A young woman (Tina Louise) from Vegas is on a road trip when her car breaks down. She is soon menaced by a group of bikers known as The Hell Riders, whose only goal in life to cause chaos. She manages to escape to a small nearby town, but once there she discovers that the only person who will help is the kind Doctor (Adam West).

The Hellriders (1984) is another bizarre but completely enjoyable movie from director James Bryan (Don’t Go in the Woods) and writer/producer Renee Harman (Frozen Scream). The pair have made some questionable films in terms of good taste, but even their worst production is filled with bizarre energy and charisma. This is the rare breed of zany biker movies. So the violence is soft and the characters feel like random locals that were send to outer space.

The plot and pacing drag, but the characters have a charming small-town vibe. These actors seem to live in their roles. There is no real tension between what is going to happen. Just 80 some minutes of hanging around with the locals. Just like Bryan’s Don’t Go in the Woods, there is a lot of technical issues. The audio is messy at best and the editing seems unfocused. But the mood is fun and zany. The only cast member who seems to be in a different world is Adam West, in a very un-Batman role. Here he feels like a movie star lost in a theater troupe.

The middle section of the film drags on with very little to focus on. Once the final half-hour starts, its non-stop DYI thrills. There is a fun car chase with a near-fatal accident. There are also some nice gunfights with a few stunning moments of violence. The story may be unfocused by Renee Harman’s screenplay is filled with oddball humor and sleaze. She plays a character named Knife that has a running gag over her dead son and trying to replace him with the Sheriff’s son Timmy. But the best line in the film comes one of the bikers where he shouts “Who you think you are, Adolf Hitler, Rommel, and Bela Lugosi all rolled up into one shit-covered gob?”. 

Vinegar Syndrome releases the movie under its special limited Archive series collection. There are only 3,000 copies with a cool double-sided poster. Fans of Bryan’s previous films will be in for a treat. It comes with two audio options. First up is the English DTS-HD Master Audio track. It’s a smooth track that has no hiss or pops. Due to the nature of the film, there are some audio mistakes but that’s not the sound mixes fault. The dialogue is mostly clear and the soundtrack is balanced. The second track is the English Dolby Digital, it’s softer and some of the audio level issues are more noticeable. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD Transfer is another beauty. There is some minor film grain and no signs of bad DNR. The greens and blues look especially good and clear. The focus is sharp with plenty of detail in clothes textures. Flesh tones look normal.

In terms of extras we have:

• “Straight to Hell” An interview with director Byran. He covers a lot of ground about the production. He discusses his working relationship with Harmon, her acting classes, the strip mall used for the small town, and the numerous issues he had with actress Tina Louise.
• A storyboard gallery.
• Reversible cover artwork.

Hellriders fails as a biker movie, but as a James Bryan picture its a fun time. The characters are wacky and there is plenty of playful sleaze. Fans of Bryan’s oddball cult films will want to add this to their collections asap. Highly Recommended. 

Director- James Bryan

Cast- Adam West, Tina Louise, Renee Harman

Country of Origin- US

Discs- 1

Distributor- Vinegar Syndrome.

Reviewer- Tyler Miller