Werewolves on Wheels (1971)

Director:

Michel Levesque

Writers:

David M. Kaufman (writer)
Michel Levesque (writer)

Release Date:

October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Action

Tagline:

If you're hairy you belong on a motorbike!

Plot:

A biker gang visits a monastery where they encounter black-robed monks engaged in worshipping Satan...

Plot Keywords:

Biker | Werewolf | Desert | Drugs | Satanism

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Steve Oliver	...	Adam (as Stephen Oliver)
D.J. Anderson	...	Helen
Gene Shane	...	Tarot (as Duece Berry)
Billy Gray	...	Pill (as William Gray)
Gray Johnson	...	Movie
Barry McGuire	...	Scarf
Owen Orr	...	Mouse
Anna Lynn Brown	...	Shirley
Leonard Rogel	...	Gas Station Operator
Severn Darden	...	One
Tex Hall
Dan Kopp
Ingrid Grunewald
Kieth Guthrie
John Hull

Also Known As:

Angel Warriors 2 (Australia) (video title)
Blutnacht des Teufels (West Germany) [de]
La notte dei demoni (Italy) [it]
Terror på hjul (Sweden) [sv]

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 (cut) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

South Street Films

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Crew visible when the gang first gets to the Satanic temple. The leader of the gang sees a Satanic cross and starts mono-logging as he's heading toward it with the group. An individual is clearly seen in the high grass to the right of the screen.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Actually, its better than any werewolf-biker movie has any right to be

"Werewolves on Wheels" is a goofy and bizarre little horror oddity about, well, werewolves on wheels. Its probably the finest werewolf-biker film ever made (admittedly a limited subgenre), and is one of the oddest genre crossovers from a decade full of them. To be honest, its much better than it has any right to be. Sure, its complete exploitation trash, but there are a few effective moments and the whole film has a very nice atmosphere. Its also well paced, saving most of the werewolf attacks for the end. Plus, if you're into weird films, well, this one definitely has that factor down. Its even more out there than I expected it to be (the filmmakers go for a dreamlike style, unsuccessfully it should be noted, but still unexpected). Some of the cinematography is decent as well.

Still, for exploitation fans looking for cheap thrills, this more than satisfies. There's plenty of pointless nudity and some amusing moments of gory violence. The satanic rituals are the real selling point, featuring as scene-stealing performance by Severn Darden (a familiar face character actor whose been on seemingly hundreds of TV shows) as the satanic priest. Darden rants and raves about the glories of Lucifer in the most seemingly acid-induced style possible. "Werewolves on Wheels" isn't a great film or even a cult classic, but its definitely an enjoyable film for drive-in movie fans. Its never boring, which is the worst sin a movie can commit. (6/10)