Satan's Sadists (1969) User Reviews

Straightforward Exploitation

[Scott_Mercer · 6/10 · 29 January 2005]

** ACH, CAPTAIN, DA SPOILERS!! **

In spite of what another comment advised, I do prefer Adamson's cheesy horror pics to his action films. There's more fun stuff to look at.

However, as a biker film fan, I had to check out this joint. Not much really happens in this film, plotwise. It's pretty much bikers come to town, bikers menace and kill nice people, and everyone battles to the death until the only ones left standing are our hero and heroine, walking into the sunset.

This was all filmed in the desert around Palm Springs (Adamson's home until his untimely passing), and frankly, the scenery is very boring and hard to look at. A good bulk of the early film takes place in a lonely roadside cafe. That setting at least gives the bad guys a semi-interesting location and some chance to pick up objects and hit people with them.

The last half of the movie involves our hero (ex-Marine from Vietnam)and heroine (plucky local waitress who wants a husband) running around these barren rocky desert canyons that all look the same, ducking into caves trying to avoid "Anchor" the head psycho biker (Russ Tamblyn) and his murderous cohorts. (Isn't this the same place where EEGAH lived?) About the only interesting twist is Regina Carrol's "Thelma and Louise" impression.

I guess you could look at this as some sort of allegory for the nation and its torments during the heinous late 1960's, bla, bla, bla, but I don't think so. It's just an excuse for good old action and violence. But how is the action and violence? Good enough. If you're just looking for a sick twisted wild ride into sociopathic torment, this film will satisfy. But it's no lost classic or anything. It's not even the best biker film.

Sadistic bastards.

[[e-mail] · 4/10 · 29 March 2006]

This film is a kind of guilty pleasure of mine. It's not that good, but it definitely delivers on the drive-in schlock that made the late 60s and early 70s exploitation films fun. The cast was mostly unknown at the time (most of them still are) with the exception of Russ Tamblyn (still can't get plum roles like in West Side Story). I wouldn't say that it's a true biker film, but it's still pretty wild.

The Sadists stop at a gas station/diner in the middle of nowhere in Death Valley. At this diner there is the old man who runs it, a waitress, a middle age couple on vacation, and an ex-marine who is traveling to California. The gang decides to have a little fun at the diner, but things go sour when the old man tells them to leave. They take it badly and go on to kill everyone except the marine and waitress. The marine kills two of the gang, and then he and the waitress escape into the desert. Of course, the gang chases them down because they don't want any witnesses.

The acting wasn't great, but it sufficed for a low budget biker film. The bikers, of course, were stereotypes of the typical members of biker gangs at the time. There's the sadistic leader (Tamblyn), the acid freak (cleaverly nicknamed acid, those zany bikers), the tough guy, the sex fiend, and leader's strung out girlfriend. Most of these characters were pretty one dimensional, but you really don't need to know much more about them anyway. The plot of the film keeps moving at a decent pace, so I can't find too much of a problem with it. Of course there are some psychedelic scenes (it was the 60s after all) and some interesting deaths. Overall, it wasn't great, but it suffices as an exploitation film and if you get into it it is kind of fun.

MST3K fans look out for the teacher in "Angel's Revenge" as the waitress, and Acid (Greydon Clark, the director of "Angel's Revenge").

the biker movie pathos, by Al Adamson

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 2 January 2006]

In order to get any enjoyment or entertainment, or just dumb-fun in a B-movie (if that) kind of way, like Satan's Sadists (not inappropriately released on DVD in some circles by Troma), is to take into context that it was, of course, the late 60's, and it remains in the sub-genre that is the biker-movie. I almost hesitate to slap the label 'exploitation flick' on it because one would have to take completely into mind what exploitation entails. Maybe there were many (maybe mostly) good-hearted bikers like the ones in Easy Rider that wanted nothing more than to get stoned and ride their wheels without too much trouble. But that is in a particular kind of movie that tries (and succeeds) to rise above the expectations of the enclave of biker movies. For the most part, as with Satan's Sadists and many others, a biker gang with a cool sounding name goes into a town, bothers the habitants to a point of total suspense and shock, and the filmmaker may or may not try to dig a little under the surface, go beyond the expectations up to a point.

One of the things that makes Satan's Sadists work, up to a point, is that producer/director Adamson usually doesn't mistake what it is that he's making. A film like this, when it played (where and if of course being part in question), would just be used as fodder for make-out sections and beer contests for those in the cars at the drive-ins, just good enough to not make anyone start chucking things at the screen. Adamson brings forth all the ideal elements- a gang of six (including the perennial grungy/sexy female) with attitude braced in their eyes and sunglasses, the older straight-laced couple, the good-looking younger couple, and plenty of room for tracking, driving shots of bikes. The gang here of the title run into a cop and his wife, a waitress, another young guy and the owner of a small pit stop in the middle of the California desert.

Basically, describing the plot would be moot; say enough that it is as much of a usual biker film as it is a revenge picture (and usually the two go one in the same with these movies). To Adamson's credit, given a group of non-professional actors (or B/C/D movie actors) that are hit or miss (the bikers are all alright, as are the cop and his wife, but some of the other parts of the younger women are pretty bad), he tends to push some of the boundaries of what can be done within the framework of the structure. We have an idea of what will go on, of course, after a crucial moment in the film, but there are little things, like when the bikes brake-down in the desert, or when other minor female characters are introduced all of a sudden in the desert, or the impromptu dance scene in the restaurant (though that is a staple in many of these flicks, a cool one at that). It's when Adamson sometimes kids himself with what he's doing that it steers away, like a little mini-speech given by the groups leader about 'the man' versus the 'love' generation before a certain murder takes place. And the music, while with a cool opening number, is draining aside from an interesting drum solo here and there.

I wouldn't say to start with Satan's Sadists if you're just starting to get into these kinds of films, as it is relatively hard to find and Adamson, while not without his cult fan-base, was unknown to me before seeing the film and really does nothing more than make your standard genre movie. However it's not to say that within the 'standards' there aren't some creative flourishes. I liked how there was always the one character clinging onto getting stoned and tripped whilst the others went on with their tough business, who even provides a couple of laughs. And where the film heads to is exciting on the most primitive, fast-food sort of level. There are certainly 'better' movies out there, probably with better acting and better use of music and locations. But at least in Adamson there is a little experimentation and touches of daring in his style; little insert close-ups and zooms/pans are interesting, and at times a certain zaniness tries to work its way into the steady shots. If a biker picture, in all of its likely exploitive tendencies and cardboard psychology, is more about attitude and using what is there within the limitations, Satan's Sadists is not bad, though not great.

Fun Biker Flick

[Michael_Elliott · 9 January 2011]

Satan's Sadist (1969)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

This biker flick pretty much put Independent International on the map and today it still holds up quite well. The story is pretty simple as a biker gang led by Anchor (Russ Tamblyn) take people hostage inside a restaurant. He kills three but two (Gary Kent, Jackie Taylor) get away and head out in the desert to hide. Naturally the biker gang must go after them and soon both sides realize that Anchor really is beyond crazy. Once you become familiar with the work of Adamson you'll begin to realize that he rarely turned out an "good" movie but this one here is perhaps the best I've seen at least from a technical point of view. The performances, direction and cinematography are actually pretty good here, which might make some people think this isn't an Adamson picture but he had quite a bit to work with here and the end result works. Tamblyn is extremely fun as the psycho biker as his laid-back approach makes for a good, cold villain. Kent makes for a good hero and Taylor is at least easy on the eyes. The supporting players feature some familiar faces including John "Bud" Carlos as an Indian biker, Adamson regular Regina Carrol play a sympathetic biker chic and Kent Taylor appears briefly as the restaurant owner. We even get Richard Dix playing a one-eyed biker. The film pretty much goes all out in terms of exploitation as we get some fairly violent death scenes, several mild rape scenes and of course you can't be a biker flick without a good number of fist fights. One of the highlights of the film happens when the bikers first appear inside the restaurant and the folks inside try to fight back at them. This leads to a pretty well-directed sequence once Anchor has three people on the outside and he plans on raping the cop's wife. The film starts to wear thin towards the end but this is something that happened with a lot of exploitation movies. Those wanting nudity will find plenty of it here as the women were clearly hired more for the size of their breasts than anything else. The most outlandish thing about SATAN'S SADIST is the fact that it has a soundtrack featuring six films by a group called The Nightriders. This group isn't going to make you forget The Rolling Stones but the songs actually fit the film rather nicely.

Sadistic Bikers From Hell - in the Desert!

[Bogmeister · 3/10 · 7 August 2005]

There are several things this picture cannot overcome with its very low budget: the pacing is very slow at points, photography is almost amateurish in places (blown up from 16mm, I think), there's filler - too many shots of motorcycle riders moving on the freeway, and lousy dialog/acting. But, there's enough entertainment value for 3 stars from me. The credits song, 'I Was Born Mean...' is just super. Then you have star Tamblyn, the biker leader, overacting or subverting his persona, depending on how you look at it. He makes this weird speech a third of the way in (famous to people familiar with the flic) about how peaceful hippies are persecuted by cops; this is how he justifies his murderous actions (yes, I do this for the hippies, since they're too peaceful to do it). Scott Brady is a cop on vacation and the object of Tamblyn's antagonism. It doesn't explain why Tamblyn kills 3 young women later - what do they have to do with it? He giggles like a madman as even his own fellow biker (Cardos) rebels against such pointless murder.

Is Tamblyn just playing a joke on the audience? Here I am, he seems to be implying, once a nice boy in Hollywood movies. Look at me doing all this crazy stuff! I am one crazy dude. The 2nd half of the pic is all in the bleak desert, with the various surviving characters running about. There are no other police or establishment figures intruding; it's mentioned in the beginning how desolate the area is, that you can go 200 miles(!) without seeing another person. Greydon Clark is amusing as another biker who lives to get stoned on acid or LSD; his goal is to go on a one-way trip. And this was Regina Carrol's first big role, as a biker momma. Some of her dialog, as mentioned, is atrociously dated and poorly delivered besides; pining for Tamblyn, she asks another biker, "doesn't he know I dig him?" So what were they all rebelling against, these lowlife bikers? It's anyone's guess. Like in other such pictures, they just looked bored with everything and spewed moronic rationales out of their dirty little mouths - but the filmmakers put them there. Next was "Dracula vs.Frankenstein" - a reworked biker tale.

Bikers From Hell

[Tweetienator · 5/10 · 10 February 2021]

Satan's Sadists = a simple and straight exploitation flick with a cool 70s vibe and soundtrack. Only recommended if you like the genre and can dig some low budget trash production, and this I should add, some lengths story-wise too. For a better rating I miss some more action and gore, but we should not forget that the movie was released in 1969 and game changers like the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre where still to come.

For Al Adamson fans who shout "Never Say Die!".

[emm · 3/10 · 13 February 1999]

SATAN'S SADISTS has to come down in history as THE Al Adamson masterpiece. It also comes down as more of the same. With the dialogue so bland, it speaks for some stronger profanity coming out of its mouth. Take my word and forget this thing if you hate all the crappy biker movies of the past thirty years. But it has a story, and a fair reference to the Greydon "Acid" Clark 80s film SKINHEADS. By the way, Clark did act before serving time as a successful director of drive-in filmfare including SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS, THE HI-RIDERS, and JOYSTICKS. Die-hard biker film loonies will enjoy it. The rest of you, hit the road!

This is one group that lives up to their name.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 19 January 2013]

The title bunch are a particularly odious motorcycle gang in this, producer / director Al Adamsons' contribution to the then popular cycle of biker films. Adamson does tend to take a lot of flak for his somewhat less than slick low budget productions, but this is actually one of his better efforts. It benefits from a very enjoyable gathering of B movie regulars, both new (at the time) and old. Russ Tamblyn stars as cheerful psycho Anchor, leader of this gang. Anchor and company terrorize the customers at a diner / service station, and end up pursuing some of them into the remote California wilderness. This movie lets you know right off the bat just how depraved its antagonists are, as they help themselves to an unwilling woman and then send her, her boyfriend, and their car over the edge of a cliff. When they happen upon a group of college age gals out in the desert, they drug them and have their way with them. They just can't get their comeuppance soon enough. Also among the cast are Scott Brady as weary cop Charlie, Kent Taylor as the diner proprietor Lew, Regina Carrol (Adamsons' real life partner) as biker mama Gina, Jacqueline Cole as comely waitress Tracy, Gary Kent as nice guy former soldier Johnny, and John 'Bud' Cardos, Robert Dix, Greydon Clark (who himself became a director years later), William Bonner, and Bobby Clark as the gang. Carrols' slutty dance number inside the diner rates as a highlight, as do the fight sequences between Tamblyn & Cardos and Kent & Cardos. The soundtrack is quite good, with Harley Hatcher composing both the songs and the score. The prolific Gary Graver serves as both the editor and cinematographer (assisted in the latter capacity by an uncredited Vilmos Zsigmond). The makeup artist is a young Susan Arnold (daughter of the great sci-fi director Jack Arnold), who went on to great success as a casting director and, eventually, a producer. But it's really Tamblyns' scenery devouring performance that makes this worth seeing; he even came up with a monologue on his own. As far as biker films go, this definitely has to be one of the trashiest ones ever made, and it's nothing if not amusing for its entire 87 minute running time. It's rough, crude, and suitably rousing, and the sleaze just oozes off of the screen. Seven out of 10.

Gee officer Charlie!

[dbdumonteil · 2/10 · 6 August 2009]

I watched this dud just because Russ Tamblyn was in it :why on earth did he have to get involved in that business? Tamblyn plays the leader of a pack of Hell's Angel's who spread panic and bring death and destruction to the region.The prologue is particularly obnoxious : a scene of rape and the victim seems to appreciate bestiality.

But the movie is outright reactionary: that long-haired youth is fatally dangerous ,but fortunately the clean cut kid,a former marine,is here to save the damsel in distress in miniskirt.THe hero utters this hilarious line :"in Vietnam,at least,I was paid when I killed someone".

Russ Tamblyn sank really low :he's best remembered for " the last hunt" "west side story" and the extraordinary horror classic "the haunting" (1963)

A Good Blend of Raw Violence and a Late-60's Atmosphere

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 11 July 2016]

Having served a stint in the Marine Corp, "Johnny Martin" (Gary Kent) has returned from Vietnam to the United States and decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to start life all over again. On the way a married couple by the names of "Charlie Baldwin" (Scott Brady) and "Nora Baldwin" (Evelyn Frank) pick him up and they drive through the barren California countryside and eventually stop at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere to get something to eat. While there a motorcycle gang called "Satan's Sadists" drive up and upon entering the café begin to give the few people there a hard time. One thing leads to another and after eventually killing Charlie, Nora and the owner of the café outside the gas station, the psychotic leader of the gang who goes by the name of "Anchor" (Russ Tamblyn) returns to the café to finish off both Johnny and the waitress named "Tracy" (Jackie Taylor). However, Johnny manages to overpower the men left behind to guard them and escapes with Tracy in a dune buggy out into the desert. Not long afterward, Anchor and his gang soon give pursuit with the intention of killing these two witnesses. What nobody in the gang counts on is the resourcefulness of Johnny or the mental instability of their leader. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I thought this was one of the grittier films of this particular sub-genre with a good dose of raw violence and a late-60's atmosphere that blended in quite nicely. That said, although it certainly wasn't an outstanding movie by any means, it still managed to keep my attention for the most part. For that reason I have rated this movie as slightly above average.

Sadistic

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 31 May 2009]

SATAN'S SADISTS is a rather depraved film. While it is much better than the usual Al Adamson film, this isn't saying much since in his other films he set the bar so low! The reason I chose to watch such a bad film is that I am a bad film addict and have already seen about a dozen of Adamson's films.

The film is about a group of seven bikers who drive around tormenting people. For 1969, it's incredibly violent and ugly--featuring rapes, execution-style murders, a man being drowned in a toilet and many other rather depraved activities. And, amazingly, they're all pretty graphic.

The Sadists all descend upon a café in the California desert and by the time they're through, most of the innocent people there are dead. Two folks are able to escape and most of the film consists of the bikers trying to catch and kill them, as they were witnesses to some of the mayhem. One by one, however, the bikers are either killed off or kill each other in completely stupid ways. For example, having the biker chick (Regina Carroll--Adamson's wife) kill herself the way she did of the druggie biker shoot himself just seemed silly, though it did help to even the odds a bit.

The film features occasionally bad acting (though some was good, I must admit), tons of sick violence and some of the worst camera work I've ever seen in a film. While I am sure that filming in the desert isn't easy, too many blown shots weren't re-done--with many being so blurry as well as very, very poorly centered shots. As a result, no one other than Adamson can be blamed for the film's worst attribute. There scenes should have been edited out or re-shot--not stuck in simply for economy's sake.

Overall, it's a bad film that is, at times, exciting to watch. However, because it's so unrelentingly sick and mean-spirited, I honesty can't recommend it to anyone...even blind people!

"Sadists" a "fun" ride for the TRUE fan of BAD dudes!

[scott88-4 · 9/10 · 14 April 2006]

Coming from a huge fan of the trashy, 1970s, low-budget, motorcycle gang, genre, my comment may be slightly biased. Being a fan of the wonderful Al Adamson might be too much as well. However, as far as sleazy 70s biker flics go, "Satan's Sadists" is indeed one of the better ones. Russ Tamblyn outdoes himself as the whacked out, sadistic leader of the group. His performance is truly fun to watch and he plays the villainous role to the max. The soundtrack is also tons of fun with some memorable "acid" tunes that should have you saying "Wow man!" every 20 minutes or so.

It's a pretty violent entry to the biker genre, but few of them are really "sugary-sweet". "Sadists" however, is maybe a bit above the rest with some real nastiness committed by the title group. For something a little less shocking, "Easy Rider" would be a better choice or even "Hell's Angels On Wheels".

Fans of schlock director Al Adamson have to see/own this one. It's a biker "classic" and deserves high ranking in biker film "Top Tens" right alongside "Northville Cemetery Massacre", "The Glory Stompers" and "The Savage Seven". Enjoy!

Al Adamson's best film (though that's not saying very much)?

[lemon_magic · 3/10 · 4 November 2015]

Without meaning to, I've ended up watching a fair chunk of Al Adamson's film output. "Satan's Sadists" seems to me to be the best of this bunch, probably because his style fits in better with drive- in biker films than some of the science fiction ("Brain Of Blood") and action oriented ("East of Watts") things he's tried.

As usual with Adamson, there's a great deal of filler as characters play "hide and seek" with each other across an empty landscape, and there are a large number of aggressive non-performances here. (A few of the actors have their characters killed off before they can really show anything,maybe not their fault.) "Tracy" is particular is nothing more than a walking Kewpie doll. And Russ Tamblyn is aggressively awful when he's not being totally flat, hiding behind sun glasses and a really stupid hat. But "Firewater" is pretty good - in fact, he's the most interesting thing in the movie. And "Johnny" has a fairly predictable role, but the actor playing him is a good combination of he-man and sensitive guy.

Plusses: The rocky, dusty, open landscape works to the movie's advantage, and someone had the good sense to work some heavy "Ventures" style guitar themes with an Indian war dance motif into many desert scenes that would otherwise be much duller. It was also kind of fun to see some familiar faces from other Adamson movies in the mix. (Even if I hate a movie, I generally have sympathy for the actors in it, most of whom are just trying to earn a living.)

3 stars, but I'd watch this 10 more times before I'd watch "Brain of Blood" or "Girl In Gold Boots" again.

One of the best...

[internationaldave · 24 November 2009]

I say "One of the Best" because I collect "Cheap Biker Movies" and this IS one of the best. The cheaper (as in low budget, minimal plot, horrible acting, etc.) the better. I realize most accidents in the home happen in the bathroom,so take note of the medicine cabinet scene in the diner's restroom. Did you know you can DIE if someone opens a medicine cabinet door in your face? It was a very graphic and horrible scene (notice any tongue-in-cheek, here?) I felt sorry for the Bro who died a terrible and bloody death. Also, these "Bros" can really handle a "Hog" off road. Realistic? Wow! Honestly, this movie keeps me on the edge of my seat every time I break it out and watch it. I have to be on the edge of my seat 'cause my head is in a bucket! Highly recommended movie to watch if you love the best of the worst.

Was expecting Ed Wood comparable production.

[chrislawuk · 7/10 · 1 November 2023]

Was a better quality movie than I expected it to be. These movies influenced a lot of very successful Hollywood movies over several decades to come. The diner scene was reminiscent of the similar scene in Oliver Stones Natural Born Killers. A direct influence on Wes Cravens Hills Have Eyes and Last House on the Left could also be directly accredited. Horror and alike got more graphic and explicit it the following years, but the theme and carnage of this movie would level up with any of them. The filming locations and vehicles on display are likely to strike a nostalgic cord with anyone who lived through the 60's.

My main criticism would be the ending, as it stands out as iconic case supporting the need to hire a lighting department. As the camera movies around the final scene, it is evident that the shots were taken at completely different time of day lol. Must have run out of budget in last 5 min. Also some explanation is needed to how you can shoot someone face on, and the entry wound lands up being on the side of the persons neck. Thematically you have to wonder how close Adamson was with the Manson family, as he shot at their ranch, while they were active there. This movie shamelessly capitalises on it.

Surely Adamson's best

[daniel-mannouch · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Satan's Sadists is Apex drive in entertainment and one of the best biker movies ever made. A way more fun hills have eyes that is probably the best biker film ive seen. The deserts are baron, but well photographed, the characters are oddly sympathetic which i was not expecting and the soundtrack just brings everything together. A free love tragedy which surprises you with its moral integrity.

An Al Adamson Classic

[angelsunchained · 9/10 · 30 December 2004]

Al Adamson's film is so low-budget and the actors( with a few minor exceptions) are so obscure, that this grade Z biker-flick is brutally realistic. Made during a time of political as well as social conflict, Adamson strives to show the "hopelessness" of an entire generation "lost" as a result of the war in Viet-Nam. Russ Tamblyn's horrifying role as the demented leader of the gang is gut wrenching. It's one of his most brutal and meatiest roles. Gary Kent shines as the hero of the story. And as usual, veteran character actor Scott Brandy gives a sturdy performance. To the naked eye this may simply seem as a "schlock"- drive-in biker- quickie film. But, a deeper study finds a symbolic film with nerve-shattering reality. It's Al Adamson at his finest.

Al Adamson's biker epic is not for everyone

[Casey-52 · 9/10 · 22 April 2000]

Al Adamson is known for making horrendously bad movies (which I love), mostly biker action flicks or cheesy horror pics. "Satan's Sadists" is a nice departure from the predictably bad premises usually found in biker movies.

Adamson's regular cast comes along for the ride (Robert Dix, Russ Tamblyn, Regina Carrol, Gary Kent, Greydon Clark, etc.) and delivers all they can. Unfortunately, Regina Carrol isn't given very much to do and since she's one of my favorite psychotronic actresses, she deserves more. Tamblyn is terrifically sadistic and would continue in a similar role in "Dracula vs. Frankenstein". Kent is a hollow hero (he has a cameo in "Dracula vs. Frankenstein") and Jackie Taylor is an okay heroine. Clark is fantastic as Acid, the pothead biker who wants nothing more than to get stoned. He was ALSO in "Dracula vs. Frankenstein". Dix is Willie, the newest member of the biker gang, and is not too memorable. John "Bud" Cardos is Firewater, the mohawked biker, and he is very good.

Adamson fans will appreciate the hard work put into this film, but "outsiders" will consider it boring, cheap, and dated. Instead, I find it highly entertaining, action-packed, and one of the best biker films ever made. Still, take caution. If you've never seen an Adamson film before, this is probably where you should start. If you're only familiar with Adamson's VERY bad horror films, try this on for size. His real talent was in making action films. A sidenote: Jackie Taylor later changed her name to Jacqueline Cole and starred in "Satan's Cheerleaders" and MST3K fan favorite "Angels Revenge/Brigade". She's almost unrecognizable under disgustingly large fake eyelashes, overdone lipstick, and a huge bouffant hairdo, but her unmistakable voice and face is there. IMDB won't accept my information about Jackie Taylor (III) also being Jacqueline Cole, but the fans should know!

A pleasingly nasty'n'scuzzy piece of low-grade biker trash from the always reliable Al Adamson

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 27 July 2007]

This fabulously fetid flick may very well be the foulest, most offensive and utterly insalubrious hunk of disgusting biker exploitation junk to ever ooze its vile way onto celluloid. In fact, if this wonderfully rancid cheeseball was any more slimy and abhorrent, the negative would probably have fungus growing all over it. A thoroughly despicable gang of cheerfully repugnant Harley hounds led by a deliciously hammy Russ Tamblyn kill old geezers Kent Taylor and Scott Brady. They incur the wrath of take-charge, no-nonsense Vietnam veteran Gary Kent, spike a group of young girls' coffee with LSD and rape 'em while they're tripping, and generally conduct themselves in a rather distasteful, anti-social and unruly manner which could be most politely described as somewhat lacking in proper decorum. The remarkable Regina Carrol really ignites the screen with her searing portrayal of Tamblyn's delectable motorcycle mama Gina, "the freak-out girl" (Carrol's slutty tabletop dance at a grungy diner rates as a definite highlight). Future schlock movie director Greydon ("Without Warning") Clark also scores with his offbeat turn as Acid, a doped out of his skull biker whose brain has become irrevocably addled due to the ingestion of far too many sunshine tablets. Fellow future schlock movie director John "Bud" Cardos likewise impresses as Mohawk-sporting Native American biker Firewater. Gary Graver's chintzy cinematography captures the assorted sordid antics in all their ghastly glory. The opening credits theme song "Satan" smokes in no uncertain terms: "I was born mean/By the time I was twelve I was killin'/Killin' for Satan". This inarguable sludgewad masterpiece was made by the late, great Al Adamson, who also blessed us with such choice nickel'n'dime drive-in dross as "Dracula vs. Frankenstein," "The Female Bunch," and "Death Dimension."

The ultimate drive-in movie

[freakus · 8/10 · 13 November 1998]

Adamson has made a movie that defines exploitation. It is the achetype of the biker flick...these guys are no "Dennis Hopper Hippie" types, there are mean rotten nasty sons-of-bitches. Seeing Russ Tamblin as a cold hearted killer is worth the price of admission alone! Judged in its own genre (the no-budget drive in flick) this movie is absolutely one of the best. And one of the greatest soundtracks I have heard. The theme song is GREAT "from the tiiiiime...I was Booorn, I was killin'....killin' for Satan...oh yeah...."

One of Adamson's Best Cheesy Grindhouse Flicks!!!

[Pumpkin_Man · 10/10 · 5 May 2021]

A few months ago, I bought the Al Adamson blu-ray collection. I'm slowly but surely working through it. Tonight, I finally got to Satan's Sadists, and surprisingly it's one of the best I've seen so far by Adamson. A lot of his movies are pretty terrible, but there was something special about this one. The biker gang was nasty, the characters they terrorized were sympathetic and the first 30 minutes were actually very suspenseful, especially at the diner. It's a cheesy biker grindhouse flick if you're into that. Russ Tamblyn as Anchor, the leader of the biker gang was pretty psychotic. I felt bad for Gina, played by Regina Carrol (Al Adamson's real life wife) she truly had feelings for Anchor, but he treats her like garbage and wants nothing to do with her.

The movie is about an outlaw motorcycle gang called the "Satans", who roam the deserts and terrorize anybody who gets in their way. Former police officer Chuck Baldwin and his wife Nora are out driving and pick up Johnny Martin, a Vietnam veteran U. S. Marine. On the way, they stop at a small gas station/diner for lunch, but they are soon attacked by the Satans. A chase begins when the customers fight back, along with their waitress Tracy. Anchor was stop at nothing to make sure they don't leave the desert alive. If you like cheesy old grindhouse movies about biker gangs, I would highly recommend SATAN'S SADISTS!!!

So cool, what a 60's trip.

[tvcarsd · 9/10 · 9 November 2021]

Small time gang Satan's Sadists ride around California's desert terrorizing some snobby hicks. Lot's of stabbing, shooting and raping. This movie doesn't hold back which when combined with the amusing performances is just hilarious. The music adds to the laugh a minute nature of the film as the gang pots around in the desert going from kill to kill.

Sooner or a later you knew they would slip up and that's where the story kicks into second gear. An ex-MP rescues a female shop attendant from the gangs depraved habits and sends them on a wild goose chase around the desert. At this point you can hit the forward button as the action begins to run on empty for a while.

I love the combination of wild west music with the biker gang theme. For a low budget production it's very entertaining hence my score. You even get a, wait for it... a 60's "groovy" :D.

If you can not take the implied brutality in this movie too seriously you'll realize that it is in fact an underrated gem from the late 60's era of amateur movies.

my introduction to Al Adamson

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 15 December 2023]

"Satan's Sadists" is the first Al Adamson movie that I've ever seen. It's apparently one of his most famous movies, and I've heard it called one of the best biker exploitation flicks (I guess that means "Easy Rider" is considered more of a mainstream movie). Anyway, it's one of the most incompetently made movies ever - we're talking Ed Wood kind of stuff here - but you gotta love it just for the sheer silliness. The plot, if it counts as a plot, involves a biker gang going after some people in the California desert. Fun stuff, even if it's one of the most cornball movies of all time. The actress playing Tracy wears a fine outfit. I suspect that they made the movie to appeal to the older generation, but it's still good for a laugh.

The only widely recognizable cast member is Russ Tamblyn, best know for "West Side Story". He more recently had a bit part in "Django Unchained". His daughter Amber exposed James Woods as a sexual predator.