The Girls from Thunder Strip

Director David Hewitt is best-known for his sci-fi work such as WIZARD OF MARS and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME, as well as the unclassifiable THE MIGHTY GORGA, which I've seen about ten times! This little-known biker/rural-revenge flick (shot in Texas?) was written by the great comic artist Pat Boyette, photographed beautifully in widescreen techniscope by the reliable Gary Graver (who also edited and has a brief cameo), and acted by an impressive troupe including Gary Kent (you want to see his character killed after spending ten minutes with him!), Jack Starrett as the sheriff (perfect for the role, and he has some nice comic scenes with Casey Kasem), the lovely Megan Timothy, and in one of his last films, Jody McCrea. With a hippie-bluegrass score, fine rural locations, a grim unwashed look to the characters and the production, a nice widescreen transfer on the VHS tape, and the above-mentioned acting/directing/photography, GIRLS FROM THUNDER STRIP is a lost classic that will surely attract more attention in future years.

Now, if only I can find a copy of the Hewitt's OTHER biker film, the patchwork HELL'S CHOSEN FEW (the bikers in this film wear Hell's Chosen Few jackets, by the way!). This is a film worth finding. 1960s independent films such as this take a lot of chances and are able to do so much on so little money. Too many of today's "independent films" are either pretentious film-school swill or shot-on-video predictable garbage or self-consciously "camp" or "decadent" bore-fests. Hewitt/Graver/Kent and crew were in the right place at the right time with the right talents and with the desire to CREATE. Thankfully, the drive-ins of the day provided an outlet for their work...work which we can enjoy today through the magic of video. By the way, this film would look GREAT on the big screen,although I can't imagine ever having a chance to see that happen in my lifetime...

When I randomly chose to watch this on a Tubi, I had no idea what I'd found. It took me all of 10 minutes to discover that this 1970 flick could easily be the inspiration for the "Dukes of Hazard," a 70s Good 'Ol Boyz moonshine-based series.

There's a few adjustments, but the basic idea is the same. "Dukes" was centered on 2 brothers whose family has been running moonshine for generations. "The Girls" are sisters who run a still, in an area littered with stills, apparently.

Both have inept sheriffs and goofball deputies. But "The Girls" sheriff is more laid back than dumb, as in "Dukes."

Both have bloviating politicians. Boss Hogg was the County Commissioner of Hazard County, and Casey Kasem is something connected to Washington, cuz he keeps threatening to "tell them back in Washington!"

While, both have lots of fast cars, hillbilly jokes and peppy banjo music, "Dukes" was on network T. V. "The Girls" has rape, plenty of senseless violence as well as the fast cars.

I don't have much more to say about it, other than if you remember the Duke Brothers' car, the General Lee, fondly you might just like this flick.

Three, tough talkin', barefooted, moonshiner sisters go on the run from the law after springing one of their number from the local jail, and unwisely allow three murderous bikers to escape with them... in a film that has its eye on the biker genre and its hand up the skirt of hickploitation. Despite director David L Hewitt, having form in the biker genre, helming The Tormentors and Hells Chosen Few, the greater allegiance here is towards all things country, y'all. The Girls from Thunder Strip might well be Hewitt's most enjoyable film, although given that we're talking about the man who brought The Mighty Gorga, The Lucifer Complex and Gallery of Horror into this world, the competition isn't exactly what you'd call stiff. A more tonally uneven movie you're never likely to meet. Good time humour, cartoonish sight gags and cheery banjo music go hand in hand with offscreen rape and onscreen, cold blooded murder as the film can't seem to decide if it wants to be another Satan's Sadists or a prototype for The Dukes of Hazzard. The cast is equally schizophrenic, featuring the sons of famous people (Jody McCrea, Lindsay Crosby) exploitation vets (Gary Kent, Bruce Kimball, William Bonner) and Casey 'voice of Shaggy' Kasem as an uptight out of towner who gets his pants blown off....Zoinks!!!

This film begins with three motorcyclists driving down a rural highway when one of the men named "Teach" (Gary Kent) stops to pick up a woman walking alongside the road. After driving a short distance he then pulls off into some woods where he rapes her and drives off afterward. A little while later he rejoins his comrades at a gas station where they get into a confrontation and are subsequently jailed by the local sheriff (played by Jack Starrett). Not long afterward they are freed by a young woman named "Red" (Maray Ayres) who came to the jail to rescue her sister "Jessie" (Megan Timothy) after she was recently arrested for bootlegging. But rather than being grateful the men soon turn on Red and everybody associated with her in the worst way possible. Now rather than reveal any more I will just that this low-budget "biker film" had a good overall plot but was greatly hampered by the poor script, weak acting and bad camera work. Likewise, some of the action scenes at the end could have used significant improvement as well. That being the case I have rated this film accordingly.

One of the lesser biker movies from the golden age. Fairly rough sledding. Big problems with tone here. One minute Casey Kasem is "blown up" by a stick of dynamite ala Wile E. Coyote, to cartoonish effect with tattered outfit and blackened face, the next minute the bikers (really just serial killers, nothing more) are just killing civilians at random with a gunshot to the middle of the forehead, hardcore. Focus, people!

I really doubt the supposed release date of this film: clearly this trash epic could have been neither made nor released in 1966. The fashions, hairstyles and attitudes are just wrong. 1969 might be more like it, but I could also imagine 1970 or 1968. The sideburns are too long, the bell-bottoms are too wide, the hair is too big and unsettled, and the hippies too smelly to be 1966. Having said that, enjoy one of the more mindlessly violent motorcycle dramas out there.

Casey Kasem has a couple of scenes in the film, sporting sharp suits and big sideburns. Old Casey got a lot of acting work in the late 60's and early 70's. Be sure to check him out in THE INCREDIBLE TWO HEADED TRANSPLANT. And check out some of David L. Hewitt's other epics, including the bizarrely indescribable MIGHTY GORGA, available on DVD.

Also enjoy Bruce Kimball aka Kemp, in one of his earlier outings as Deputy Orville. A dependable presence on the drive-in film circuit during this time frame, he usually appeared as doltish deputies or sheriffs. He also appears in such other Hewitt films as THE MIGHTY GORGA, and several Al Adamson shlock fests like Dracula VS. FRANKENSTEIN, as well as Lee Frost's LOVE CAMP 7 and CHAIN GANG WOMEN, and one of my favorite mistakes, THE TORMENTORS.