CYCLE CINEMA AND SICKLE SOUNDS

 “A MUSICAL AND THEMATIC APPRECIATION OF THE BIKER FILM GENRE”

Originally published in book form in August 2003

THIS IS A SCANNED PDF DUCUMENT (E-BOOK) - 252 PAGES

Drop your baggies and pull on your glory stompers … If you want to see where some of “The Beach Party” film gang ended up …here’s your chance.

Led by American International Pictures (who launched “The Beach Party” film genre with their archetypal BEACH PARTY), the BIKER film genre burst onto the big screen – namely the big DRIVE-IN screen – in 1966 via THE WILD ANGELS.

Success led to a follow-up in the form of DEVIL’S ANGELS, then came BORN LOSERS, THE GLORY STOMPERS, THE SAVAGE SEVEN, etc, etc - all American International releases.

Just like “The Beach Party” film genre, a plethora of other film companies quickly jumped on the bandwagon and began issuing their own BIKER productions, as usual modeled on the originators.

However, a development soon began to take place with each film attempting to outdo its predecessor in plot, violence, gratuitous sex and eccentricity. By the end of the first rush of films, there were Lesbian Bikers, Transvestite Bikers, Zombie Bikers and Werewolf Bikers, with a whole lot of nasty Bikers thrown into the mix.

In addition to a newly formed film genre documented here in Part One under the title CYCLE CINEMA, there is the BIKER music genre, also launched by American International Pictures and spearheaded via their use of guitarist Davie Allan and his band The Arrows whose Blues’ Theme became the BIKER anthem until Steppenwolf released their Born To Be Wild (featured in EASY RIDER) in 1968. 

However, it was Allan who established the “Fuzz” guitar sound so synonymous with the BIKER film genre. His contributions alone can be found in at least nine BIKER films!

Both the BIKER music genre and songs about motorcycles in general are covered in this book, the former in Part One and latter in Part Two under the title SICKLE SOUNDS.

Forewords by Davie “King Of Fuzz” Allan and Jim “Wild Wheels” Pewter, DJ and musicologist, are included, as well as plenty of graphics.

Includes FILMOGRAPHIES, DISCOGRAPHIES,  six APPENDICES and a thorough INDEX.