The Hellcats/Review

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< The Hellcats
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This is one of those films that one has to get into that "Trashed Up Out of the Way Drive In" frame of mind to like, and for 60's film buffs, it is one of those films that gets mentioned every once in a while, thanks to being one of the early Biker Films to ride on the trail paved by classics like The Wild Angels. This film is not on the essentials list, and the trailer as well as the poster art (featured on it's recent DVD appearance) hyped it up in a misleading way, but there is a slight charm to this rather tame Biker Film that sets a example of why it rests in the Third Level of this genre following the classic First Level AIP films and the Second Level trash feasts that followed them and succeeded to ooze Sleaze. This is on the level with films like Angels From Hell, period Biker Film pieces by those obviously knowing of the Drive In B.O.K.O. of the genre in it's height but not having what it takes to kick major ass, although still having some moments of 60's Drive In interest that is worth tracking down the film and adding it to the collection.

The trailer made this look like a Biker Chick Film, and even then synopsis even mentioned The Hellcats as a Biker Chick gang, but as everyone knows by now it's no She Devils on Wheels. The all important Colors are only worn on a couple of the members and only seen in slight moments such as the scene in the trailer while the focus is on Ross Hagen and his attempts to be a Star Action Hero for the B-Movie set. With Sharyn Kinzie on the picture, one could have just thought of giving Hagen the push out of the show and focus on the hot one in black, but sadly it's obvious that those behind the film were from the very old school, with the obvious hints that this would be a lesser entry in Biker Cinema being that the Producer is none other than Anthony Cardoza from The Skydivers and Red Zone Cuba infamy and that first time Director Robert F. Slatzer did not have what it took to go anywhere near greatness as he only wound up Directing films like Bigfoot in a very short career - although on the plus side screenwriter James Gordon White would link up with more interesting projects including Free Grass and The Devil's 8 and end up working with Lee Frost on The Thing With Two Heads.

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The tale centers around Monte Chapman (Hagen) returning home from duty after finding out about the death of his brother Dave and trying to track down who killed him, leading to knowing about a drug ring Dave was tracking down that is linked to the Biker Gang of the story. The Hellcats are only part of this gang, but a major part of what's going on, although for some reason, the lack in allowing the story to happen gets sidetracked early on through that staple of 60's films The Party Scene once Monte and Linda, Dave's girlfriend, are allowed into the gang. The title of the song playing at the party, "Mass Confusion," is pretty much what the viewer is feeling by this time - At the opening of the film, there was a funeral of a gang leader that had another potential story centering around Snake (Sonny West) proclaiming himself to be the new leader that never blended in with the story; the trailer hyped the film as being about a Biker Chick gang although it's not what the viewer sees; a wanna-be Action Movie star hams his way while joining up with a biker gang and breaking up a motorcycle chain fight with another gang when in realty he possibly would have had some major damage done to him (Especially as someone new to the scene)...it really went all over the place.

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Getting back to the story, Hot Mama Sheila (Kinzie), new Hellcat Linda (Dee Duffy), and Betsy (Lynda Goya), go off to Mexico to score some drugs for Mr. Adrian (Slatzer, who should have known to stay behind the camera) and they wind up being followed by the Police while Betsy, with some of the drugs in the headlight, is killed after her cycle spins out, an event that effects the gang's resident must-have acid head who was close to her. Thanks to having this mess up, Adrian is not at all pleased, and thanks to a failed attempt to get the drugs adding to the trouble, both Sheila and Linda are going to find out what it's like to mess up in this game while his secretary is strangled by the right hand man. This leads to the obvious intrusion of Monte, who gets tied up and thrown in the same room as Sheila, leading to the obvious showdown against the smugglers once they find a way to escape and let the gang know, ending with a very brief fight on a pier.

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The exploitation of the film really led to a major disappointment, with Crown International obviously pulling in the Drive In crowd focusing on what should have been focused in the film itself - Interesting to think about when the film it's paired with on the DVD suffered through almost the same misleading style of Exploitation by the same company. In several shots, the obvious quick construction shows in blurred shots, and even a slight change in lighting within the edits of the chain fight scene, showing that even with some experience in the Production side of things, this was something to ship out quick and play through in the old way that was not really fitting for a time that encouraged risk and madness. There was a trend to ride, some film to use, and a few actors to fill in the screen, although possibly thanks to White, there were some moments that fitted in the scene well enough, and with some of the very cheesy music produced by Richard A. Podolor (A name familiar to 60's Garage Punk fans), there is something that makes the film fit in with 60's Drive In Movie history for real.

It's not a major winner by all means, but something to kill time with.

Reviewed by Screen 13

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