Synopsis: A charismatic, albeit psychopathic leader of a violent teen motorcycle gang is spurred on by his mother, a Satan-worshipping spiritual medium, into committing suicide in order to return as the “undead”.
For the third day in a row, we jump right back into British horror. However, this one has a bit of a different feel than previous days. The Death Wheelers (aka Psychomania) is a low-budget “B” movie indie that finds itself eliciting a chuckle while playing it completely straight. Full of motorbikes, toughs, free spirits and you guessed it…Satan.
I really loved the vibe of this film. It looked fantastic. Opening up in a field outside a small English town. Tom Latham (Nicky Henson) and his gang of skull helmeted ruffians known as “The Living Dead” (a little foreshadowing there) are riding their motorcycles in the fog, circling ancient ruins, slightly resembling Stonehenge. In the morning light they take off, headed for the open road playing chicken with an unsuspecting motorist. Running him off the road and killing him. Take that society!
We soon learn that Tom is the son of Mama Latham (Beryl Reid), a wealthy spiritualist that spends her days relaying messages from the dead to the gullible townsfolk. With her loyal servant Shadwell (George Sanders) they introduce Tom to the secrets behind the locked door. You see, a while back, Mama Latham sold her soul and possibly a young baby Tom’s as well. Giving her access to all the mystic magicks of you-know-who. Well, what are those secrets you ask? I’ll fill you in. See, if you kill yourself, and truly believe you’ll come back, you will. That’s the key though, you have to wholeheartedly believe and want to die. (*Disclaimer – this work of fiction from the filmmakers is just that, a work of fiction and I don’t condone any of the activities mentioned.)
Soon Tom takes a plunge off a bridge and is subsequently buried by his mates, sitting up on his bike, in full gear, helmet and all. Then we get a pretty cool little scene of him blasting out of the grave on his motorbike, engine roaring. Not too long after Tom’s resurrection, he convinces his mates to follow suit. Soon “The Living Dead” are living up to their names and wreaking havoc on the quiet English town.
Satanic horror was huge throughout the 70’s. Predating the Satanic Panic by a decade or so, exploitation films of that era tagged Satan on to any script and instantly had an audience. You can look through any streaming service and see page after page of variations on the subject. Some good, some excruciatingly terrible. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. There is a fine line between so bad it’s good and just plain bad. Some films are able to capture that subtle campiness and deliver something genuinely entertaining. The Death Wheelers did just that.
Films like The Death Wheelers prove that imagination trumps fundage and innovative filmmakers will always find ways to entertain on a shoestring budget. You don’t have to have intricate plots, flashy effects or some deeper message. Just genuine performances and a gimmick. In this case, that would be a dark force in the form of a frog.
This film doesn’t have the hallmarks of an exploitation film but is exploitation adjacent. There is a lot of death but little to no blood, zero nudity, no bad language and a “PG” rating. Making this family friendly-ish? It’s just a gritty 70’s occult biker flick with some subtle dark humor. All in all, I really enjoyed it for what it was. A fun time with a decent story, a fairly unique plot and a short 85 minute runtime. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you can find The Death Wheelers on Tubi.
3 out of 5
So grab your popcorn, kill the lights and join me again tomorrow as we continue our journey on this strange little trip down the 31 Days of Horror rabbit hole. See you soon…
