Written by: Carroll Jenkins on April 16th, 2011


Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1966
Director: David L. Hewitt
Writers: David L. Hewitt, Pat Boyette
Cast: Jody McCrea, Maray Ayres, Gary Kent, Casey Casem, Jack Starrett
DVD released: 2010
Approximate running time: 79 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Letterboxed Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
DVD Release: Something Weird Video
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $10.00
Synopsis: Three rogue bikers drift around on their choppers looking for kicks. Fate brings them head to head with three moonshiner sisters. And the sheriff is after them all.This is one of the first biker flicks, released in 1966, but since the advertising copy doesn’t even mention them, it can be assumed this was not a knock off of The Wild Angels. Most of the male cast later appeared in The Glory Stompers (’68), and/or Satan’s Sadists (’69). In fact, someone from the cast can be spotted in just about every biker film of the sixties.
This may be the most violent of them all, with the exception of late comer The Northville Cemetery Massacre (’76). Skuzzy William Bonner is the aptly named Animal who just likes to snuff people for the hell of it, and his buddies are just as bad. But unlike Satan’s Sadists, where not much happens after the first 10 minutes, The Girls From Thunder Strip has a compelling story to tell, and does so in a competent manner. This is easily director David L. Hewitt’s (Monsters Crash The Pajama Party) most accomplished project. The sound recording could be better and a single solitary background song is played in an endless loop throughout the entire movie. But Gary Graver’s (Satan’s Sadists) widescreen cinematography is often excellent, and Jody McCrea, fresh off the Beach Party series, faces some ‘real’ bikers for a change.
The DVD:
This DVD-R presentation has both good and bad points. The good: 2:35 widescreen, colors are good, and damage is mostly confined to the beginning of each reel. The bad: it’s non-anamorphic, the ending is missing the closing credits. and there is a SWV bug in the bottom right corner. In this case it’s unobtrusive and just blends into the background. Extras include cautionary tale trailers, and a Joe Sarno short featuring three stripper routines titled ‘A Peeling We Go-Go’.
A fast paced adventure with sympathetic and despicable characters, filled with twists and turns you will not expect. A wild ride, indeed.

