Michael Ledo Pete (Arell Blanton) and Stick (Alex Rocco) are two bikers. They have that "Of Mice and Men" relationship with Stick not being all there. They are too bad for the biker gang and get kicked out and do the home invasion scene.The film was horrible on many levels.Guide: Sex. rape, nudity (Sherry Bain, Elizabeth Knowles, Linda Johanesen)

Red-Barracuda This low budget b-movie is very much on the sleazier end of the exploitation spectrum. It was released by those dependable purveyors of good time schlock, Crown International Pictures. In advance, this one looks like it's another in the biker film cycle that followed in the wake of the big box office success of Easy Rider (1969). But despite its title, poster and two central characters, there is actually little in the way of biker action to be found here. Instead, it is a very early example of a type of movie which would become more popular as the 70's went on and would go on to be one of the most controversial sub-genres, namely the house invasion movie. In this respect, Wild Riders is quite clearly ahead of the curve and this does make it interesting.It's about two biker thugs, who are exiled from their gang for killing a girl, they go on to conduct a house invasion of an affluent suburban home; their victims are two unfortunate women. From the outset this one makes it clear how it means to go on with a savage opening scene where a girl is nailed to a tree. Later there is more nastiness in the form of rape, murder and verbal abuse. It crescendos with a violent finale that was not only satisfying but also very funny. Despite how it may sound it's really not as disturbing as most films of this type that followed it but it definitely has a mean streak to it quite a bit of the time. It was after all refused a certificate in the UK when initially released and then re-refused again when it was submitted for home video in the late 80's. Definitely one of the tougher films released by Crown and one well worth checking out if you enjoy 70's exploitation.

catfish-er I watched WILD RIDERS as part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics (featuring Crown International Pictures releases) on DVD.The similarities between Arell Blanton's character (Pete) and Peter Fonda's cannot be an accident – it has to be the hair, sideburns, glasses; and, the times. No doubt, Crown International shot WILD RIDERS to ride the coattails of EASY RIDER, released two years earlier.However, this movie has more in common with Crown International's TRIP WITH THE TEACHER (also part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics) than its better-known road trip movie.Both Crown International films share the same crude production values, sadistic motorcycle goons, and shocking ending. However, a better telling of the rape / torment / revenge story (without the motorcycles) is the excellent LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.While EASY RIDER is about the trip, we find none of that in WILD RIDERS, which takes us from a desolate Florida execution of Pete's girlfriend to the Hollywood Hills during the title sequence.Speaking of the opening sequence, Arell Blanton sings the opening folk song, "he's my family" (keep your day-job!) The song comes across as Pete's love-anthem for his best friend, Stick, unless you really listen to the words.If you do, you find that the song really sets the tone for the entire movie; "if you knew him, would you think he could kill?" Elizabeth Knowles did a credible job as the bored housewife / curvaceous, redhead Rona. She is a bit of a thrill-seeker, entertaining the neighborhood peeping tom, while her musician husband is away. No wonder she succumbs to Pete's offer to trade a dip in the pool for a ride on his motorcycle… ahem… among other things.Stick, his seemingly retarded buddy, played by Alex Rocco, quickly goes after the sexually-repressed Laure (played by Sherry Bain), while Mona and Pete begin getting it on in the pool (while Laure watches).According to Mona, the only kind of games Laure likes to play are spectator sports; but being this close to the action is just a little too real for her… I thought director Richard Kanter drew a stark contrast in the sequence of quick cuts between Pete and Mona's lovemaking and Stick's rape of Laure. The music during this sequence just builds the intensity of the violence.It seems that post-coital, both the lover and the rapist are quick to descend into a pit of violence, degradation, and humiliation. However, all the trips back and forth by Pete really slowed the pace of the movie. The bar scene, the bike chase, and attempted escape were just to fill time… Other reviews have described Pete and Stick as some crank-addicted George and Lennie in a white-trash version of "Of Mice and Men". I think this is an apt comparison.It is not a must-see movie; but I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to fans of low budget movies.

Scott_Mercer This film starts off promisingly, (for sick, sick thrills) when our two main characters torture and kill Pete's girlfriend because she dared to cheat on him, and with a man who had the gall to be born with a high melanin content, no less. This is too much to stand, even for the rest of the scuzzy biker gang they are riding with, so the gang leader tells them to beat it, hit the road and don't come back, the gang is splitting up and some of us are going to California.So, the two scuzz buckets, Pete (reminiscent of Peter Fonda's Heavenly Blue, only meaner) and Stick (he's a bit slow but lovable, for a moronic sadist), go off by themselves like some crank-addicted George and Lennie in a white-trash version of "Of Mice and Men". Out of money and desperate, our two anti-heroes take over a somewhat posh suburban home where two sisters are holed up, bickering, since hubby is away on business.The two creeps take over the house and hold the ladies hostage, and we settle in for over an hour of what appears to be a sort of bargain-basement "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf" on meth. Various physical and psychic tortures are inflicted upon both the victims and tormentors, as mind games galore play themselves out, until the inevitable, bloody conclusion. And since this was made during the post-Altamont era, you just know that the ending is most certainly NOT going to consist of the main characters going off into the sunset or sharing milk and cookies. Let's just say you'll never look at the cello the same way again.A violent creep fest full of ugliness, recriminations and unnecessary cruelty. But in spite of that, I still didn't like it.I can sum up the problem here in four words: not enough bike riding. A few more chase scenes, biker parties with naked chicks, or even a shootout with the police, and I might have gotten on board with this little sleaze fest. But, they blew it. I totally get that they had a very low budget to work with, but this wasn't the way to solve that problem. In spite of this, I give it a three since Alex Rocco puts in a good performance as a mildly retarded reprobate.