NYC film director Eric Rivas celebrated the premiere of his indie-cult film VAMP BIKERS TRES at Anthology Film Archives, then it was off to the Rumpus Room to PARTAY. Pic below include Michael Alig, Randy from the Village People, house music mogul Screaming Rachel, gorgeous pink-haired Nicole Sanders aka Nikki Exotica with the equally lovely Victoria Beltran, and finally actor Lillo Brancato….
From the press release:
“VAMP BIKERS TRES” IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THE GONZO SHOCK HORROR TRILOGY
A twisted off-season Coney Island setting creates an insane playground for witches, vampires, zombies, and wolves
Michael Musto, Ron Jeremy, Michael Alig, and Lillo Brancato. No, this is not the latest cast for “The Surreal World,” but rather four of many familiar faces that appear in Eric Rivas’ final film in the “Vamp Bikers Tres” series. “I call Coney Island my personal movie studio,” says Rivas. “We don’t have any fear to shoot there when it’s quiet and probably dangerous. The sites are perfect – they’re beautiful and haunting and without people it becomes quite menacing as in the film ‘The Warriors.’”
If you haven’t seen the 1979 cult classic “The Warriors” that he’s alluding to, you won’t need to. Rivas grew up in Brooklyn watching the gritty Brooklyn-based film and absorbed the gang mentality that was so very prevalent. Gangs became an everyday reality for Rivas, so naturally he infuses “Vamp Bikers Tres” with loads of them. From Rivas, “The loyalty, respect and not leaving your friends behind, that is far different from the world we live in now, sad to say. This mindset almost seems foolish or gullible nowadays and I think the movie preserves this in a block of ice.”
Even though the gangs are metaphoric (imagine a gang, not coven, of witches), they still all converge in a battle royale in Coney Island that results in chaos. Influences included club kids, slashers, bikers, and hip-hop, so the clashing of all of them together proves to be innovative and compelling. “I got a kick out of the idea of the club kids talking like New York street guys and fighting. Vampires and zombies would get it on almost like the way we did back in the day,” said Rivas.
Redefining the term ‘shoestring budget’ is one of many achievements that Rivas has made and adhered to. For under $10,000, he harnesses his visions and doesn’t settle for anything less than precisely what he wants. He may have made the film for less than ten grand, but the amount of passion it contains is priceless. That being said, all the actors did the film for free.
Michael Musto was a surprise addition who rose to the top in his role of an evil doctor, and could be considered one of the film’s leads. “He has a very loving, carefree attitude,” said Rivas. Typically a writer, known for working years at The Village Voice, Musto dove head-first into his part and had immediate connections with his fellow cast-members.
Ron Jeremy will not be exposing his most famous body part, but he adds to the wonkiness with his brilliant cameo as a doctor.
Michael Alig, ex-con and self-proclaimed “King of the Club Kids” plays God, who is also King of the Club Kid Zombies. The role is almost close-to-life and suits Alig perfectly. “His scenes with Michael (Musto) are the very best!” said Rivas. “There’s a chemistry with them that I say is akin to Professor X and Magneto from the movie ‘X-Men.’”
Lillo Brancato, best known from “A Bronx Tale” and “The Sopranos” was like “a bull in a cage,” according to Rivas. “He wants to act and he’s determined to show people that he’s coming back and kicking addiction.”
“Vamp Bikers Tres” is a dizzying movie exploding with references and life and partying. At the root of it is a concrete storyline that makes it different than your typical B-horror flick. It has a heart and pulse that keeps moving at frenetic speed. It contains a nostalgic quality that viewers will enjoy, and the cast itself is a veritable who’s who of the underground scene.
Though you may not recognize the names Dorsey Wright, Apache Ramos, Brian Tyler, and David Harris, they were all actors in “The Warriors” which is yet another nod to the film that Rivas imbues into “Vamp Bikers Tres.” They contribute to the rawness that is so rarely found in this subculture horror genre. Their presence gives the film a layer of authenticity as does the superb music by Rachel Cain and cameo by Pamela Anderson make-up artist Daniel DiCriscio.
The writer/director/producer/etc. Eric Rivas said “I call this film series my purgatory.” That statement leads one to believe that he’s created an entirely new world, based loosely off the world we live in. This new world is unpredictable and insane, and must be viewed to truly appreciate it.
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