Review of Hell Ride (2008) by Scott M — 14 Aug 2008

Leave it up to Quentin Tarantino to be the executive producer and presenter of this film. It is a homage film to 60's biker flicks written and directed by star Larry Bishop, who was a star of biker flicks in the 60's and 70's. When you watch "Hell Ride", any QT fan will realize that Bishop, who plays Pistolero in this film, was sleazy titty club owner Larry Gomez in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" This time around it is Bishop's show. And it is indeed a show.

"Hell Ride" turns out to be more style than substance overall and you really have to sit in for a good half hour before the plot really stars to kick in. Before that it is a mish-mash of stylized violence, gratutious nudity, flash backs, still frame character introductions, and slow motion shots set to classic music that gives you the feel that you're watching a Tarantino film. The big difference is that Tarantino usually manages to flesh out characters and keep the movie going along at a great pace, although "Death Proof" was very, very, very slow. Bishop just kind of lets the movie roll along giving us a lot of pointless scenes in between the ones that actually give you something dealing with the plot.

The plot is something that is revealed a bit into the film, like I said before, so be patient and stick it out. There is a point to this movie, I swear. There were a group of folks who left after about fifteen minutes at the showing I was at. They missed out in my opinion.

Pistolero (Bishop), The Gent (Michael Madsen, who is getting worse with age), and Comanche (Eric Balfour) are all members of a motorcycle gang known at "The Victors" and they find out that there are some traitors amongst them. On top of that one of their dear old friends was murdered and they have their rival gang the "666ers", led by Vinnie Jones ("Snatch") and David Carradine ("Kill Bill"), are breathing down their necks looking to shoot them full of arrows and bullets before they go out and party with a shitload of naked women because this movie is chock full of women sans clothes. So Pistolero, The Gent, and Comanche have unfinished business and they plan on finishing business. That is what "Hell Ride" is all about.

With a run time of less than an hour and a half I found "Hell Ride" to be one fun ride. It is violent, it is full of language that would make a truck driver blush, it is full of bush, boobs, and butts, it is brash, and it takes no prisoners. There are a lot of people I wouldnt' recommend this film too and those I would recommend it too probably already know about it.

All in all, a bad ass biker flick that is unlike anything else released this summer.