Don Stroud stars as Angel, an outlaw biker who decides to leave his gang behind, and live in a hippie commune. The premise of this film isn't really credible, since bikers had a completely different value system than hippies. The typical outlaw biker was a macho, bad-ass type, who relished using violence as a way of life. By contrast, hippies were peaceful, and hated violence.
For a while in the late 60s, many hippies did try to mix with bikers though, and even romanticized the biker lifestyle. But hippies backed-away from glorifying bikers, by the time this film was made. By that time, hippies realized that they couldn't condone the violent biker culture. Especially after a biker gang was involved in the beating death, of a young man who attended the infamous Altamont concert in '69.
Don Stroud's character, Angel, is full of contradictions and conflicts. He wants to leave his old gang, but calls on them to help defend the hippies from constant harassment, by the local rednecks. Angel falls for one of the hippie women, but then rejects her attempts to get close to him. When his gang arrives at the commune, Angel isn't quite sure if he'd like to rejoin them, or stay at the commune and morph into a hippie. Angel is a guy that's just very hard to fathom.
Like most biker films, this one has it's share of violence, drug abuse, wild sexual escapades, and lots of fast, daring motorcycle rides. There are many biker movies made during this era, that are much more entertaining by comparison. Angel Unchained lacks the electric energy, that made other biker movies so compelling, in the late 60s/early 70s. If you like biker movies, there's many of them with much more pizazz, than Angel Unchained.
For a while in the late 60s, many hippies did try to mix with bikers though, and even romanticized the biker lifestyle. But hippies backed-away from glorifying bikers, by the time this film was made. By that time, hippies realized that they couldn't condone the violent biker culture. Especially after a biker gang was involved in the beating death, of a young man who attended the infamous Altamont concert in '69.
Don Stroud's character, Angel, is full of contradictions and conflicts. He wants to leave his old gang, but calls on them to help defend the hippies from constant harassment, by the local rednecks. Angel falls for one of the hippie women, but then rejects her attempts to get close to him. When his gang arrives at the commune, Angel isn't quite sure if he'd like to rejoin them, or stay at the commune and morph into a hippie. Angel is a guy that's just very hard to fathom.
Like most biker films, this one has it's share of violence, drug abuse, wild sexual escapades, and lots of fast, daring motorcycle rides. There are many biker movies made during this era, that are much more entertaining by comparison. Angel Unchained lacks the electric energy, that made other biker movies so compelling, in the late 60s/early 70s. If you like biker movies, there's many of them with much more pizazz, than Angel Unchained.