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The Spikes Gang

The Spikes Gang

Western · Action · 1974

Three teenage farm boys stumble upon Harry Spikes, a local bandit wounded in a gun battle. While Harry is recuperating, he regales the young men with stories of his exciting past. The adventurous tales inspire them to start a gang of their own. Failing at their first attempt to rob a bank, the boys convince the gruff Spikes to teach them the ways of the desperado.

Movie details

The Spikes Gang

“Three boys wanted to be like their hero, Harry Spikes. They got their wish. Soon they were worth a fortune. DEAD or ALIVE.”

1974 Western · Action 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Three teenage farm boys stumble upon Harry Spikes, a local bandit wounded in a gun battle. While Harry is recuperating, he regales the young men with stories of his exciting past. The adventurous tales inspire them to start a gang of their own. Failing at their first attempt to rob a bank, the boys convince the gruff Spikes to teach them the ways of the desperado.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Spikes Gang?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Richard Fleischer

Written by

Harriet Frank Jr. · Irving Ravetch

Lee Marvin

Lee Marvin

Harry Spikes

Gary Grimes

Gary Grimes

Will

Ron Howard

Ron Howard

Les

Charles Martin Smith

Charles Martin Smith

Tod

Arthur Hunnicutt

Arthur Hunnicutt

Kid White

Noah Beery Jr.

Noah Beery Jr.

Basset

Marc Smith

Marc Smith

Abel Young

Court is in session

Put The Spikes Gang on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.