Plot: What’s it about?
The Devil’s Advocates are a wild band of bikers, out for fun and up for whatever the road offers. The leader of the group is Adam (Stephen Oliver) and his woman Helen (D.J. Anderson) is always by his side, while the rest of the gang falls in line behind him. The group has rumbled into town after town, often causing trouble and landing on the wrong side of the law. But each time, The Devil’s Advocates have rumbled through and made it to the next town, where the chaos continues. At a stop to refuel, Helen has her fortune read by Tarot (Deuce Berry), a biker who thinks the future is dark for his fellow Advocates. He sees trouble in Helen’s future, a concern made more real by a visit to a mysterious monastery. The bikers partake in some food and wine, unaware of the drugs within and when they awake, Helen has been taken. While a strange ritual is interrupted, it is too late for Helen, as she is now a werewolf. Now The Devil’s Advocates have to ride through the most dangerous trek of their lives, but can they survive this curse?
With a name like Werewolves on Wheels, you know about what to expect. The biker movie was a staple of drive ins for a while, with a wide scope of films produced. Serious movies like Easy Rider, spoofs like The Pink Angels, and a slew of knock offs designed to cash in on the fad. Werewolves on Wheels was a late arrival in the biker genre, but it earns a place close to the top of the heap. The film takes the basic framework of the biker movie, hones in on the darker, more violent side, then mixes in supernatural horror elements. The concoction might not be as smooth or effective as it could have been, but the movie is a lot of fun. The horror isn’t really scary, but the biker side is, with vicious attacks and deviant behavior around every turn. Even so, we should be glad that horror was included, as it leads to topless dancing and some cool werewolf makeup. This is not a good movie by normal standards, but for fans of cult cinema, Werewolves on Wheels is recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Werewolves on Wheels is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I’ve only seen this film in low grade video versions, so the included transfer was a real delight. The print is still a little rough, but looks excellent and might not have looked this good back in 1971. The image is clear and shows high detail levels, so softness or grain never pose much of an issue. I found colors to be bright and natural, with no errors to mention, while contrast performs well throughout. All in all, a great visual effort that is somewhat limited by the source, but Dark Sky has more than delivered here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The mono soundtrack is less than impressive, but the problems are most likely due to the source and not this home video presentation. There is hiss and lots of it, but it doesn’t ruin the experience, though it does put a damper on the fun at times. Aside from the hiss, the soundtrack is what you’d expect from a 1971 mono option, limited and unremarkable. I have to take the score down a notch due to the hiss, but given the material, I think this could have sounded much worse.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The film’s director Michel Levesque and co-writer David Kaufman discuss the production in an audio commentary track. The duo touch on conflict with the MPAA and the trials of low budget filmmaking, making this a worthwhile session. Not a must listen, but a more than solid track. This disc also includes some still photos, radio spots, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
