Scorpio Rising
Scorpio Rising

Movie spotlight

Scorpio Rising

1964
Movie
28 min
English

A gang of bikers prepares for a race as sexual, sadistic, and occult images are cut together.

Insights

IMDb7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes95%
Director: Kenneth AngerGenres: Experimental, Short Film

Plot Summary

A surreal and provocative look into the subculture of leather-clad motorcyclists. The film juxtaposes biker culture with religious iconography, homoerotic imagery, and scenes of violence and death. It is a kaleidoscopic montage of dreams, desires, and a rebellious id.

Critical Reception

Scorpio Rising is a landmark of underground and experimental cinema, celebrated for its audacious style and daring subject matter. While controversial upon release, it is now considered a highly influential work that pushed the boundaries of filmmaking and explored themes of rebellion, sexuality, and mortality with groundbreaking visual language.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its groundbreaking and influential avant-garde style.

  • Noted for its provocative exploration of biker subculture and homoerotic themes.

  • Recognized as a key work in American underground cinema.

Google audience: Audience reviews are not widely available for this experimental short film, but it is consistently hailed by cinephiles as a seminal work of avant-garde cinema.

Fun Fact

Kenneth Anger's use of popular music, including songs by Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson, was highly innovative for experimental films of its era and contributed significantly to its hypnotic effect.

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