In the past few years, we have seen the release of at least four biker movies including this one. One of the more notorious subgenres of the late 60s/early 70s seems to be making a mini-comeback likely due to the success of the excellent FX series "Sons of Anarchy". I'm certainly not complaining as it is a fascinating subject that almost always delivers compelling characters and a built-in dose of cool. I have been interested in the biker subculture for some time and find the whole notion of an alternative society with its own set of rules that controls a portion of the darker area of the world to be a subject that never gets boring. Although The Violent Kind does not delve too deeply into politics of a motorcycle gang, it does provide a good dynamic between the main characters and let us see tough guys in a situation that we are not used to seeing them in.

Cory Knauf stars as Cody, a young man who was born into a biker gang called The Crew. After establishing Cody's relationship with his buddies Q (Bret Roberts) and Ellroy (Nick Tagas), the film quickly takes us to a weekend party at a secluded farmhouse that is attended by the gang members as well as Cody's ex-girlfriend Michelle (Tiffany Shepis) who makes a point of being skanky when she catches his eye. The party winds down to a small group that plan to stay the night. After an argument in the garage, Cody and Q look up to discover a bloodied Michelle standing in front of them, clearly having survived some sort of violent attack. Before long she transforms from a wounded woman to a flesh-eating psycho who appears to have either become rabid or possessed by a demon. From here the movie goes in a few directions that you will probably not see coming and features a small group of rockabilly villains that will have you nervously laughing one minute to grimacing the next.

It is always a pleasant experience to watch a movie and not know what to expect. This one goes on a few tangents that enhance the story rather than create frustration in the viewer. The enthusiasm of the anachronistic antagonists makes them fun to watch in a twisted way like the bad guys in a David Lynch movie. There are times when the plot meanders a bit and raises concerns that the filmmakers are trying to be too clever for their own good so it was nice to have everything reach a conclusion that offers some sort of explanation rather than having the viewer wonder what the point was. Sure, there are some things that are not explained, but rather than sloppy writing being the reason, I felt as though my feelings were being manipulated by the filmmakers as they should be. Although the violence is at times surprising and plentiful, I never felt it was gratuitous and it served the plot and made sense given the circumstances. It is a treat to see a flick where you feel the directors are in control of the movie and it is not being left up to the viewer to forgive their shortcomings. My only complaint is that the bikers seem more like an amateur group of hoodlums that an organized motorcycle club but if you can connect with the main characters, you will realize that this is not a major problem.

I have to admit that I was sceptical to see a movie made by a team called The Butcher Brothers who are not even brothers. I always get leery when people give themselves nicknames like a guy I know who insists that everyone call him Blaino and another guy I know who insists that people call him Captain. I do think directors Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores would be better served using their real names rather than a moniker that sounds like it was dreamed up by an adolescent gorehound with something to prove. These guys are starting to build a reputation for themselves with the acclaimed flick The Hamiltons and its sequel The Thompsons (both of which include a number of cast member from The Violent Kind). Even though they were also responsible for the April Fool's Day remake which I have not seen, I am looking forward to finding out what else this team is capable of. (Josh Pasnak, 2/9/13)

Directed By: Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores.
Written By: Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores.

Starring: Cory Knauf, Taylor Cole, Bret Roberts, Christina Prousalis.