While my comic is in the works (new Kickstarter slated for August this year!) I'm still in the midst of drawing/scripting my story. It involves a lot of outlaw/biker culture stuff. I thought it would be cool to do a quick overview of just some movies where a M.C. appears. Not going into movies that are about these clubs like The Wild Ones or the few dozen drive-in grind-house fare from the 1960s...

I'm limiting myself to the late '70s early '80s where it seemed there was a biker gang in the background of a whole lot of movies, serious and funny.

Let's dive in!

Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

Synopsis:
The San Fernando Valley adventures of trucker turned prize-fighter Philo Beddoe and his pet orangutan Clyde. He mixes it up with a biker gang.

M.C. Name:
The Black Widows

Leader:
Cholla (John Quade)

Impressions:
The Black Widows are to 'biker gangs' as Col. Klink, Sgt. Shultz, et al were to the Nazis. Strictly for laughs and conflict set-ups, harmless bunch of guys. "Right turn, Clyde."

Grade:
D+

Watch the YouTube video

Nice Dreams (1981)

Synopsis:
While cavorting with their open-minded friend Donna, Cheech and Chong are in the midst of a threesome in Donna's apartment. Donna's ex-husband 'Animal' a biker who just got out of prison (and is known to hate Mexicans)

M.C. Name:
(a repurposed Cutt from Every Which Way But Loose, changed to a garbled 'Pud Pullers' from Black Widows)

Name:
Willard 'Animal' Bad (Michael Masters)

Impressions:
Okay, he's got a legit beef with Donna, but seeing as how she's arm in arm with Pee Wee (the zoned out Hamburger Man) and with a new guy every two seconds maybe he should've tried more stable circumstances. I like how he peed in the pool though.

Grade:
C-

Watch the YouTube video

Mask (1983)

Synopsis:
A young man 'Rocky' (portrayed by Eric Stolz) is afflicted with a facial deformity which makes his skull continue to grow. His loving and supportive mother (portrayed by Cher) ushers him through the start of his High School years. Set in Southern California, she is connected to a biker gang.

M.C. Name:
'The Turks'

Leader:
Gar (Sam Elliot)

Impressions:
The Turks exist in this movie as a supportive background for Rocky's environment, and like him consist of outsiders, like most Motorcycle Clubs. Not much in the way of fighting or violence thankfully, kept to a realistic tone.

Grade:
A-

Watch the YouTube video

Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Synopsis:
Eternal 'adolescent-adult' Pee Wee Herman has a prized possession: a custom bicycle. He has it stolen underneath him while shopping at a magic store. He hits the road to track down its whereabouts, and along the way tries to make a phone call with a public phone in a noisy Biker Bar. When he asks them to keep it down mayhem results.

M.C. Name:
Satan's Helpers

Leader:
Biker Mama (Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira)

Impressions:
Whilst ready to kill him for interrupting their revelry, in mere minutes Pee Wee wins them over with a daring platform shoes dance number done to 'Tequila' on the jukebox. Satan's Helpers try to give him one of their motorcycles (very generous) and when Pee Wee crashes instantly on it they also escort his ambulance to the hospital! Good Guys!

Grade:
B

Watch the YouTube video

Raising Arizona (1987)

Synopsis:
An ex-con (H.I. McDunnough) and a female police clerk (Ed) find they can't have a baby nor adopt, so they resort to kidnapping a rich furniture magnate (Nathan Arizona) of one of his six babies to start their own family. In his quest to get back his kid, he's approached by a man-hunter, a rough biker named Leonard Smalls.

M.C. Name:
Has none, he's a loner.

Name:
Leonard Smalls (Randall 'Tex' Cobbler)

Impressions:
He fits the bill. A one-man destruction machine. If ever there was an 'unstoppable force' featured in a film this is it.

Grade:
A+

Watch the YouTube video