The Occult and Outlaw MCs
Motorcycle clubs and the occult? Yes, this idea is what got me to this film. Algorithms are crazy things. I sat and talked with a man who had befriended a fellow who was in the process of joining an outlaw club. He explained that a conversation with his Harley Davidson riding company somehow went to the occult and MCs. My curiosity peaked, and I investigated this question – is there a tie between the two? Do MCs practice occult rituals, do they have occult knowledge or occult structure, what is this tie if there is any at all? Never had I heard this before. Google, I think, landed me on the title Psychomania or The Death Wheelers and the viewing began. Hop on your hog and let’s ride into a discussion about this very interesting English film from 1973!
Psychomania's Story is Unique
A summary is needed for this blog to make sense and then we’ll talk about the cool sights it holds. I must admit that the story behind Psychomania is good and unique. It is the uniqueness of it that makes it so enjoyable in my opinion. I’m not picking on outlaw bikers at all here but, the tale involves a young group of them in England that terrorizes their town. Their leader, Tom Latham, makes a pact with the devil for immortality and receives it. Once Tom “dies” and returns from the grave, his leadership takes a turn and the group, who call themselves The Living Dead, become worse than ever. The group unravels, and it leads to a showdown between the leader and the remaining members. So, Psychomania presents you with black magic and an outlaw motorcycle group in 1970s England.
No Harley Davidson Motorcycles?
Psychomania was filmed in England so, naturally, almost everything we see in it is English. This, to me, is the greatest thing about watching retro foreign films. Not only do you get to see old stuff, but you get to see it in a different country too which adds another dimension of interest. Once, on a side note here, me and my wife went to an antique store in Florida whose inventory was all from Italy. They had some of the wildest antiques I’ve ever seen. So, cars, clothes, interior decorations, buildings, countryside, everything is English in The Death Wheelers. The motorcycles that the group ride are different. From what I’ve found, they ride Triumph Bonneville, Norton Commandos, BSA A65s, and others. Seeing these bikes might be reason enough for enthusiasts of motorcycle culture to enjoy Psychomania. You can read more about the vehicles in the film here.
Psychomania Had Some Great Sights
Psychomania has a cool story, cool old English stuff, and a weird cult following backstory, but two things stood out the most to me in The Death Wheelers. One, and the shortest to discuss, were some 70s items to notice. First, Psychomania had one of the coolest chairs in it that I’ve ever seen. The photo below is a screenshot revealing this seat.
Psychomania has a cool story, cool old English stuff, and a weird cult following backstory, but two things stood out the most to me in The Death Wheelers. One, and the shortest to discuss, were some 70s items to notice. First, Psychomania had one of the coolest chairs in it that I’ve ever seen. The photo on the left is a screenshot revealing this seat.
Next, there was a scene showing the group terrorizing the local town. It was nothing like today’s terror but, good for the 70s I suppose. Psychomania’s biker group rode their bikes through a crowd of people, scared them, and drove in circles around mothers tending to their children. It was this part that revealed some more of the 70s beauty. To the right you will see a lady in an orange dress that screams 70s fashion, and she has a fully awesome vintage stroller. Me and my wife saw one of these in Goodwill in NC, but they wanted $150 for it. $150 at a Goodwill – I know right? Looking back, I should have bought it. Oh well, lessons learned – regret is the guideline.
Next, there was a scene showing the group terrorizing the local town. It was nothing like today’s terror but, good for the 70s I suppose. Psychomania’s biker group rode their bikes through a crowd of people, scared them, and drove in circles around mothers tending to their children. It was this part that revealed some more of the 70s beauty. Below, you will see a lady in an orange dress that screams 70s fashion, and she has a fully awesome vintage stroller. Me and my wife saw one of these in Goodwill in NC, but they wanted $150 for it. $150 at a Goodwill – I know right? Looking back, I should have bought it. Oh well, lessons learned – regret is the guideline.
Perhaps the coolest part of The Death Wheelers though was their uniforms and helmets. From the poster, you can see what I mean. Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about motorcycle culture knows that bikers tend to wear matching leather jackets branded with their insignias and rockers that tell the club’s name and the branch. I suppose this shows brotherhood, loyalty, allegiance, etc. Much like military branches wearing matching uniforms – the USMC’s matching dress blues for instance. I know Hells Angels got their start from the military, so this makes sense. Our group in Psychomania is called “The Living Dead.” You can see in the picture below the back of a leather jacket with their logo. They had no rockers but did have their name over the front left pocket.
Perhaps the coolest part of The Death Wheelers though was their uniforms and helmets. From the poster, you can see what I mean. Anyone who knows even the slightest bit about motorcycle culture knows that bikers tend to wear matching leather jackets branded with their insignias and rockers that tell the club’s name and the branch. I suppose this shows brotherhood, loyalty, allegiance, etc. Much like military branches wearing matching uniforms – the USMC’s matching dress blues for instance. I know Hells Angels got their start from the military, so this makes sense. Our group in Psychomania is called “The Living Dead.” You can see in the picture on the left the back of a leather jacket with their logo. They had no rockers but did have their name over the front left pocket.
The best part of Psychomania was the uniforms worn by The Living Dead. An improvement would have been a much cooler logo on their jackets but, I’m not sure what English bike culture is like. I certainly don’t know what it was like in the 70s. I don’t even know what American bike culture was like in the 70s. Anyway, the helmets worn by The Living Dead were cooler than their leathers. The visor pulled down to complete the skull face with crossbones painted on the helmet. It wasn’t a detailed skull and crossbones but a simple one-color design like the modern Harley Davidson skull logo. This helmet made the uniform and If I were a biker, I would make one of these and wear it…when I didn’t wear the old-school Pickelhelm helmet. Those have always been the coolest to me. Check out The Living Dead helmet below.
The best part of Psychomania was the uniforms worn by The Living Dead. An improvement would have been a much cooler logo on their jackets but, I’m not sure what English bike culture is like. I certainly don’t know what it was like in the 70s. I don’t even know what American bike culture was like in the 70s. Anyway, the helmets worn by The Living Dead were cooler than their leathers. The visor pulled down to complete the skull face with crossbones painted on the helmet. It wasn’t a detailed skull and crossbones but a simple one-color design like the modern Harley Davidson skull logo. This helmet made the uniform and If I were a biker, I would make one of these and wear it…when I didn’t wear the old-school Pickelhelm helmet. Those have always been the coolest to me. Check out The Living Dead helmet on the right.
Final Thoughts on Psychomania
So, Psychomania is an interesting and fun movie. As I mentioned in the introduction, the uniqueness of the story is what sets it apart for me. You watch a horror movie and a fellow is wearing a mask stabbing people, wow how unique. There’s a fellow with a cape who seduces women and who drinks blood, nothing new here. But an outlaw motorcycle club whose leader comes back from the dead only to make the group even more notorious – now that is unique! I don’t care if you like old films, English films, biker movies, horror movies, whatever, Psychomania is worth watching. It’s slow and consistent but, it’s English slow and consistent if that makes sense. Jump in yourself for free on YouTube here.
In closing, regarding the occult and outlaw MCs, I have no reason to believe that these folks have anything to do with the other unless some members practice occult things on their own. I don’t believe that they have any direct ties to each other. Another movie that made these occult suggestions was Stone. You can read my blog on this film here. Anyway, if anyone is reading this who knows more about Outlaw MC culture than me, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Psychomania. While you’re here, read more blogs here, check out my art here, and link up with me on all social media here. Peace.