The original ending, shot at night, had the bike and believable dummy go up a long ramp at a goodly speed, explode through a real stained glass window (it was huge), thrash through air like a Marlin, and explode into a big ball of fire when it hit the floor. Then it slid awhile, spreading fire as it went. I'm here to tell you that that stunt was really the best part of the whole movie. Nobody questioned the stupidity of the ending because the stunt was so bitchin. It was the last shot filmed, so we didn't get to see it in the dailies. About 3 weeks later, I got a call from the producer to meet him at the "Ruins". When I get there,there is a shooting crew, ready to shoot the last scene again. The window had been replaced with plate glass. The ramp is shorter.
Good to see ya, Dirt! The camara jambed on the last take so we gotta shoot it again. We'll pay ya good to ride it through the window and we'll give you enough time to get clear before we set off the explosion. They was gonna pay me $150 Yankee dollars to do it. Well, I'm here to tell ya, I'm not that stupid. They kept upping the price, but I could feel myself showered in exploding plate glass. They actually thought I would do it so they didn't bring a dummy. When they finally took no for an answer, they started cobbling together a dummy. I stuck around for the big stunt. What a major disappointment, and a waste of time. What's really tragic is how phony the whole ending was in the movie. FYI. The script had so many changes on location, there was no plausable story line when it was edited. The editor left out key sequences to add to the confusion. Why he did, I don't know. But it was one of the highest grossing motorcycle movies, ever, so it did what it was suppossed to do, exploit your dollar.
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I worked with Jack everyday we shot.What you see in the picture is Jack. He wasn't a Prima Donna. We became friends although he felt I was stealing scenes from him. He did think he was a little bit more important than he really was. But I treated him just like I treat everyone else. Celebraties don't faze me. They are just people, and I treat them as equals. Besides Jack was closer to being one of the guys. He wasn't a biker but he did show some class offscrene. He could ride a Harley and hang-in with the real bikers, and he was kinda absorbed into us. He was treated like a club prospect, but he really didn't have much to say. And this happened before he became a star. He could have changed since then.
i thought the ending was a laugh and a half
FREE NEWFOUNDLAND
You are much too kind in your judgement! The ending was on the same level as Spaceship 9 ( (as I remember) where they set fire to 2 paper plates to simulate a crashed and burning space ship. HAOW had "Hells Angels" in the title, the ending didn't make any difference. Even the "REAL ANGELS" weren't HA. In realaty, the only thing that was real, were the bikes, ridden by real bikers. Hollywood has always conteneded that it's the dramatics that gives the story strenght to keep an audience, even in action movies. Need I say more?
Dirt
i liked it / i laughed my ass of
FREE NEWFOUND[purple]LAND[/purple[
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When I worked with Jack, he wasn't a star yet. My memory of Jack is what he was 40 years ago, just one of the guys. I will probably run into him in the future, and I ain't gonna treat him any different, and I'll the same friend that I was 40 years ago. I'll get you an autograph when I see him.
Love, Dirty Denny
I can't think of another movie with a worse ending. I can't believe Comcast gave this movie 2 1/2 stars. Crazy. Terrible music, even worse editing...and don't get me started on the fight scenes. Their punches were so far away from looking real, it was laughable.
I liked it for what it was, of course i got smoked before i sat down and watched it.
shareI didn't get how he just dies instantly when the bike falls over, and was still in position on the bike. It would have been soo much better had he survived the fall, gotten up and burned to death while screaming.
OR, gotten up and survived the fire by being able to put it out, with help from the others. Then after that, Buddy, Poet and whats-her-name would be left standing, staring at each other.
I would've definately done that if I was the director. It would've been much more realistic and believable.
~~JS~~Lap Up All Of My Sugary Badness.
I don't understand why she stood by Buddy even at the end, when he made it clear he didn't give a toss about her or the baby. She was so stupid! She should have just married Jack!
shareIn the 13 day shoot. the script was continuosly rewritten due to snafus. The director was mostly shooting on the fly. By the time the editor got the film, it was a disaster. The editor, knowibg NOTHING about bikers, stuck to Hollywood formula, and critical action scenes were axed to make room for drama. I still don't know what the storyline is supposed to be.
Dirt
I picked this up for £1 here in Britain and I have to say for it's money it was a good buy. Sure it's a bit rough around the edges and the ending isn't great. My only complaint is I'd have liked to see more of a conclusion to the end of the film - as in does Poet become leader? Do the rest of the Angels kick the crud out of him? What happens to Shilla, etc. Personally I thought the fight scenes were done not too badly
I wouldn't say it was the worst ending ever. In my opinion that award is reserved for 2 films - Bad Lieutenant and Pariah (but then the whole of Pariah was awful).
There was no stunt coreographer. 1 stuntman came up from LA to to organize the fight in the bar. I had trained the bikers used in the fights how to do footfalls and other fight stunts. The bikers did very well in helping the stuntman blockout a fight. It was up to the camaraman and director to make sure the camara was at an angle to make the punches look real, and they dropped the ball. That fight took 8 hours to film. When we wrapped, the director was very thankfull for our work. We thought it was gonna look better than it did.
sharegranted, the ending is a bit disappointing, and ends abruptly.
they should find the old scenes and re-edit this film.
and i do appreciate you "dirts32", for being there and telling us about it.
You are appreciated!
thank you!
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Agreed that that ending is *beep* but, you pretty much have to know what you're getting into with any "B" movie. Regardless, I'm of the opinion that Adam Roarke totally out acts Jack Nicholson (and probably should have had his career...total badass) Hey, Dirt, what was he like to work with? Was he as cool as he seemed. Also, you don't happen to have any connection to the character "Dirty Denny" in The Losers do you? That movie rules as well.
Thanks.
I agree the ending to this movie was terrible. It just ended! So stupid! Wild Hogs is a much better biker movie.
R.I.P. Uncle Steve
Both the soundtrack album and the original one-sheet poster go for big $$$ these days. glad I got both years ago.The acting in ''HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS'' is fine-it even impressed most of the critics.But,on the whole, I think ''BORN LOSERS'' is a much better movie.
shareIt was abrupt and unsatisfying, to be sure.
What do you think this is, a signature? It's a way of life!
I thought they just ran out of money to fund the film, and they had to make an abrupt ending to finish it.
The Divine Genealogy Goddess
I thought the ending rocked! It was a classic, 60's, existential, psychedelic ending. It was a lot like the ending of Vanishing Point. Think about it. What else was left to say? Buddy died. Now what? Either Poet and Shill get together or they don't. It said a lot when Shill tossed the tire iron to Buddy. Showed where her true loyalties lay.
Shill really loved Buddy. She was attracted to him body and soul, but he wouldn't commit. That left her in torment. She liked Poet, but didn't love him. She was getting tired of the biker lifestyle. Poet offered her a way out. She liked what he had to say, but deep down, it was always Buddy.
We got a job.
What kind?
...The Forever Kind.