The Tormentors

I've seen most of the films in the classic "biker film" genre, lasting from about 1966 to 1974. And this, my friends, is probably the most over-the-top crazy one ever put forward.

Badfilm legend David L. Hewitt, director of such trash as THE WIZARD OF MARS, THE GIRLS FROM THUNDER STRIP, and THE MIGHTY GORGA pulls out all the stops on this one, combining Neo-Nazi bikers, hippies, Jesus, and B-movie fave Anthony (nee Fred) Eisley. Hilarious! Goofy! Ridiculous!

Eisley's girlfriend is killed by a cycle-riding gang of neo-Nazis during a bank robbery. He vows to bring them down by infiltrating the gang as one of their fellow Nazis, biding his time until he can take them out.

My favorite bit is when Eisley goes undercover to apply to join the Nazi bikers, he goes to their headquarters, which seems to be a low budget Nazified Playboy Mansion! Bikini Madchens with phony German accents sashay around the pool as Nazis with phony German accents plot and scheme how they can gain control of the local Hippie culture (and improve their phony German accents).

Why the Hippies would allow themselves to come under the thrall of a bunch of violent thuggish Neo-Nazis , when they follow a guy dressed like Jesus, remains a mystery. I guess the Nazis believed that the Hippies were all unthinking sheep that were easily manipulated. I probably shouldn't give it too much thought. Analysis is bad idea for a movie like this.

Another great moment is when Eisley drops by the local psychedelic Head Shop to get "the skinny" from the owner, his very own Huggy Bear. LOONEY! I'm giving this movie a 5 for its preposterous entertainment value. As inept as it is, it's worth watching for the laugh value.

This was available on DVD for a period of time, but I think it's currently out of print. See if you can get your hands on a DVD copy of this demented celluloid wafer, BadFilm fans. Apparently, this film was made around 1968 or 1969, and sat on the shelf until 1981, when it was released on VHS home video! Wonder what people made of it back then. It's a shame this baby never saw time on drive-in screens; that would have been very appropriate.

UPDATE 2/24/2007: Spotted The Tormentors this week as a $1 DVD release in a cardboard sleeve at Fry's Electronics. Grab it before it vanishes again!

Flower-power artifact that stayed on the shelf for 15 years, where some will say it still should be. A cycle-riding vigilante infiltrates a local biker gang of Neo-Nazis called the Fourth Reich. They order him to assassinate the Messiah, a vacant hippie prophet who mysteriously appears at love-ins, so the kids will get turned on to fascism. The Messiah escapes, and the town erupts in an all-out war between the cops, the freaks, and the Boot Boys. Features now-tame rape and torture scenes, bogus psychedelia from 'Rudy and the Love Slaves', and a fat Nazi whose German accent fades in and out and looks like Bob Cresse from Love Camp 7.

I was brought into the mess after the film had run out of money. I bought film, borrowed a camera, and hired a crew with no money. There was not enough of this film to make a story, so a fast re-write was done, using the film in the can.Most of the crew kept their real names off this thing. Filmed on week ends and all was done on a non cash basis. I think for a grand total of 1200 bucks we did pretty good getting 1/2 of a movie shot, and a print made. Then it was promptly forgotten from 1971 until Jim White managed to revive it and got some fools to distribute it. I must add, my investment was never recovered ( surprise ) and I wish well whoever did make a dime on this beast.

The things we do when we are young...

and the things that happen in making a movie will always amaze me.

I had long admired the bad film work of David L. Hewitt ever since seeing The Wizard of Mars, Journey to the Center of Time, and the Mighty Gorga, but I have never heard of this masterwork until checking under his name on this database. Because, then I learned he "Directed" this film under another name, "Boris Eagle" and I suspect he was also the "Director" of photography "Charles Hawk" (bird thing going). I was so happy when I found a used DVD on ebay (it had a limited release in 2001 from a DVD label in Wisconsin). My life has been much richer since I have seen this late 60's masterwork of twisted bad cinema (the box says its from 1971, but given the EXTREME low budgets used by Hewitt it could have set on the shelf for awhile before release, my best guess is that it was shot a couple of years before that in 1969 around the time of the Mighty Gorga). It features cast members also used in the Mighy Gorga including the witchdoctor, Bruce Kimball (aka Kemp)and grade Z star Anthony Eisley (also from 1969).

The plot is world class twisted. A gang of Nazis, lead by "B. Rockwell Kemp" (George Lincoln Rockwell was a famous American Nazi in the 1960')played by Bruce Kimball (aka Kemp). For more cliche effect the Nazis ride motorcycles and rob a bank. They kill a young girl (by strangling her with a Swastika arm band) and her fiance finds out and wants revenge. He goes to a really funny head shop and is told he can find the Nazis hanging out at the local love in (of course, where else?). Also hanging out at the love in is a badly dubbed Jesus character named "The Messiah." He gives some "hip" sermons and the hippies all follow him much to the anger of the Nazis and B. Rockwell Kemp's boss (a drunk looking) James Craig (who was a real actor and must have needed money). He decides the Nazis must kill Jesus because then all the hippies would follow the Nazis instead (makes sense, right?).

The avenging fiance of the girl killed in the Nazi bank roberry joins the Nazis, finds out about the Jesus murder plot and calls his friend at the police. The police arrest Jesus for safekeeping but the Nazis bale him out and kill him on a conveniently located cross. The fiance continues to pose as a Nazi but eventually they find out and the whole thing ends in battle. Meanwhile we are treated to scenes of wild Nazi parties and orgies in their compound which is full of young Nazi babes. Music is by Rudy and The Love Slaves. This film a master piece of its kind. A great find for a bad film lover. Will all the attention going to someone like Ed Wood, remember there were others whose work was on that level and like Wood, Hewitt has a twisted style which can be strangely endearing. If nothing else its worth watching for Bruce Kimball's (aka Kemp)incredible performance as B. Rockwell Kemp. Marvel at his ever changing "German" accent (check him out in the Mighty Gorga and you will be sold). This film is bad classic and should received more attention. It made a significant impression on me.

Another weird film from the hand of David L Hewitt, this cool little exploitation flick may mark the height of the 'Nazi Biker gang' genre circa 1971. Discriminating genre collectors will recognize Hewitt as the unseen hand behind many interesting Z grade flicks from the 60's and 70's. This film lives up (or down) to the genre, with a variety of hackneyed concepts and scenes which are frankly laughable by modern standards. However, back in the 70's I guess this was considered state of the art exploitation fare. Hewitt revisits the Nazi theme in his final film to date, The Lucifer Complex, made in 1978.

I'd like to thank the mysterious folks at Platinum Disc Corporation of sunny La Grosse, Wisconsin for the DVD release of The Tormentors, saving this psychotronic treasure from oblivion. Maybe one day we will see a Collectors Edition of Hewitt's masterpiece 'Wizard of Mars'. Until then, I guess fans will have to be satisfied with no-frills DVD releases like this one.