Peter Bogdanovich, born in 1939, is a multifaceted talent in American cinema, known for his work as a director, writer, and actor. He made his mark in the cult film landscape with Saint Jack (1979), where he not only directed but also acted and wrote, showcasing his ability to navigate complex narratives. His role in The Wild Angels (1966) as an actor further cemented his connection to the exploitation genre. Bogdanovich's films often blend humor and drama, reflecting the New Hollywood movement's influence on cult cinema.
The Wild Angels
Heavenly Blues is the leader of the Angels motorcycle gang from San Pedro, California. Loser is his best friend. Mike is Blues' old lady. The story begins in a quest to find Loser's stolen motorcycle. The plot is simply a buildup to a climax in the last half-hour of the film which is Loser's funeral. Loser's funeral is the showpiece of the film. In between sprees of sex, drugs, rock and roll, booze, loud revving Harley chopper motorcycle engines, bongo drums and fights, the Angels ride out to Mecca, California in the desert to look for Loser's stolen motorcycle. One of the Angels finds a brake pedal, which he says is a piece of Loser's motorcycle, in a garage that is the hang-out of a Mexican group. The two groups brawl, with the Angels apparently winning. The police arrive and the Angels escape but Loser gets separated from the others and is left behind. He steals a police motorcycle but is not able to lose the policeman who is pursuing him or evade the roadblock that the police have in place. Eventually one of the officers shoots Loser in the back, putting him in the hospital. Blues leads a small group of Angels to sneak Loser out of the hospital. A nurse hears a noise and comes into the hospital room. One of the Angels assaults her. Blues pulls the Angel away, forcing him to stop. The nurse having seen Blues and identifies him to the police. (It is never resolved whether the nurse identifies Blues in error as the man who attacked her, or if she identified him only as one of the people who got the Loser out of the hospital). Without proper medical care, Loser dies. The Angels forge a death certificate for Loser and arrange for a church funeral in Sequoia Grove, Loser's rural hometown. Blues tells The Angels to go to Sequoia Grove on their bikes, in ones and twos, using different roads and do not show their club colors while traveling. The Angels arrive at Sequoia Grove, assemble at the church and carry in Loser's casket which is draped with a Nazi flag. The funeral preacher arrives at the church; he looks at the assembled motorcycle gang and Loser, lying in repose in his coffin, with disdain. He undertakes a funeral sermon; it is a eulogy consisting entirely of funeral oratory cliches. This pathetic eulogy angers Blues and he interrupts the preacher's gibberish shouting, “Oh no, preach, not children of God, but Hell’s Angels”. Whereupon, the Angels decide to have a party in the church. They remove Loser from his coffin, they sit him up as a guest of honor and place a joint in his mouth. They tie up the preacher and put him into the casket. A wild orgy ensues. Blues disappears behind the church's pulpit and apparently has sex with a woman. Finishing his business, he rises up from behind the pulpit, perfectly attired, and he tells his gang that it is time to bury Loser. The Angels, some riding their bikes, others walking and carrying Loser's casket, move through the town in a funeral procession to the Sequoia Grove Cemetery. At the cemetery, the people from the town mysteriously show up outside the gate. While the Angels were peacefully gathering around Loser's grave, a town youth throws a large rock, hitting one of the Angels, which provokes a brawl between the Angels and the townspeople. Police sirens are heard approaching in the background. Everyone scatters. The Angels mount their bikes and rapidly leave. Blues' girlfriend, Mike, begs him to leave. She tells Blues that his reaction to Loser's death is “It’s like you went with him”. But Blues refuses to leave and tells her to get on the bike of another member of the gang and go. With resignation, Blues says to Mike, "There's nowhere to go." Blues, left alone in the graveyard, puts on a pair of gloves and takes a shovel in hand. He slowly begins shoveling dirt into the open grave to bury his friend Loser.
