The original infamous biker flick

This Roger Corman flick kicked off the biker film craze that ran for less than a decade, which makes it the perfect introduction to the genre, not to mention it's one of the best of the lot I've seen.

The first half hour is quite entertaining and precisely what you'd expect from a 60's biker flick. The Southern California locations and cinematography are incredible and the story is compelling. The film was shot in Mecca, Idyllwild and Palm Desert. While there's some good biker action in this initial segment, the final 55 minutes takes a slow, dark, solemn and shocking turn that will turn some viewers off. This final hour shows that "The Wild Angels" is not an action film; it's a biker drama that touches on some heavy issues -- friendship, death and grief, as well as alcohol, drug and sexual abuse.

It was shot only 12 years after Brando's lame biker flick "The Wild One." So how much more "wild" could Fonda's gang be? Well, if you're seeing it for the first time, you're in for a surprise because The Angels are way beyond merely wild & free (as they're depicted in the first 30 minutes), they're totally wicked imbeciles!

For evidence, the Angels break into the hospital to "free" The Loser and he ends up dying for lack of proper medical care for his critical injuries (sustained earlier while trying to flee the police after stealing one of their motorcycles). 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 performs The Loser's funeral? They beat him up and totally trash his sanctuary (!). Guess what kind of comfort two Angel's offer The Loser's grieving girlfriend? They cruelly rape her (!). To top it off they outrageously abuse The Loser's corpse at the funeral party (!!).

As you can see, The Angel's aren't just antiheroes 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" (in his almost laughable rant). Hey, everyone needs to let their hair down and celebrate now and then (God even seems to advise it in the Bible, as observed in Deuteronomy 14:26), but if the sole purpose of your life is to just "get loaded" you're not gonna look very good when you hit 35 (the Angels in the film are all in their mid-late 20s), and you're certainly not going to have any energy, drive or charisma. Yeah, the "party animal" lifestyle gets old real quick, and then ya gotta grow up (everybody grows older but not everyone grows up).

Despite what some say, Nancy Sinatra does a fine job as Fonda's girlfriend; she would later renounce the film, however, due to it's over-the-top immorality.

The first time I saw "The Wild Angels" in 2004 I was taken aback; I simply wasn't prepared to see this in a 1966 picture. I also felt the film really bogged down with The Loser's death, funeral and burial (the last 55 minutes).

I now consent to the film's uniqueness and brilliance. This is a cult flick in the truest sense. Yes, some of The Angel's behavior is reprehensible and, yes, the preacher in the story was right when he stated, "Woe to those who say evil is good and good is evil." Still, the picture successfully captures the outcast and outlaw nature of The Angels bike gang. They're like a small, lost tribe living on the periphery of American society. In a way, one can't help but pity the bastages.

Also, I now acknowledge the genius of the final 55 minutes of the film, which involve The Loser's death, funeral and burial. If you're psyched up to see an action film you're going to be disappointed because "The Wild Angels" boldly sneers at such conventions. The story is essentially about death and the nature of bereavement. It shows how the various gang members deal with their grief: They generally deny it and attempt to lose themselves in drinking, drugs, revelry and criminal or perverse conduct. The leader (Peter Fonda) can't shake his mournful spirit of loss; he's not even sure if he loves his "old lady" anymore. When everyone else scatters because "the heat" arrives, he stays -- risking impending capture -- to bury his fallen comrade. One gets the impression he's digging his own grave because, as he told his girlfriend, he's got "no where to go."

The original title of "The Wild Angels" was much better and more fitting: "All the Fallen Angels."

Despite being a B-grade flick, "The Wild Angels" is shocking, bold, unique and worthy of its notorious reputation. Speaking of which, it was banned in Denmark, one of the world's most 'liberated' countries, when it was released. What thrusts it into the realm of greatness is its heavy commentary on the human condition in a world gone mad, which may be completely missed by some viewers who won't likely see beyond the shocking aspects or Fonda's eye-rolling rant in the church.