1974's "The Spikes Gang" is a bit of a roller coaster ride when it comes to tone. It's a western that charts the corruption of innocence, following three young men (Ron Howard, Charlie Martin Smith, and Gary Grimes) as they leave home to experience the world on their own terms, only to find bitter realities of poverty and desperation greeting them at every turn. Lee Marvin stars as the titular bandit out to gift the boys a bad education on bank robbing, but his presence isn't welcomed as salvation, but more of a warning, with the screenplay creating an interesting collision of youthful exuberance and seasoned menace. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com