MOTORPSYCHO

***

Directed by Russ Meyer.

Starring Alex Rocco, Haji, Steve Oliver.

Action, US, 74 Minutes, Certificate 18.

Released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray in the UK on 28th April by Severin Films

In the twenty-one years since his death, it looked for a good while that the filmography of Russ Meyer could disappear into the aether. Fiercely independent in every single aspect of his filmmaking, Russ would distribute his films himself. Aside from an Arrow Video DVD boxset released around 2006 that now fetches a pretty penny  on the second hand market, and a single Blu-ray release from the same label of his magnum-opus BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, Russ’s singular filmography has been next to impossible to access. Rumours of who have actually had the rights and even access to the prints themselves have been swirling for years, so it seems like a small miracle that Severin has struck a deal with Meyer’s estate to re-release his filmography in sparkling remastered editions. 

After the releases of the VIXEN trilogy, Severin now releases Meyer’s bikers on the rampage flick MOTORPSYCHO. Released just before what is perhaps  his most fondly remembered film, FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!, with which it shares a few similarities. This may not be as memorable as that immortal cult classic but still supplies enough vintage and depraved B-movie thrills while also providing an interesting look into Meyer’s development as a filmmaker at this stage in his career. Drifting away from the nudie flicks that made his name, MOTORPSYCHO is a prime example of what is referred to as his “Gothic” phase, a mix of overheated crime thrills and sex, which while considered lurid at the time still manages to raise an eyebrow today  due to the less than sensitive nature in which Meyer often throws it all  onto the screen in his own gleeful manner.

A trio of beatnik thugs, led by Vietnam veteran Brahmin (Stephen Oliver) tear across the desert on their comically small motorcycles pushing their unwanted advances on any buxom women unlucky enough to cross their path and beating up their older husbands. Their fun and games soon turn even more depraved when they cross paths with veterinarian Cory Maddox (Alex Rocco in his screen debut) and his wife. After Brahmin and his followers assault Cory’s wife, he follows them across the white hot desert sands on a mission of vengeance, with the help of the statuesque Ruby played by Haji, who would go onto make an even greater impression in FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! and becoming one of Meyer’s stable of regular players.

While it lacks the over the top and go for broke aspects that would soon become part of his style, MOTORPSYCHO still proves itself as a slab of hard-boiled pulp entertainment.This is the type of self-aware B-movie that would go onto influence the likes of John Waters and Quentin Tarantino among others in the decades to come. While it may not be one of his most humorous films, at least intentionally, there is still a degree of wit on display particularly in his own whipcrack editing skills. This is particularly evident in the over the top snakebite sequence where Cory forces Ruby to cut his leg and suck out a rattlesnake's poison. Subtlety was a dirty word in Meyer’s eyes and that was never more evident in this sequence that must have had him chuckling when presenting it to the censors at the time.

Like the previous Severin releases, this has been beautifully remastered, and by the Museum of Modern Art no less! Meyer’s black and white cinematography pops off the screen in such clear and sharp detail that it puts releases of more recent films to shame. This superlative work is nicely complemented by a small yet comprehensive set of extras. Film historian Elizabeth Purchell and filmmaker Zach Clark provide an entertainingly knowledgeable and illuminating audio commentary while a twenty minute interview with Haji and  Alex Rocco provides a humorous look into what collaborating with Meyer was actually like.

It may not bet an essential example of Meyer’s work, but this is still a worthwhile purchase, and an indispensable one for fans of one of the most singular filmmakers of all time. Who knows how long this particular set of releases will be around for, so it may be worth grabbing them while you can.

Iain MacLeod