Product Description

Actor Larry Bishop, who made his name in the '60s as the star of biker pictures like The Savage Seven, revives the genre with Hell Ride, a rough and raunchy action-drama produced by indie director and cult film aficionado Quentin Tarantino. Bishop, who wrote, produced and directed the film, is also top-billed as Pistolero, chief of the outlaw Victors, who cruise the sunbaked Southwest to avenge a fallen mama. Their target is Billy Wings (Vinnie Jones), head man for the Six-Six-Sixes, and Michael Madsen, David Carradine and Dennis Hopper (himself no stranger to biker flicks) are along to make sure that the job is completed. As pure exploitation, Hell Ride delivers the goods: the cast overacts with relish, and the on-screen excitement is divided equally between chopper action, fistfights and shootouts and plentiful female nudity, all set to a soundtrack of new and vintage fuzztone rock. However, those expecting the complexity and sheer cheek of Tarantino's own features may find the picture a little too retro-minded for their own tastes, and Bishop's pulpy dialogue is more overcooked than Tarantino at his most self-indulgent. Still, those craving old-school cycle movie satisfaction are likely to find that action with Hell Ride. Bishop is front and center for the DVD commentary, in which he explains in the most passionate of terms how he conceived and executed the project with Tarantino's help; featurettes on the cast (split between male and female) are brief and flashy, with "The Guys of Hell Ride" providing the most juice by focusing on the veteran actors. There's also a look at the film's custom made bikes, but the most "special" of the Special Features is Michael Madsen's video diary, which gives amusing insight into his distinctly offbeat perspective. -- Paul Gaita

Stills from Hell Ride (Click for larger image)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6213 in DVD
• Brand: GENIUS PRODUCTS INC
• Released on: 2008-10-28
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Formats: Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 84 minutes

Amazon.com
Actor Larry Bishop, who made his name in the '60s as the star of biker pictures like The Savage Seven, revives the genre with Hell Ride, a rough and raunchy action-drama produced by indie director and cult film aficionado Quentin Tarantino. Bishop, who wrote, produced and directed the film, is also top-billed as Pistolero, chief of the outlaw Victors, who cruise the sunbaked Southwest to avenge a fallen mama. Their target is Billy Wings (Vinnie Jones), head man for the Six-Six-Sixes, and Michael Madsen, David Carradine and Dennis Hopper (himself no stranger to biker flicks) are along to make sure that the job is completed. As pure exploitation, Hell Ride delivers the goods: the cast overacts with relish, and the on-screen excitement is divided equally between chopper action, fistfights and shootouts and plentiful female nudity, all set to a soundtrack of new and vintage fuzztone rock. However, those expecting the complexity and sheer cheek of Tarantino's own features may find the picture a little too retro-minded for their own tastes, and Bishop's pulpy dialogue is more overcooked than Tarantino at his most self-indulgent. Still, those craving old-school cycle movie satisfaction are likely to find that action with Hell Ride. Bishop is front and center for the DVD commentary, in which he explains in the most passionate of terms how he conceived and executed the project with Tarantino's help; featurettes on the cast (split between male and female) are brief and flashy, with "The Guys of Hell Ride" providing the most juice by focusing on the veteran actors. There's also a look at the film's custom made bikes, but the most "special" of the Special Features is Michael Madsen's video diary, which gives amusing insight into his distinctly offbeat perspective. -- Paul Gaita

Stills from Hell Ride (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

People dont seem to "get" this movie. i think i did.
Many people are bashing this movie as being a "tribute" to Tarantino, or damn it in comparison to Easy Rider. Both points of contention couldn't be farther from the truth. First, this movie pays tribute to classic biker movies such as "hells angels on wheels" "The Glory Stompers," and "The Wild Angels." I enjoy all these movies for what they are, cheaply made, mostly poorly acted, but with plenty of sex, violence, and motorcycles to go around. Hellride is a very faithful tribute to this cannon of movies. Bad acting? Trippy party scenes? Gratuitous nudity? Violence? Hipster soundtrack? All are there. Like all these movies, the bikes themselves are the most artfull, well constructed features of the films.
Now, as for comparisons to Easy Rider, it must be stated that the 1969 classic was NOT A BIKER MOVIE. The choppers are only the vesels that propel the protagonists to there destiny. It is about trying to be individuals, but being damned to sell out in the end. It is about the duality of the American individual.
In the end, what may condemn Hell Ride, is the same thing that condemned the Grindhouse feature. Very few people under the age of 50 recognize what these movies are paying homage too, and i am probably one of the few. As a 27 year old, these movies remind me of my childhood watching 70's car chase and chopper movies with my father, a 1970's greaser now forced to settle into fatherhood.
Go watch Peter Fonda in "the wild angels" followed by "Hell Ride" and you'll realize that they came from the same drug filled vein.

Oldschool good times!
When I saw the "red band" trailer for Larry Bishop's HELL RIDE I knew it was going to be a film worth checking out.

Violence? It had it. Nudity? Oh yeah. Had they thrown in a little drug use it would have been the perfect mix. (hint: they did)

A lot of folks may remember Larry Bishop as the sleazy owner of the nudie bar Bud worked at in Kill Bill 2. He chewed up the scenery in the 5 mins or so he was on camera. After doing a little googling, I found out he was the son of Joey Bishop and the star of a hand full of 1970s biker flicks.

Since Tarantino is a "huge fan" of everything and everyone we've never heard of- it goes without saying that he had seen all of Bishop's films and invited him in for that cameo.

He also told Bishop that it was his duty to write, direct and star in the 'Ultimate Biker Movie'.

Not necessarily the existential road movie that EASY RIDER was, but a throwback to the sleazy grindhouse biker flicks of years past.

Did he?

Oh yeah. The casting choices were amazing. Bishop himself, Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Dennis Hopper and David Carradine and the ever lovely Laura Cayouette all fill their roles perfectly. Out of context the dialogue would be cheesey. But you put Madsen on a chopper in a tuxedo and it makes perfect sense.

The film is violent with liberal amounts of nudity. Don't watch it with the kids around. Don't watch it expecting a documentary on outlaw bikers- but watch it!

a poetic parody of the biker exploitation film
this movie is not typical. perhaps that's why it's so difficult to review objectively... why every reviewer has a different opinion. Hell Ride feels like a tribute, a parody, a surreal rip-off, and something never seen before as well.

yes, it's got hot women, bikers, and action. but Hell Ride also has a dirty, mean, wild, sexual poetry. it was great to see Michael Madsen playing a role he was born to play. really, all the actors did a great job. this is not Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. Hell Ride isn't like any other movie I've seen. but i'm glad i bought it and expect to watch it several more times over the years. can't ask for much more than that.

D