It’s 1975 and the two-lane blacktop over in Japan is absolutely lousy with violence prone biker gangs!
Enter: Iwaki (Kôichi Iwaki, Cutie Honey: Tears); a motorcycle mechanic with big dreams of racing bikes professionally… but instead, he ends up becoming the leader of one such delinquent cycle club; the Black Panthers… wait, the what?!
Anyway, while not rumbling with rival gangs (all of which have their own distinct visual aesthetic), or tearing ass throughout the city streets, Iwaki finds himself both fucking Mayumi (Junko Matsudaira),the girlfriend of a rival gang member, as well as falling for the innocent Michiko (Tomoko Ai, Terror of Mechagodzilla).
This leads to a few gnarly results for our leather-clad anti-hero; namely that Mayumi’s boyfriend, Mitsuda (Yusuke Natsu)… the former leader of the Red Rose Gang (but now aligned with the Hell Dogs) demands revenge… and Michiko’s over-protective brother, Tsugami (legendary cinematic bad-ass Sonny Chiba), putting the breaks on the couple’s relationship.
Will our horse-powered protagonists survive or will this end up a motor-oil scented Romeo and Juliet?!!
Tackling the Bōsōzoku sub-culture prevalent in the urban areas of the day, avant-garde director Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Woman’s Curse) presents a breathless, sex n’ violence soaked narrative in Detonation! Violent Riders that is often (perhaps rightfully so) more concerned with showcasing folks absolutely riding like maniacs on city streets than in telling a coherent tale.
This may seem like a dig, but it most assuredly isn’t as the day to day of these gangs is presented like one long alcohol and adrenaline fueled fever-dream at times, often punctuated by fuzzed-out guitar and copious amounts of naked breasts; it’s intentionally disorienting, but easy to get swept away with…
That isn’t to say acting isn’t important here, and our lead, Iwaki is akin to a demonic Elvis; leather clad with perfect pompadour and a smile that is more than a little bit of a sneer… and the level of courage on display is impressive as well with Iwaki swerving in and out of traffic at top-speed… on full view… often with Tomoko Ai accompanying him. It gives the proceedings not only a great sense of realism, but moments of nail-biting nervousness as it seems our stars could perish in front of our eyes with one wrong move!
Speaking of acting, the extended-cameo turn by Chiba here is filled with passion and gravitas, as he represents not only the over-protective brother trope, but also shows that it’s possible to have a future off the streets… but the lifestyle is always ready to wrap it’s tendrils around those that got away and drag them right back into the turbulence.
To help guide us through the Bōsōzoku madness on display, this Blu-ray from 88 Films contains an audio commentary curtesy of Ashley Darrow and Jonathan Greenway of the Horror Vanguard podcast that provides plenty of factoids, anecdotes, and historical context for the picture, as well as a video essay by Nathan Stuart that presents a history of the film and it’s place in Toei’s oeuvre of examining the underside of Japanese society.
Also present are a stills gallery and Detonation! Violent Riders‘ theatrical trailer.
It also should be mentioned that this release features newly commissioned art from Ilan Sheady that really captures the lurid energy of the film!
Detonation! Violent Riders is a biker picture presented through a psychotronic lens, which makes it’s social commentary, co-opted Shakespeare, and stunt work an irresistibly frantic, explosive, and surreal cinematic experience!
