Motor Psycho – Blu-ray Review

RUSS MEYER’S MOTOR PSYCHO – SEVERIN FILMS (BLU-RAY) REVIEW

Before the bosoms got bigger and the plots got madder, Russ Meyer was already cutting his teeth on tales of chaos, lust, and moral decay in small-town America. Motor Psycho (1965) is often overshadowed by its bustier cousins, but it’s a crucial turning point in Meyer’s career – a lean, mean revenge flick that replaced giggles with grit and offered a different kind of adrenaline rush. Now, thanks to Severin’s Blu-ray restoration, it’s back on the road, engine roaring and all.

Shot back-to-back with the better-known Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Motor Psycho is like the dirty, grease-stained older brother – less glam, more grime. The film follows a Vietnam vet turned veterinarian (yes, really) whose wife is assaulted by a gang of nihilistic bikers. What follows is a scorched-earth journey of retribution through the dust-choked badlands, with the vet teaming up with a jaded widow to take down the trio of sadistic motorheads.

It’s classic exploitation setup: bad men do a bad thing, and someone gets pushed too far. But in Meyer’s hands, even a simple revenge plot gets a unique spin. The film moves with the rhythm of a pulp novel – fast, sweaty, and tinged with menace. And while the later Meyer films are famed for their over-the-top voluptuousness, Motor Psycho keeps things tighter – in every sense. There’s still sexual tension aplenty, but the focus here is brutality, not boobs.

Steve Oliver, as the psychotic gang leader, is a real piece of work – sneering, sweaty, and constantly on the verge of violence. You wouldn’t want to meet him in a pub car park, let alone a desert trail. The gang, including a heroin-junkie sidekick and a goon with barely two brain cells to rub together daddio, are pure 60s menace – think The Wild One by way of a bar brawl in Bakersfield.

Visually, it’s classic Meyer – low-budget but stylish, with Dutch angles, crash zooms, and enough quick cuts to make your nan dizzy. His wartime experience with film editing shows; it’s kinetic and punchy, even when working with a bare-bones setup. There’s a rawness to Motor Psycho that makes it one of his more grounded films, despite the tabloid-style plot.

Severin’s Blu-ray transfer does the business. The black-and-white image has been cleaned up beautifully, with strong contrast and just the right amount of film grain to retain its drive-in flavour. Shadows are rich, highlights pop, and detail is impressive for a film that’s knocking on 60. It won’t fool you into thinking it was shot yesterday, but it looks damn good for its age – and crucially, it doesn’t feel over-scrubbed.

Audio’s solid too – clear dialogue, aggressive engine noise, and a twangy, dusty soundtrack that sounds like it’s been lifted from a sun-blasted jukebox in a Nevada dive bar. It suits the film’s grimy tone perfectly.

Motor Psycho may not have the outrageous swagger of Meyer’s later work, but it’s a snarling, sunburnt little revenge flick that still packs a punch. Gritty, tight, and unrelentingly tense, it’s a fine example of 60s exploitation cinema done right. Severin’s Blu-ray does it proud, with a top-notch transfer. Not the Russ Meyer you might expect – but definitely one worth revving up for.

As with Severin’s other release UP, the Extras are sadly a little thin on the ground with this one.

Audio Commentary with Film Historian Elizabeth Purchell and Filmmaker Zach Clark

Film Historian and filmmaker Elizabeth Purchell and Filmmaker Zach Clark discuss the film. It’s a good discussion and at times feels like the two are interviewing each other, which isn’t a bad thing. If you’ve read my other reviews, you may get the feeling I’m not a fan of commentaries that don’t include anyone involved in the film. This doesn’t change that, but Elizabeth Purchell has warmed me to them a little.

Desert Rats On Hondas – Interviews With Stars Haji and Alex Rocco – 21 minutes of interviews with Haji and Alex. Interesting retrospective, positive thoughts about the film and Russ Meyer. The audio on these interviews is good, but the video is terrible. Looks like it was shot on a phone in the 90’s

Trailer – Another 3 minute advert for the film. I’m still waiting for the trailer extra to just show the cast and crew trailers 🙂 As adverts go this is pure 60’s agogo!

RUSS MEYER’S MOTOR PSYCHO – SEVERIN FILMS (BLU-RAY) is available for pre order now ahead of its release on 28th April