are Mike, but some out here haven't forgot. And you got to kiss D. Lane before anyone else. hubba hubba. As Borat would say, "Nice".

Average customer rating:

Phenomenal animation
Weak Story, But Good Animation
I'm being totally 100% dead serious about this.
The amoeba that devours them all
Astonishing.

Akira (Geneon Signature Series)
Starring: Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama , Tesshô Genda , and Hiroshi Ôtake
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00012QLQ4
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal animation.......2007-09-08

Weak Story, But Good Animation.......2007-07-31

I'm being totally 100% dead serious about this........2007-07-26

The amoeba that devours them all.......2007-07-20

Astonishing........2007-05-14

In Search of History - Hell's Angels (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

Entertaining but mostly a re-hash of information available elsewhere.
So-So documentary
Hell's Angels History
Why so homogenous?

In Search of History - Hell's Angels (History Channel)
Starring: In Search of History
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AABL4O
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

Are they romantic figures of rebellion, or traveling, rowdy misfits? Jump on you "hog" and ride along as we reveal the history of this motorcycle club with a punch! From inception by a former pilot from the "Hell's Angels" squadron, to the true incident on which "The Wild One" is based, to today, it's a ride you won't want to miss.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining but mostly a re-hash of information available elsewhere........2007-07-27

The best part of this DVD is Sonny Barger telling the clubs history from his point of view. Had the whole DVD been based on Sonny and his version of history and then it would have been worth it.

The rest of it is middle class reportage of a rehash of what Hunter Thompson wrote and Yves Lavigne re-reported in their books.

The vintage photos seem to have been lifted from said books.

The videos of Altamont, restaurant and street scenes were interesting though.

So-So documentary.......2007-03-19

Informative, But overpriced and not in- depth and complete according to other accounts. If you want to know about the HA, I would suggest reading Sonny Barger's book "Hells Angels".

Hell's Angels History.......2007-01-18

Great DVD, factual but would need to be updated a bit.
They really did do a good job in capturing the true American Hell's Angels story.

Why so homogenous?.......2006-12-27

This work was informative. I learned when and how the motorcycle group formed. I learned that their symbol has a patent. The cable channel that produced this work is notorious for cheesy reenactments of historical events. They don't use those here because there is plenty of footage of actual bikers. I sympathize with their leader's, Sonny Barger's, struggle with throat cancer. Still, I think his difficulty speaking may help current smokers consider quitting before it's too late.

The documentary does say the group never lives up to others' expectations, be it hippies, federal prosecutors, or others. Still, I am disappointed how the documentary doesn't explain why the group seems to be composed entirely of white males. They show women as the bikers' girlfriends, but not as members. Why is there no Hell's Angelettes or does the documentary just ignore them? The group started in California, one of the country's most diverse states, yet no member seemed to be Black, Latino, Native, or Asian. When I saw that the group had a Johannesburg chapter, I was especially concerned, because that chapter may have been apartheid era footage. The film "Biker Boyz" is almost all Black. Are bikers segregated by race and do the Hell's Angels promote that division? The work never says. It renders whiteness and maleness as universal in very problematic ways.

The work does say Hollywood is fascinated by the group. However, it doesn't mention that John Goodman played a biker on "The Simpsons" and that some Hell's Angels were in the Eurythmics' video "Thorn in My Side."

Average customer rating:

"Fast and furious" on two wheels
it was ok for me
Biker Boys
pretty dull
Thrilling action packed movie with tons of crazy stunts...

Biker Boyz (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Laurence Fishburne , Derek Luke , Orlando Jones , Djimon Hounsou , and Lisa Bonet
Director: Reggie Rock Bythewood
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
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ASIN: B000094A6C
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Amazon.com

When it's revved up to maximum rpm's, Biker Boyz qualifies as an adequate knockoff of The Fast and the Furious. Both films were inspired by magazine articles about speed-freak outlaws on the streets of California, only this time the nitrous-enhanced "rice rockets" are of the two-wheeled variety, and Smoke (Laurence Fishburne) is the reigning "King of Cali," leading a predominantly African American subculture that schedules illegal motorcycle races with high stakes and potentially lethal outcomes. Kid (Derek Luke, the promising newcomer from Antwone Fisher) is the latest challenger, facing off against Dogg (Kid Rock) and others before coming to terms with his own familial destiny. Following his incisive HBO debut, Dancing in September, director Reggie Rock Bythewood approached Biker Boyz as a modern Western, but it's really just a strutter's ball with polished chrome and tailpipes. Meagan Good, Lisa Bonet, and Vanessa Bell Calloway provide sexy feminine wisdom, badly needed in a movie that's all flash and precious little substance. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

"Fast and furious" on two wheels.......2007-01-27

Firstly this film will, and should, only interest bikers. If you are not a biker, you will not get it.

Yes the plot and some of the characters are a bit thin, and transparent, but that's not the point. In the same way as "The Fast & The Furious" will only be truly enjoyed by nitro-blasting Japanese car drivers, this escapist tale of urban heroes racing their bikes means it is a film for a particular corner of the population. My view is that it never tries to be a popular groundbreaking fairy tale of a film, it just aims itself between the eyes of fellow bikers, and in that respect it is on target. The film does have atmosphere, some truly corny lines, and some excellent cinematography. Laurence Fishburne and crew play fairly well, surrounded by Hip-Hop playing, beer drinking urban anti-heroes while Kid Rock portrays the stereo-typical image of the grungy, greasy, chopper riding dropout.

However the true stars are the bikes. If you fancy seeing a tricked-up Busa, or stoppies and wheelies on Gixa's and R1's and some pretty hair-raising stunts, some even genuine then buy this. If not then go and watch Driving Miss Daisy.

it was ok for me.......2006-05-23

3 1/2 stars

it was ok\good for me I like the bike riding, the little action and it was fun good to enjoy it one of those now and then movies to enjoy.....

Biker Boys.......2006-03-21

I think the movie is great. It is one of my favorites. I have watched it twice since i got it. It is just one of those movies that you could watch over and over again and get excited everytime. It inspires you to want to have a motorcycle even if you are not going to ride it. (like me)

pretty dull.......2006-03-17

Lots of nice bikes but this movie was way to serious and emotional to have a name like "biker boys"... ..You should probably rent it before u buy it and if ur lookin for a real action packed biker movie get "torque" instead..O, and the special features were as dull as the movie

Thrilling action packed movie with tons of crazy stunts..........2005-11-14

I really enjoyed this movie. If you are looking for a crazy motorcycle movie with tons of stunts, then this is the movie for you. It is more realistic than torque in a lot of aspects, while still having some scenes that you know are pretty fake. The crazy stunts they performed were wild and very entertaining, and the actual story was alright. It is about a kid whose father dies, and his mother is against motorcycle racing, yet the kid secretly does it and starts his own Biker Group. This is a good movie and I really enjoyed it.

Average customer rating:

"Fast and furious" on two wheels
it was ok for me
Biker Boys
pretty dull
Thrilling action packed movie with tons of crazy stunts...

Biker Boyz (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Dante Basco , Lisa Bonet , Vanessa Bell Calloway , Laurence Fishburne , and Kadeem Hardison
Director: Reggie Rock Bythewood
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005JM10
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

"Fast and furious" on two wheels.......2007-01-27

it was ok for me.......2006-05-23

3 1/2 stars

it was ok\good for me I like the bike riding, the little action and it was fun good to enjoy it one of those now and then movies to enjoy.....

Biker Boys.......2006-03-21

pretty dull.......2006-03-17

Thrilling action packed movie with tons of crazy stunts..........2005-11-14

Average customer rating:

Phenomenal animation
Weak Story, But Good Animation
I'm being totally 100% dead serious about this.
The amoeba that devours them all
Astonishing.

Akira
Starring: Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama , Tesshô Genda , and Hiroshi Ôtake
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JG6Q
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Neo-Tokyo has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists. The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo's powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him! Nothing can stop the destructive forces that Tetsuo wields except possibly the last boy to destroy Tokyo.

11537 + Sticker and Insert as Follows (15,000 units only)

Sticker: Akira Tattoo Included Insert: Akira Tattoo

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal animation.......2007-09-08

Weak Story, But Good Animation.......2007-07-31

I'm being totally 100% dead serious about this........2007-07-26

The amoeba that devours them all.......2007-07-20

Astonishing........2007-05-14

Average customer rating:

An action-filled dialogue-deficient movie
A popcorn movie
Just okay
Action-Packed
????????????

Torque (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: John Ashker , Max Beesley , Dane Cook , Ice Cube , and John Doe
Director: Joseph Kahn
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001MMGUO
Release Date: 2004-05-18

Amazon.com

A lot has changed in the biker-movie genre since Hell's Angels on Wheels, and Torque may be the new benchmark of feverish chopper action. Martin Henderson plays Cary, a speed king and relatively civilized outlaw with a knack for annoying everyone, including drug smugglers, the FBI, an ex-girlfriend, and, worst of all, biker gang leader Trey (Ice Cube), who thinks Cary killed his brother. On the run from everyone, Cary survives by playing all sides against one another. But the story is less important than the frantic, over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek action surrounding it. The Fast and the Furious producer Neal H. Moritz is responsible for this crazy, violent, yet appealingly sardonic cowboys-on-wheels piece. --Tom Keogh

Description

High-Speed Action Adventure. Biker Cary Ford (Martin Henderson) returns to his hometown to reunite with his girlfriend (Monet Mazur). Once home, Ford is framed for a murder he didn't commit, targeted for revenge by the victim's brother (Ice Cube) and pursued by the FBI as he tries to clear his name and outrace his enemies.

Customer Reviews:

An action-filled dialogue-deficient movie.......2007-03-14

I realize that this is one of those man movies that was never meant to make any sense and whose target demographic is fourteen-year-old boys. However, my canary in the coal mine in these situations is my husband. If he finds one of these films unwatchable, then it truly is bad, and not just so bad it is good. This was the case with "Torque". I tried to appreciate the stunts and the occasional humor that did work such as the truck from "Duel" still chasing Dennis Weaver after all these years, but it just can't compensate for a lame plot and dialogue that sounds like it was written by the reincarnation of Ed Wood. I think a somewhat rearranged quote from "Billy Madison", another silly man's movie that I actually enjoy if I'm in the mood for it, is most appropriate at this point: "At no point in your rambling, incoherent (movie) were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having (watched) it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

A popcorn movie.......2006-11-17

I can see by the other reviews a lot of people are taking this movie way to seriously as a hardcore biker flick. It's just meant to be a fun movie with fast bikes. You can tell the directors are having fun with the movie by little things they throw in. Early in the movie you will see the car from the movie Duel being chased by the truck from the movie Duel which almost runs the bikers off the road. Also at the start of the movie when the street sign spins around it says "Cars Suck". Ice Cube plays the same sort of character he plays in almost every movie he does "angry gangster". The stunts are over the top, but they look cool! Hey it's just a movie sit back eat the popcorn and take it as such.

Just okay.......2006-08-29

There were parts of this movie I found entertaining, but it's not something I would watch over and over again. Myself a biker, I can appreciate the "rush" they tried to give over and over again with the bike chases and stunts, but most of the stunts were so physically impossible that it ruined whatever credibility they could have had. (Yes, it is impossible to do a stoppie and simultaneously swing the bike around so the rear wheel, which is in the air, whacks someone next to you in the head then continue to ride at 160mph).

I agree this falls into the category of "Biker Boyz," if you liked that movie, you will probably like this one. But it isn't an improvement, and it's really missing originality when it comes to the plot. The acting isn't that bad, but when you don't have great dialogue to work with, there's only so much you can do to make it not look cheesy.

And yes, this movie does include the so-infamous-it's-almost-cliché line "I live my life one quarter-mile at a time."

Action-Packed.......2006-07-26

Ice-Cube was great, as usual. The product placement was obscene (the fight between Shane and China when one was standing in front of a large Mountain Dew sign and the other in front of a large Pepsi sign). There were some visuals and effects worth watching and as stupid as the movie is in places, its stupidity changes tempo nicely and is really short. If its more than $5, pass on it.

????????????.......2006-07-03

There isn't a clear storyline. I felt ilke i had to solve a puzzle while watching this movie. I give it 1 star because at least the stuntmen\stuntwomen in this movie did their job well.

Average customer rating:

Do you want to be free?
CheeseFest '66
The Original Infamous Biker Flick (I'm not sure if I should rate it 2 or 5 Stars)
Not just sexist, but racist.....
A Must Have for Any Biker Video Collection

The Wild Angels
Starring: Peter Fonda , Nancy Sinatra , Bruce Dern , Diane Ladd , and Buck Taylor
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000542CP
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Amazon.com

Embittered by his experience working with 20th Century Fox on The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), and weary of the Poe films for American International Pictures, Roger Corman was in dire need of inspiration for his next production. He found it in Life magazine, which featured a photo of the funeral of Mother Miles, head of the Sacramento, California, Hell's Angels. From this picture came both The Wild Angels and the biker-movie genre itself. Peter Fonda, who replaced George Chakiris, stars as brooding Angels chieftain Heavenly Blues. When his pal Loser (Bruce Dern) is shot by police, Blues attempts to bury him in a small town, but the locals resist, and a brawl ensues. Audiences and critics were alternately appalled and thrilled by the extensive drug use and violence, but beneath Angels' leathery hide beats the heart of a Western, especially in its ruminations on personal freedom. Charles Griffith's script (cowritten by Peter Bogdanovich, who also cameos in the film) helped make Angels the sole U.S. entry for the 1966 Venice Film Festival, which irked the State Department enough to try and revoke the honor. Corman's direction, freed from AIP's period pieces, is lean and exuberantly active, aided by Monte Hellman's editing. The film helped give Fonda the counterculture clout to later make Easy Rider, and boosted the careers of Dern and then-wife Diane Ladd; Nancy Sinatra, however, renounced the picture, fearful of its effect on her image. Mike Curb's score features Davie Allan and the Arrows' fuzz-tone-soaked hit "Blues' Theme." --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Do you want to be free?.......2007-01-29

We want to be free! We want to be free to do what we want to do! We want to be free to ride. And we want to be free to ride our machines without being hassled by The Man. And we want to get loaded. And we want to have a good time! And that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna have a party!

60's alternative cinema and a pretty big hit 40 years ago. Poorly acted. But campy fun.

CheeseFest '66.......2006-08-07

"The Wild Angels" is no "Easy Rider." TWA is chock full of bad acting, bad dialogue, badly-delivered dialogue, and more teased hair than you can shake a can of Aqua Net Extra Super Hold at. Three stars for numerous and unintentionally funny scenes that reek of every biker cliche imaginable. I became interested in the genre after reading Joan Didion's analysis of biker movies in "Notes Toward a Dreampolitik," but I must say I'm pretty much over it now.

The Original Infamous Biker Flick (I'm not sure if I should rate it 2 or 5 Stars).......2004-10-18

Like most people I've seen "Easy Rider" (1969), Peter Fonda's infamous drug-culture biker flick, but I haven't seen any of the other similar films from the '60s. Since "The Wild Angels" was available cheap I decided to enlighten myself to this Grade B film genre.

The first half hour or so is quite good. The Southern California locations and cinematography are incredible and the story is compelling. In fact, the film's worth owning for these elements alone (the scenic footage was shot in Mecca, Idyllwild and Palm Desert, California). The last 55 minutes can be shocking and tedious, however, if you're not psyched-up for it.

This latter portion of the film involves the death of Fonda's best friend, "The Loser," and his funeral & burial. The movie tends to bog down during these segments wherein the only thing that catches your attention (or wakes you up) is the utterly mean-spirited and criminal behavior of the "Angels."

I'm a big Marlon Brando fan so I've seen "The Wild One" from 1954, the original biker flick; but the worst that Brando & his gang do is brawl, drink and chew gum (gasp!). This may be "wild" perhaps but certainly not mean-spirited or criminal.

"The Wild Angels" was filmed only 12 years later, so I'm thinking 'How "wild" can they be?' Surprise, surprise as Fonda's gang members are WAY beyond merely wild & free (which is how they're depicted in the first half hour), they're totally wicked imbeciles (although Fonda himself, I should point out, is usually portrayed in the film merely as the epitome of 'cool').

Want proof? The Angels break into the hospital to "free" the Loser and he ends up dying for lack of proper medical care for his critical wounds. They make sure to get him high before he dies though. While breaking into the hospital one Angel savagely attempts to rape a nurse. And guess what kind of thanks the Angels give to the minister who kindly perfoms The Losers' funeral? They beat him up and trash his sanctuary. Guess what kind of comfort two Angels offer to The Loser's mourning girlfriend? They cruelly rape her. To top it all off they outrageously abuse The Loser's corpse at the funeral party(!!).

As you can see, the Angels aren't just anti-heroes in this film, they're the SCUM OF THE EARTH. Not only that, but they're a bunch of LOSERS who, as Fonda points out, just "want to get loaded." Hey, everyone needs to let loose and celebrate now and then (God even commands it in the bible -- Deuteronomy 14:26), but if the whole purpose of your life is to just "get loaded" you're not gonna look very good when you hit 35 (the Angels in the movie are all in their 20s), and you're certainly not going to have any energy, drive or charisma. Yeah, the "party animal" life gets old real quick, and then ya gotta grow up (every one grows older but not everyone grows up).

Despite what other reviewers say, Nancy Sinatra does a fabulous job; she would later renounce the film, however, due to it's incredible immorality.

In my teens I went through a "party animal" phase and "partied" with real bikers on quite a few occasions (The Outlaws). These were some bad dudes, to be sure, but they were generally pleasant and merry; I never experienced anything that remotely resembles the Angel's heinous conduct in this flick. So I very seriously doubt the realism of this depiction. In other words, knowing that controversy sells, Roger Corman featured the Angels immorally over-the-top for the simple sake of shock value. Most people, I'm sure, realize this. Still, there's SOME truth to the nature of such outlaw/outcast American biker gangs as depicted in the film.

FINAL ANALYSIS: The first time I saw "The Wild Angels" (2004) I was taken aback (to put it mildly) by the incredibly wicked morality of the Hell's Angels; I simply wasn't prepared to see this in a 1966 flick. I also felt the story really bogged down with The Losers' death, funeral and burial (which involved the last 55 minutes of the film). These factors explain why I rated "The Wild Angels" as 2/5 Stars.

Seeing it again after over two years