Satan's Sadists

By the late '60s, the Hollywood studio system was crumbling and independent filmmakers were invading drive-ins with a vengeance. Many actors found themselves without studio contracts, and they had to seek work elsewhere. That probably explains how Russ Tamblyn (WEST SIDE STORY, THE HAUNTING) wound up starring in a biker flick... a film which killed his movie career.

SATAN'S SADISTS is the story of The Satans, an outlaw biker gang led by badass Anchor (Tamblyn). When their shenanigans result in murder, the gang heads for the hills (literally) to silence the only witnesses to their crime.

Harley Hatcher's instrumental theme for "Firewater" sums up the movie perfectly -- it's essentially a western in the guise of a biker flick, and was shot at Spahn Ranch (where the Manson family resided at the time), which was also used for locations on many classic westerns. Dubbed "The Citizen Kane of biker films," the film falls into some of the usual trappings of the bad drive-in b-movie, most notably in the script, which is riddled with unintentionally (??) hilarious dialogue. However, some of the performances are good, the soundtrack is awesome and there's some genuinely beautiful cinematography and inventively arty camerawork. The film was sold on the angle that it was very violent... and it's not your usual phony b-movie violence. Some of the images are extremely realistic and were probably pretty disturbing for 1969 audiences. At the very least, it's the first film to depict someone drowning in a toilet. SATAN'S SADISTS was successful (many cite it as director Al Adamson's best film) and a sequel was planned (also starring Tamblyn) but the sequel was completely restructured at the last minute, most of the footage of the bikers was cut, and it was ultimately released as the schlockterpiece DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN(!!). Wow.

The music for the film was composed by Harley Hatcher and performed by Hatcher, Paul Wibier and the Nightriders. It's hard to pin down a style because it's a mixture -- a little bubblegum, a little acid rock, some groovy instrumentals -- and it's very much of its time.

Given a seemingly miniscule pressing by Smash Records, "The Wild Sounds of Satan's Sadists" is not quite the rarest soundtrack I ever bought... but it's pretty damned close. Occasionally it can be found on eBay for around $20, but I've seen the price escalate into the triple-digits. The version of the soundtrack that's been circulating in mp3 format also includes a few brief snippets of dialogue, two radio spots and the alternate version of "Satan," ripped from the opening credits.

It's worth noting that the Troma DVD is out of print and not worth eBay scalper prices. In 2010 it was re-released as a Region 0 disc by Alpha Video -- seemingly with the same extras from the Troma disc -- and it sells for under $10. You can buy it at Oldies.com.

Remember! When vacationing in the desert, it's probably best not to sunbathe topless or to offer food to strangers. Make sure to avoid getting sand in your carburetor, and watch out for snakes. But enjoy your trip!