Verdict
Summary
A fairly by-the-numbers biker film with a generous amount of biking footage and ingrained biker culture in Japan, circa mid-70s, which includes lots of partying, casual nudity, sex, and nasty rape scenes, Detonation! Violent Riders from filmmaker Teruo Ishii resembles any other given ’70s rebel without a clue type of film, but with an edgier and downbeat vibe that you can’t simply shake off. Filled with rock music, rebel vibing, and all the trimmings of a ’70s exploitation flick (perfect for a drive-in feature), this one gives what you’re expecting, complete with a nihilistic, no-happy-ending conclusion.
Plot:
A lone bike rider romances a mechanic’s daughter while refusing to join a gang.
Review:
The motorbike gang / club culture has hit Japan pretty hard, adopting the live fast / die young mentality that seemingly swept the USA by storm, and a slicked back haired loner named Iwaki (Koichi Iwaki) works at a garage as a mechanic, while dreaming of someday being a motorbike racer. He’s singled out by a hot chick bike rider named Mayumi who offers herself to him, no strings attached, but she also introduces him to the gang she rides with, the Red Rose Gang, one of the more rough and tumble clubs around. Right away, Iwaki is challenged by Mayumi’s boyfriend, who is the leader of the club, a guy named Mitsuda, who feels threatened by this outsider who slept with his girl. Not wanting to be a part of any gang, Iwaki walks away (after beating Mitsuda in a challenge), which gets the attention of a rival bike club, who offer him a position of leadership … which he refuses. As if his life hasn’t gotten complicated enough, Iwaki’s heart is captured by a sweet young girl named Michiko who works at another garage, but as he begins to court her, he incites the wrath of her older brother (played by Sonny Chiba in an understated performance) who refuses to let his sister date a biker. Not caring or willing to be told what to do and whom he can date, Iwaki continues to spend time (and fall in love with) Michiko, which makes her vulnerable to the Red Rose Gang, who use her as leverage to get revenge on him for sleeping with Mitsuda’s girl.
A fairly by-the-numbers biker film with a generous amount of biking footage and ingrained biker culture in Japan, circa mid-70s, which includes lots of partying, casual nudity, sex, and nasty rape scenes, Detonation! Violent Riders from filmmaker Teruo Ishii resembles any other given ’70s rebel without a clue type of film, but with an edgier and downbeat vibe that you can’t simply shake off. Filled with rock music, rebel vibing, and all the trimmings of a ’70s exploitation flick (perfect for a drive-in feature), this one gives what you’re expecting, complete with a nihilistic, no-happy-ending conclusion.
88 Films presents Detonation! Violent Riders in a sharp, vivid high definition transfer, limited to 4000 units as part of their “Japanarchy” line. It comes with a booklet with liner notes, a commentary, a video essay, a trailer, and newly commission cover artwork.
