Plot: What’s it about?
A group of female bikers has been cruising through America, a band of tough chicks known as the Cycle Sluts. The bikers are mostly mean lesbians, but the gang also includes a mute and a former homecoming queen, so all the bases have been covered. All the woes, troubles, and hassles of normal life have been left behind by these women, who now call the open road home and never look back. On the tour of America, the Cycle Sluts encounter a lot of weird towns and oddball residents, but nothing could have prepared them for the latest stop on their venture. In this town, the locals are mostly normal, but some of the folks on the outskirts are horrific. The local mad scientist (Don Calfa) has engineered his own army of zombies, which he then uses to mine nuclear radioactive materials, since the exposure can’t harm the undead. But now the zombies have somehow escaped from the cave that held them, so the townsfolk are in serious danger. The Cycle Sluts are in town however, which means those zombies are in for some real trouble. The undead are determined to run everyone out of town, but the Cycle Sluts are ready to fight to the mortal end. And with the help of some locals, such as a group of blind kids, outcasts, and a dwarf, they might just stand a chance at taking down those zombies. But can even a band of kick ass lesbian bikers stand up against legions of the undead, or have the Cycle Sluts met their match?
In addition to having a cool title, Chopper Chicks in Zombietown also has hideous zombies, a band of lesbian bikers, and of course, Billy Bob Thornton. I mean, whenever you can watch as dykes on bikes clash with the undead, you have to take notice, especially when the movie is released by the folks at Troma. The zombies were even created by Don Calfa from Weekend at Bernie’s, so you know this movie has some serious schlock potential. But does Chopper Chicks in Zombietown live up to its potential, or is it just another weak pretender? As it happens, this is a throwback to the old drive-in days, a tribute to movies like She-Devils on Wheels, the ones with pissed off chicks ready to kick some ass. The movie isn’t typical Troma, as it borders on the extreme at times, but never crosses that line. Instead, we have sharp wit and a lot of flirting with the edge, which provides a decent, but not too remarkable experience. Its kind of humorous to see Thornton (Sling Blade, Bandits) in this kind of movie, but he fits right in, with his white trash persona. I really like the old school biker babe movies, so this one found a soft spot in my case, but even I have to admit, it has more flaws than positives in most respects. But if you’re a Tromatic addict, dig the biker chicks, or just want to see Thornton before he was famous, then its worth a look. So Chopper Chicks in Zombietown is recommended, but only as a rental.
Video: How does it look?
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown is presented in full frame. The image is a step above most Troma movies, as the image is cleaner than sharper than expected, but no one will mistake this for a major studio release. The print has some grain and debris, but looks quite good on the whole, much cleaner than I anticipated. And while there is some softness present, the detail is solid, given the age and low budget origin of the material. The colors look acceptable, but some fading has shown up and black levels are decent, but not as refined as I’d like. So on the usual scale, this visual effort might not score so high, but all things considered, this is a solid treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t the kind of movie where you focus on the audio, but this release contains an effective track which offers a solid audio experience. The music sounds clear and undistorted and the effects come through well also. The effects are usually lower impact type stuff, but some powerful sounds emerge and this mix makes them all sound adequate. The dialogue sounds good with no volume or clarity issues I could detect at all. This isn’t the best audio out there, but for a stereo track it’s pretty damn good. This disc also includes English subtitles, in case you discover a need for those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes an informative audio commentary session with director Dan Hoskins, a selection of cast & crew interviews, a special episode of Troma’s Edge Tv about the movie, an introduction with Lloyd Kaufman, and the film’s trailer.
