Northville Cemetery Massacre (1976)

Directors:

William Dear
Thomas L. Dyke

Writers:

William Dear (screenplay) and
Thomas L. Dyke (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

March 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Action | Drama

Tagline:

The day that law and order went beserk...

Plot:

Mayhem starts when a gang of bikers is accused of a sadistic rape in a small town. |

Plot Keywords:

Biker | Small Town | Rape | Violence | Death

Cast

David Hyry	...	Chris
J. Craig Collicut	...	Putnam (as Craig Collicott)
Carson Jackson	...	Deke
Jan Sisk	...	Lynn
Herb Sharples	...	John Tyner
Len Speck	...	Armstrong
Beatrice Endahl	...	Lady in Car
Harry Endahl	...	Man in Car
Brooke Evens	...	Hollywood
Jill Biggers	...	Bride
Ward Clawson	...	First Road Ranger
Richard Davis	...	Second Road Ranger
Buzz Brown	...	Part Time Judge
Audrey Speck	...	Tina
Chuck Whaley	...	Tiny

Also Known As:

Freedom R.I.P
Harley's Angels (USA) (working title)
Northfield Cemetery Massacre

Runtime:

Norway:82 min (heavily cut) | UK:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (heavily cut) | Netherlands:16 (cut) | UK:18 | Norway:18 (video) (1980's) (cut version) | USA:R (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Cannon Films

Trivia:

Filmed in 1972, not released until 1976.

Soundtrack:

Semi-Man

Interesting and Bloody Cult Film

The DVD came out this Halloween, and I was able to get a copy signed at the 30th Anniversary re-release party in Northville. I hadn't heard about it before, but growing up in the area I was excited for it. It was made almost a decade before I was born so I felt no nostalgia for the time period and the way of life. I did however enjoy seeing what is now a fully-developed town back when it was just farm land.

The quality of the DVD menus and extras are phenomenal. I'm very glad the spent the time and money on creating a quality product. Since I hadn't seen it before, I can't say if the video or sound was remastered. It seemed like there could have been more work done to spruce up the actual film (there are a few jump cuts that seem almost accidental and the audio doesn't always line up with the mouths).

I enjoyed the extreme violence (not something you want to watch while babysitting) and the demonization of the 'pigs'. It certainly speaks of a different time and is rewarding with an interesting combination of action, drama, and comedy. I think I enjoyed most the fact that this was an actual motorcycle club and not actors (for the most part).

In conclusion, this film is never very believable, but is almost always enjoyable. If you are from the area (and not too sensitive to violence, sexuality, and language) definitely pick up a copy. I think this film crosses a few lines (in a good way) and takes you out of your comfort zone. It never really makes you think, but the motorcycle club is well developed as a single character (none of the members really stand out individually) and at times the cinematography is surprisingly good. It's not incredibly well put-together, but for its time and budget, I would consider classifying it as amazing.