2/10
Another Adamson Patch Job
5 February 2006
Ye Gods! First off, this isn't a biker film, in spite of the packaging of the DVD (2005 release). What is it really? A mess.

Like Adamson's "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein," "Blood of Ghastly Horror" or "Psycho-a-Go-Go" this is really parts of two (or more) movies that were started and never finished, and patched together in whatever manner would supposedly make sense.

News flash: it actually doesn't make any sense.

Instead, we're cutting back and forth between footage of a biker gang riding around and making out with random chicks, and an FBI agent involved in a plot to infiltrate "The Syndicate", who in turn are helping "The New Nazi Party" (leader played by Kent Taylor, not attempting a German accent) by buying counterfeit bills from them, reportedly made from counterfeit Nazi plates left over from World War II (then 25 years in the past -- hmm, passing tons of crisp $20 bills dated 1942 wouldn't be suspicious, now would it??? ).

Throw in an undercover (female) Israeli agent on the trail of the Nazis, Broderick Crawford as the FBI boss mumbling into his cigarette, and John Carradine in a hilarious bit part as a wacky pet shop owner, and you have a hilarious jumble of insanity.

Just about the only thing that kept my interest were the rich late Sixties fashions (no Hippie wear, except for the bikers, instead all the men and women are dressed very formally in the manner of a major-studio Hollywood production, like a James Bond film).

I have found out that the "James Bond" part of the film was shot under a different title, "The Fakers" (now the theme song, "The Fakers" makes sense). This part was shot in 1967, apparently also by Adamson and crew (all their names are in the original credit sequence), and then, I guess shelved because there were no takers for The Fakers. (Sorry.) After sitting on the shelf for a while, the biker gang part was shot in 1969, I suppose with Adamson attempting to market what he had as a biker opera. That's why the fashions change abruptly throughout the film.

The other positive of note is the really good musical score, by Nelson Riddle! Lushly orchestral, with bongos going crazy and a dash of intense fuzz guitar. Where's the soundtrack for this? Unless, of course, they licensed needle-drop production music. Even if they did do that, I don't care, I still want a copy of this music. It's awesome.

The music and the costuming (in the earlier "Fakers" footage ONLY), are so good that for a second Al almost fooled me into thinking this wasn't a low-budget mess. But only for a second. It probably helps that the budget on "The Fakers" was probably somewhat higher than the budget on the later segments Adamson directed.

Sometimes Adamson's brand of slop is entertaining. Check out "Satan's Sadists" or "Blood of Dracula's Castle." Even "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein," as messed-up and weird as it is, is more entertaining than this mess. If you have to watch Hell's Bloody Devils, keep in mind, it isn't a biker movie. It's a bad James Bond rip-off tarted up to look like a biker movie so it could be sold to drive-in theaters. Thanks a bunch, Al.
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