I hadn't seen "The Ambulance" for quite awhile, but I had a good time re-visiting it and this was one of the first works I had seen of filmmaker Larry Cohen. It might not be one of Cohen's highly regarded pieces, but "The Ambulance" is a fun, gripping slice of paranoia with an injection of black humour. The concept is audaciously ludicrous and Eric Roberts' ham-fisted lead performance is full of energy (and lets not forget that hypnotic mullet when in motion), along with James Earl Jones small, but cynically meaty role as a rundown detective on the edge. Moving at a fast, uniformed tempo, Cohen's boldly tight direction never lets up (where he knows how to shoot on location for maximum effect) and his writing manages to stay one step ahead as you get pulled along for the dangerous ride with its engineered thrills. There always seems to be some sort of threat at every turn for Robert's character and this keeps it excitingly intense, if daftly over-the-top with comedic results. Especially its cheesy climax in a night club with some berserk ambulance driving and of course its irony-laced revelation that you won't see coming. Roberts' character sure didn't. The plot takes on a modern approach to its mad doctor formula, staying quite dark and full of mystery in the chase/or race to uncover the truth while also trying to convince people of the threat. Roberts' plays Josh Baker a comic book artist who one day goes about asking out the women of his dreams (a stunning Janine Turner) who he sees everyday out on the streets of New York. An incident sees her collapsing with Josh by her side and then a mysterious vintage ambulance appears and whisks her off. So he goes to one hospital after another with no such luck. He thinks there might just be more to it, as he uncovers and now he's running for his life with no one believing him there's a phantom ambulance kidnapping people. Eric Braeden is suitably clinical as "the doctor" that's behind the kidnappings and Megan Gallagher offers good support as a police officer we can trust. Red Buttons is enjoyably snappy and Cohen regular James Dixon shows up too.
44 Reviews
Another fun Larry Cohen flick!
Coventry14 June 2005
More and more I love the work of writer/director Larry Cohen and I can only encourage people to check out his versatile imagination. "The Ambulance" is less ambitious, comical and outrageous than some of Cohen's more famous achievements (like "God Told me To", "It's Alive" or "Q the Winged Serpent") but it definitely is a well-elaborated and entertaining B-movie. Once again, Cohen succeeds in turning a familiar and every-day topic into an exciting and rather suspenseful thriller. Inconspicuously and well organized, a group of fake nurses and doctors drive around New York in an old-type of ambulance, picking up diabetics that suffer from a 'sudden attack'. After they're brought into the cool conveyance, they disappear and no one ever hears from them again. The womanizing comic-book artist Josh Baker coincidentally stumbles upon this suspicious organization when a broad he's been stalking for a long time is taken away in front of him. His search for the girl results in a tense and involving movie, filled with ingenious plot-twists and adorably eccentric New York-characters. The screenplay is very clever, the dialogues are well written and there isn't a dull moment in the entire movie. 'The Ambulance' isn't a horror film so the deaths aren't as sadistic as in other Cohen films and there's also the lack of pungent social criticism. Still, this is a truly cool movie that deserves a wider audience. Judging by his performance here, I'd say it's unjust that Eric Roberts' career went to waste so badly. He looks a little goofy but his lines are exhilarating and his bad-boy charisma definitely works for the character he plays. Even more amusing are the supporting roles like, for example, James Earl Jones as the weird and over-stressed copper and Red Buttons as the persistent journalist. Check it out!
Fun ride .........
merklekranz28 February 2011
"The Ambulance" is not really a "black comedy", although it does have moments of dark humor throughout. It really is sort of a hybrid comedy-suspense film. Eric Roberts carries things as the perplexed wannabe lover boy, while James Earl Jones comes and goes as a perplexed, somewhat irrational police detective. The movie is not overall terrific, but there are some memorable scenes, especially relating to the ambulance itself. Overall for a B movie, "The Ambulance" delivers enough entertainment value to recommend seeing it, however I doubt multiple viewings would be that rewarding. .......................... - MERK
Many good ideas, entertaining results
jangu10 May 2001
Larry Cohen has not been known for coherence in his pictures. As a writer, he is often excellent with creative twists and turns for every story. As a director, he is often sloppy and mostly leaves you disappointed, thinking that a great opportunity has been lost. In his movies major characters disappear without explaination and whole chunks of plot often seem to be missing. All the while you are thinking "what a shame on such a good story!". To my surprise, I found that "Ambulance" actually is held together quite neatly. No chop-chop editing this time. The plot runs amok here and there, but not damagingly so. It is amusing and suspenseful with spunky performances by Gallagher and Roberts and a really good one by Red Buttons. Some effort have been put into the action sequences and interiors. This movie, unlike many other Cohen-directed, actually looks like it had a budget. The pace never flags and even if the ending is no great shakes, it's satisfying. Nice score too.
Nee-nah nee-nah nee-YES!
BA_Harrison21 May 2021
Eric Roberts, sporting an impressive mullet, plays Marvel comic artist Josh Baker, who tries his luck with the beautiful stranger he sees every day on the way to work. Not one to take 'no' for an answer (making him a sexual predator by today's standards), he pursues the woman (Janine Turner), even buying her a Walkman from a street vendor (she throws it back at him: probably didn't have Megabass and auto-reverse). However, when the woman suddenly collapses in the street and Josh comes to her help, he learns a little more about her: she is diabetic and her name is Cheryl. An ambulance arrives and whisks her to hospital, or so it seems...
In reality, Cheryl has been kidnapped by human traffickers, who sell people with diabetes for medical experimentation. When Josh is unable to locate Cheryl at any of the local hospitals, he tries to find out what has happened to her, enlisting the help of grouchy New York detective Lt. Spencer (James Earl Jones), elderly newspaper reporter Elias Zacharai (Red Buttons), and pretty policewoman Sandra Malloy (Megan Gallagher)
Like most of director Larry Cohen's movies, The Ambulance is a quirky little B-movie, packed with offbeat performances, often bordering on the camp (Jones, gum in mouth, chews up the scenery and Roberts' mannerisms are strange, to say the least). The film's oddball approach and OTT acting help to make it an entertaining time-waster for fans of cult cinema, despite the somewhat off-putting nature of Josh's flowing locks (not surprised that Cheryl said 'no' to him; do you think Eric Roberts ever looks back at his work from this period and cringes?). Cohen keeps the action moving at a fair lick, with plenty of mystery and peril, and a particularly well-handled final act that features lots of dangerous looking stunt-work.
Of the six Cohen films I have seen so far (The Ambulance, Full Moon High, Special Effects, Q-The Winged Serpent, It's Alive, and The Stuff), this is easily my favourite. 6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for Stan Lee as Stan Lee - not much acting required, but at least it's not just a pointless blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo like in the MCU movies.
In reality, Cheryl has been kidnapped by human traffickers, who sell people with diabetes for medical experimentation. When Josh is unable to locate Cheryl at any of the local hospitals, he tries to find out what has happened to her, enlisting the help of grouchy New York detective Lt. Spencer (James Earl Jones), elderly newspaper reporter Elias Zacharai (Red Buttons), and pretty policewoman Sandra Malloy (Megan Gallagher)
Like most of director Larry Cohen's movies, The Ambulance is a quirky little B-movie, packed with offbeat performances, often bordering on the camp (Jones, gum in mouth, chews up the scenery and Roberts' mannerisms are strange, to say the least). The film's oddball approach and OTT acting help to make it an entertaining time-waster for fans of cult cinema, despite the somewhat off-putting nature of Josh's flowing locks (not surprised that Cheryl said 'no' to him; do you think Eric Roberts ever looks back at his work from this period and cringes?). Cohen keeps the action moving at a fair lick, with plenty of mystery and peril, and a particularly well-handled final act that features lots of dangerous looking stunt-work.
Of the six Cohen films I have seen so far (The Ambulance, Full Moon High, Special Effects, Q-The Winged Serpent, It's Alive, and The Stuff), this is easily my favourite. 6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for Stan Lee as Stan Lee - not much acting required, but at least it's not just a pointless blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo like in the MCU movies.
The Ambulance: Great concept........marginally competent
Platypuschow6 October 2018
Starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones and Meghan Gallagher this early 90's thriller actually succeeds in entertaining.
It tells the story of a man who finally makes a move on the woman of his dreams only to witness her collapse and get taken away by an ambulance (I too have that effect on women). When he tries to visit her however he learns she was never brought in and may be one of a number of missing persons connected to this old ambulance.
I like the idea, though I've seen things with a similiar concept before the addition of the ambulance really made it interesting.
Roberts though a hokey actor manages to deliver here as does the rest of the stellar cast.
Though I love the concept I don't think it was utilized well and I'd love to see this remade. Regardless however the competence of the cast, the concept and an odd amount of comedy make for a passable film.
Kudos to Stan Lee being cast as Stan Lee.
The Good:
Cast are on point
Stan Lee!
Excellent idea
The Bad:
Not followed through with all that well
Ending is a bit underwhelming
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I simply cannot take a lead male seriously with a mullet...........except Joe Dirt
It tells the story of a man who finally makes a move on the woman of his dreams only to witness her collapse and get taken away by an ambulance (I too have that effect on women). When he tries to visit her however he learns she was never brought in and may be one of a number of missing persons connected to this old ambulance.
I like the idea, though I've seen things with a similiar concept before the addition of the ambulance really made it interesting.
Roberts though a hokey actor manages to deliver here as does the rest of the stellar cast.
Though I love the concept I don't think it was utilized well and I'd love to see this remade. Regardless however the competence of the cast, the concept and an odd amount of comedy make for a passable film.
Kudos to Stan Lee being cast as Stan Lee.
The Good:
Cast are on point
Stan Lee!
Excellent idea
The Bad:
Not followed through with all that well
Ending is a bit underwhelming
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I simply cannot take a lead male seriously with a mullet...........except Joe Dirt
No plot, no story and no common sense.
metalrage6661 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The one thing that struck me while watching this was; what in Gods name is going on?
Eric Roberts spots this random woman on the street that he's seen a few times and he suddenly decides to pluck up enough courage to approach her and dazzle her with his non existent charm. When that fails he then tries to buy her affection with a cheap bracelet and a bright yellow Walkman from a street vendor.
When that fails she inexplicably collapses on the street. All this is being watched by some guy in a car who makes a phone call resulting in an ambulance from the 1960s coming from nowhere and taking her away. Eric Roberts only manages to catch the woman's first name and the hospital she's being taken to, however when he goes to pay her a visit, no one's ever heard of her and no one matches her description. It's the same story from all the nearby hospitals.
He then decides to go to the police. As Eric works as an artist for Marvel Comics he decides to take his own sketch of the woman to the police in the hope of identifying her. James Earl Jones plays a police lieutenant who is more than a little disinterested in wanting to know anything about it and generally seems angry about everything. When he decides to draw the outdated ambulance that took her, lieutenant Jones is even less impressed and orders him out.
It turns out that the woman who collapsed is a diabetic. Her room mate who briefly teams up with Eric Roberts trying to track her down is also a diabetic. She tries to call home to see if her room mate has turned up and gets a recorded message to come alone to a city horse stable for the Hansom cabs. She then gets captured and taken away in the same ambulance. For some reason there appears to be some kind of illegal experimentation going on involving diabetics and some radical new treatment for the disease which even if it's somehow successful, will still result in the imprisoned patient being sold and killed and while watching this I couldn't work out why or what the ultimate goal was in all these captured diabetics.
After some bumbling vaudeville like police work, the ambulance is tracked down to an invitation only nightclub where a rather pathetic shoot-out occurs. It would seem that with 20 or so cops all shooting at an ambulance, not one of them bothers to aim at the tyres. The captured patients are located in a mock hospital on the floors above the nightclub. And even though he's not a police officer, and was actually even considered a suspect, Eric Roberts tags along and finds his missing love interest who reveals to him that she has a boyfriend. If only she said that in the first place, but for me it opened up a big plot hole; why wasn't this alleged boyfriend ever looking for her? Where's he been in all this and why isn't he a suspect?
So despite all Eric's been through he doesn't get the girl. He immediately turns his attention to the female constable who's been assisting with the investigation and who was the obvious backup or optional love interest.
After a last ditch run in with the crazed head doctor who got away in the ambulance because movie police can't shoot straight, it ends up as a fireball at the bottom of a building site, Eric and his new lover find themselves together in the back of an actual ambulance and the rest of their lives writes itself.
I just never got this movie at all. Nothing in this made any real sense to me and while some reviews are commending the black comedy, I simply didn't see it. This was far too stupid to be funny in any sense and what story there was seemed all over the place. The whole business of capturing diabetics for radical experiments was never fully explored. The idea of using an ambulance that went out of service 30 or 40 years ago and unbelievably going unnoticed by everybody is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever put to film. It's tantamount to using a steam locomotive for the same thing, eventually people are going to notice and begin to ask questions. For me, the best thing in this was Stan Lee, co-creator of some of the best Marvel comic heroes of all time, and even he was visibly unimpressed with the lameness of Eric Roberts. So if you love watching movies with no sense of purpose then I guess you'll go orgasmic over The Ambulance.
Eric Roberts spots this random woman on the street that he's seen a few times and he suddenly decides to pluck up enough courage to approach her and dazzle her with his non existent charm. When that fails he then tries to buy her affection with a cheap bracelet and a bright yellow Walkman from a street vendor.
When that fails she inexplicably collapses on the street. All this is being watched by some guy in a car who makes a phone call resulting in an ambulance from the 1960s coming from nowhere and taking her away. Eric Roberts only manages to catch the woman's first name and the hospital she's being taken to, however when he goes to pay her a visit, no one's ever heard of her and no one matches her description. It's the same story from all the nearby hospitals.
He then decides to go to the police. As Eric works as an artist for Marvel Comics he decides to take his own sketch of the woman to the police in the hope of identifying her. James Earl Jones plays a police lieutenant who is more than a little disinterested in wanting to know anything about it and generally seems angry about everything. When he decides to draw the outdated ambulance that took her, lieutenant Jones is even less impressed and orders him out.
It turns out that the woman who collapsed is a diabetic. Her room mate who briefly teams up with Eric Roberts trying to track her down is also a diabetic. She tries to call home to see if her room mate has turned up and gets a recorded message to come alone to a city horse stable for the Hansom cabs. She then gets captured and taken away in the same ambulance. For some reason there appears to be some kind of illegal experimentation going on involving diabetics and some radical new treatment for the disease which even if it's somehow successful, will still result in the imprisoned patient being sold and killed and while watching this I couldn't work out why or what the ultimate goal was in all these captured diabetics.
After some bumbling vaudeville like police work, the ambulance is tracked down to an invitation only nightclub where a rather pathetic shoot-out occurs. It would seem that with 20 or so cops all shooting at an ambulance, not one of them bothers to aim at the tyres. The captured patients are located in a mock hospital on the floors above the nightclub. And even though he's not a police officer, and was actually even considered a suspect, Eric Roberts tags along and finds his missing love interest who reveals to him that she has a boyfriend. If only she said that in the first place, but for me it opened up a big plot hole; why wasn't this alleged boyfriend ever looking for her? Where's he been in all this and why isn't he a suspect?
So despite all Eric's been through he doesn't get the girl. He immediately turns his attention to the female constable who's been assisting with the investigation and who was the obvious backup or optional love interest.
After a last ditch run in with the crazed head doctor who got away in the ambulance because movie police can't shoot straight, it ends up as a fireball at the bottom of a building site, Eric and his new lover find themselves together in the back of an actual ambulance and the rest of their lives writes itself.
I just never got this movie at all. Nothing in this made any real sense to me and while some reviews are commending the black comedy, I simply didn't see it. This was far too stupid to be funny in any sense and what story there was seemed all over the place. The whole business of capturing diabetics for radical experiments was never fully explored. The idea of using an ambulance that went out of service 30 or 40 years ago and unbelievably going unnoticed by everybody is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever put to film. It's tantamount to using a steam locomotive for the same thing, eventually people are going to notice and begin to ask questions. For me, the best thing in this was Stan Lee, co-creator of some of the best Marvel comic heroes of all time, and even he was visibly unimpressed with the lameness of Eric Roberts. So if you love watching movies with no sense of purpose then I guess you'll go orgasmic over The Ambulance.
A cheerfully dumb conspiracy thriller / action flick.
Hey_Sweden22 April 2018
Eric Roberts is engaging as Josh Baker, a comic book artist who relentlessly pursues (some people may call it hassling) a pretty girl (Janine Turner) whom he's spied before on the streets of NYC. When she collapses, and an old model ambulance spirits her away, she seems to just disappear afterwards. Josh becomes a man obsessed, as he determines to find her. While he repeatedly gets his own life threatened, he antagonizes a jovial NYPD detective (James Earl Jones).
Legendary independent filmmaking auteur Larry Cohen has typically been a great idea man, even if his stories can sometimes get muddled and silly. This one is a little more focused, if still outrageous. It does look like Cohen had a higher-than-usual budget on this thing, and it allows for fine action scenes and stunts. But key to actually making "The Ambulance" a notch or two above routine in its tongue-in-cheek quality. The sense of humour takes dominance, especially when it comes to the sardonic attitude of people like Lt. Spencer (Mr. Jones) and a hostile nurse (Deborah Hedwall). But it still never quite clicks until Red Buttons shows up. Red plays a chatty, elderly live wire, supposedly a former journalist, who befriends Josh while the two of them rest in a hospital.
One standout chase sequence leads Josh and one of two evil ambulance attendants into some cramped quarters, leading the viewer to marvel at how Cohen and company managed to get these shots. Use of locations is excellent, as you would expect from Cohen, the forward momentum is impressive, and both Turner and the delectable Megan Gallagher add plenty of sex appeal; Gallagher plays an NYPD uniformed officer who becomes sympathetic to Joshs' plight.
Roberts, sporting an awe-inspiring mullet, does do some hamming, but never to an unbearable degree. Jones is a riot as the edgy, weary, seen-it-all veteran detective. Eric "Victor Newman" Braeden is likewise quite the hoot as the diabolical villain, referred to only as "The Doctor". His final dialogue to Roberts is reminiscent of the kind of thing that Scooby-Doo villains would ALWAYS say. The very fine cast also includes Cohen regulars like Jill Gatsby (the directors' daughter), James Dixon, and Laurene Landon, and other familiar faces such as Hedwall ("Alone in the Dark" '82), Richard Bright ("The Godfather"), Nick Chinlund ("Con Air"), Susan Blommaert ("Pet Sematary"), and Beatrice Winde ("Dangerous Minds"). Since Roberts is playing a Marvel Comics artist, it allows for the standard cameo by Marvel head honcho Stan Lee, whose big moment involves him telling Roberts to take care of his personal problems on his own time.
"The Ambulance" is not among the best Cohen works, like "It's Alive" and "God Told Me To", but it's quite fun nevertheless.
Seven out of 10.
Legendary independent filmmaking auteur Larry Cohen has typically been a great idea man, even if his stories can sometimes get muddled and silly. This one is a little more focused, if still outrageous. It does look like Cohen had a higher-than-usual budget on this thing, and it allows for fine action scenes and stunts. But key to actually making "The Ambulance" a notch or two above routine in its tongue-in-cheek quality. The sense of humour takes dominance, especially when it comes to the sardonic attitude of people like Lt. Spencer (Mr. Jones) and a hostile nurse (Deborah Hedwall). But it still never quite clicks until Red Buttons shows up. Red plays a chatty, elderly live wire, supposedly a former journalist, who befriends Josh while the two of them rest in a hospital.
One standout chase sequence leads Josh and one of two evil ambulance attendants into some cramped quarters, leading the viewer to marvel at how Cohen and company managed to get these shots. Use of locations is excellent, as you would expect from Cohen, the forward momentum is impressive, and both Turner and the delectable Megan Gallagher add plenty of sex appeal; Gallagher plays an NYPD uniformed officer who becomes sympathetic to Joshs' plight.
Roberts, sporting an awe-inspiring mullet, does do some hamming, but never to an unbearable degree. Jones is a riot as the edgy, weary, seen-it-all veteran detective. Eric "Victor Newman" Braeden is likewise quite the hoot as the diabolical villain, referred to only as "The Doctor". His final dialogue to Roberts is reminiscent of the kind of thing that Scooby-Doo villains would ALWAYS say. The very fine cast also includes Cohen regulars like Jill Gatsby (the directors' daughter), James Dixon, and Laurene Landon, and other familiar faces such as Hedwall ("Alone in the Dark" '82), Richard Bright ("The Godfather"), Nick Chinlund ("Con Air"), Susan Blommaert ("Pet Sematary"), and Beatrice Winde ("Dangerous Minds"). Since Roberts is playing a Marvel Comics artist, it allows for the standard cameo by Marvel head honcho Stan Lee, whose big moment involves him telling Roberts to take care of his personal problems on his own time.
"The Ambulance" is not among the best Cohen works, like "It's Alive" and "God Told Me To", but it's quite fun nevertheless.
Seven out of 10.
This one is not on medicare
Prismark1030 August 2019
Larry Cohen was an independent cultish guerilla filmmaker. He made low budget horror genre films such as Maniac Cop and Q-The Winged Serpent.
Cohen was not a director who bothered with permits and would just hit the streets of New York and start shooting with whatever out of work character actor who was willing to work cheaply. In this case James Earl Jones.
Eric Roberts hams it up as a comic book artist Josh who meets a young woman called Cheryl during his lunch break, she collapses and is taken away in an old ambulance. Josh searches all the hospitals for her and there is no record of her being admitted, later her roommate also disappears.
Cheryl a diabetic has been abducted by a sinister doctor intending to conduct experiments on her and other people who have been abducted.
Josh's frantic search and a conspiracy theory about a deadly ambulance on the streets of New York does not convince the police such as Lt Spencer (James Earl Jones) who takes a dismissive view of Josh. However a veteran journalist Elias (Red Buttons) is more helpful.
This is a silly choppy thriller that found an audience on video rentals back in the early 90s. It mixes genres from comedy, horror and thriller. Roberts is both intense and comic, most of the cast know the script is bizarre nonsense.
It is a shame that Cohen could not make a more coherently plotted film, but maybe he knew that his B movie audience were not as demanding of something such as a tighter plot.
Josh works for Marvel comics, the film has a cameo from Stan Lee in a horrific wig, more terrifying than the creepy ambulance that whisks people away.
Cohen was not a director who bothered with permits and would just hit the streets of New York and start shooting with whatever out of work character actor who was willing to work cheaply. In this case James Earl Jones.
Eric Roberts hams it up as a comic book artist Josh who meets a young woman called Cheryl during his lunch break, she collapses and is taken away in an old ambulance. Josh searches all the hospitals for her and there is no record of her being admitted, later her roommate also disappears.
Cheryl a diabetic has been abducted by a sinister doctor intending to conduct experiments on her and other people who have been abducted.
Josh's frantic search and a conspiracy theory about a deadly ambulance on the streets of New York does not convince the police such as Lt Spencer (James Earl Jones) who takes a dismissive view of Josh. However a veteran journalist Elias (Red Buttons) is more helpful.
This is a silly choppy thriller that found an audience on video rentals back in the early 90s. It mixes genres from comedy, horror and thriller. Roberts is both intense and comic, most of the cast know the script is bizarre nonsense.
It is a shame that Cohen could not make a more coherently plotted film, but maybe he knew that his B movie audience were not as demanding of something such as a tighter plot.
Josh works for Marvel comics, the film has a cameo from Stan Lee in a horrific wig, more terrifying than the creepy ambulance that whisks people away.
Great B Movie
generationofswine24 October 2016
I was never really censored as a child. It was part of growing up as the typical latch-key kid of the era, and part growing up with a father that loved movies and took me just about everywhere he went.
So, when it comes to movies like "The Ambulance" it was a "you stay home, at 10, watch your little sister and I'll go rent a movie for us." Today leaving someone that age at home and in charge would be neglect, back then it was common...and of course dad came home with a B-Movie Gem.
Why not? He always treated my sister and I like little adults and not children and his taste in movies always came down to: "I haven't seen something like this before." It's an attitude that stuck with me over the years. If it's entertaining I like it, if it's original, I like it even more.
The Ambulance, especially if you are a 10 year-old in 1990 was awesome. I mean, it had Stan Lee in it and that was BEFORE he made cameos in all the Marvel movies. AND, it was a movie about a guy that made comic books. It was like crack for a 10 year-old, I couldn't get enough if it.
Plus, it's campy as all get-out. Everything is just a little too earnest, a little too over-done and it makes for just a fun movie to watch. Right down to Darth Vader chomping on his gum in every seen.
I know, I know, it's James Earl Jones, but when you are 10, it doesn't matter, he is still Darth Vader.
It should be a cult hit and I am sure it has a little following out there somewhere. It's far from a great film, but it's still unique and campy enough to have that cult love behind it.
So, when it comes to movies like "The Ambulance" it was a "you stay home, at 10, watch your little sister and I'll go rent a movie for us." Today leaving someone that age at home and in charge would be neglect, back then it was common...and of course dad came home with a B-Movie Gem.
Why not? He always treated my sister and I like little adults and not children and his taste in movies always came down to: "I haven't seen something like this before." It's an attitude that stuck with me over the years. If it's entertaining I like it, if it's original, I like it even more.
The Ambulance, especially if you are a 10 year-old in 1990 was awesome. I mean, it had Stan Lee in it and that was BEFORE he made cameos in all the Marvel movies. AND, it was a movie about a guy that made comic books. It was like crack for a 10 year-old, I couldn't get enough if it.
Plus, it's campy as all get-out. Everything is just a little too earnest, a little too over-done and it makes for just a fun movie to watch. Right down to Darth Vader chomping on his gum in every seen.
I know, I know, it's James Earl Jones, but when you are 10, it doesn't matter, he is still Darth Vader.
It should be a cult hit and I am sure it has a little following out there somewhere. It's far from a great film, but it's still unique and campy enough to have that cult love behind it.
As a diabetic, I found this movie particularly unpleasant.
cricket-1418 May 1999
It deals with diabetics being entrapped by an old fashioned ambulance, amongst other monstrosities.
I wish that someone would do a good, well-acted movie with a diabetic character - every other disease (AIDS, breast cancer, syphilis, etc.) has been touched on in "disease of the week" tv movies and features, but not diabetes. (Mary Tyler Moore might be a good choice to play such a character.)
I wish that someone would do a good, well-acted movie with a diabetic character - every other disease (AIDS, breast cancer, syphilis, etc.) has been touched on in "disease of the week" tv movies and features, but not diabetes. (Mary Tyler Moore might be a good choice to play such a character.)
Not Cohen's best, but still a good fun flick!
The_Void15 November 2006
You can always count on at least one thing going into a Larry Cohen movie - and that's a good time. Cohen had already tackled rogue police officers before it came to this film with Maniac Cop, and thus he decided to make a film about a rogue ambulance. The Ambulance may not be Cohen's finest achievement; but its great lightweight entertainment, and I'm sure very few people that watch this film will regret doing so. Naturally, there's not a great deal of point to the proceedings, and Cohen seems keen to focus as much on entertainment value as possible, which is no problem if you ask me. The plot focuses on Josh Baker; a humble cartoonist who, one day, decides to try and charm a woman on the street. Tragedy strikes when she passes out, but everyone is reassured when an ambulance turns up. However, upon going to check on her at the local hospital, Josh finds that she isn't there - and further investigation makes him realise that there has been several people going missing, and it turns out that a fake ambulance with fake doctors and nurses is abducting people!
The idea behind this movie is actually quite frightening; ambulances are a service that we rely on and so having one going rogue and abducting people is a frightening idea. Cohen doesn't capitalise on this, however, which is rather odd; and despite a few scenes with the maniacal doctor, there really isn't all that much horror on display. Others ideas that aren't capitalised on include the moral perspective of whether sacrificing a few people to cure millions is a righteous exorcise. But really, none of this is particularly important as I didn't want an Ingmar Bergman film anyway. Cohen has rounded up a good cast of cult actors to populate his film with. Eric Roberts is entertaining in the lead, and receives good feedback from the likes of James Earl Jones, Megan Gallagher, the amusingly named Red Buttons and the sadly underused Eric Braeden. The plot is a little choppy at times, but it generally flows well and I don't remember being bored at any time during the film. The ironic ending is a blast, and although I don't doubt that this film could have been better; it's still fun enough and I won't hesitate to recommend The Ambulance to anyone!
The idea behind this movie is actually quite frightening; ambulances are a service that we rely on and so having one going rogue and abducting people is a frightening idea. Cohen doesn't capitalise on this, however, which is rather odd; and despite a few scenes with the maniacal doctor, there really isn't all that much horror on display. Others ideas that aren't capitalised on include the moral perspective of whether sacrificing a few people to cure millions is a righteous exorcise. But really, none of this is particularly important as I didn't want an Ingmar Bergman film anyway. Cohen has rounded up a good cast of cult actors to populate his film with. Eric Roberts is entertaining in the lead, and receives good feedback from the likes of James Earl Jones, Megan Gallagher, the amusingly named Red Buttons and the sadly underused Eric Braeden. The plot is a little choppy at times, but it generally flows well and I don't remember being bored at any time during the film. The ironic ending is a blast, and although I don't doubt that this film could have been better; it's still fun enough and I won't hesitate to recommend The Ambulance to anyone!
Don't Have Diabetes in New York
view_and_review21 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm sure many guys out there have ardently pursued a strange woman in hopes of getting a date with her. I'm sure many guys who are really persistent may have even hounded a woman for several blocks hoping that she would recognize the persistence and give in. I don't know how many guys have pursued a girl, the girl falls ill, he goes to the hospital she was supposedly checked into, finds she's not there, then starts an investigation. That's what Joshua (Eric Roberts) did.
Joshua was a comic book artist for Marvel Comics no less. And yes, Stan Lee did appear in the movie with more lines and screen time than he ever had in any of his Marvel movies. When Joshua was heavily laying his rap on a woman named Cheryl (Janine Turner) she collapsed. Almost as soon as she collapsed an older ambulance that looked like the Ecto-1 showed up to cart her away. That would be amazing in any city, it is miraculous in New York City.
When Joshua couldn't find her in any hospital he wouldn't leave the matter alone. He begins his own search which almost cost him his life. It seems many other diabetics, such as Cheryl, were being picked up all over the city never to be seen again. Much like the Michael Douglas movie "Coma," these patients were being sold off for research.
Eric Roberts as Joshua fit like a glove. He has the innate ability to be a nuisance and a pest. He played a nuisance role to a tee in "The Pope of Greenwich Village" and "Runaway Train." His character in this movie required him to be a constant pest just bugging any and everybody about this girl Cheryl and the old ambulance. And like those other movies he just grows on you. At first, I'm saying, "God, this guy is annoying." And eventually I'm saying, "This guy is alright." He was an alright guy in a good movie.
Joshua was a comic book artist for Marvel Comics no less. And yes, Stan Lee did appear in the movie with more lines and screen time than he ever had in any of his Marvel movies. When Joshua was heavily laying his rap on a woman named Cheryl (Janine Turner) she collapsed. Almost as soon as she collapsed an older ambulance that looked like the Ecto-1 showed up to cart her away. That would be amazing in any city, it is miraculous in New York City.
When Joshua couldn't find her in any hospital he wouldn't leave the matter alone. He begins his own search which almost cost him his life. It seems many other diabetics, such as Cheryl, were being picked up all over the city never to be seen again. Much like the Michael Douglas movie "Coma," these patients were being sold off for research.
Eric Roberts as Joshua fit like a glove. He has the innate ability to be a nuisance and a pest. He played a nuisance role to a tee in "The Pope of Greenwich Village" and "Runaway Train." His character in this movie required him to be a constant pest just bugging any and everybody about this girl Cheryl and the old ambulance. And like those other movies he just grows on you. At first, I'm saying, "God, this guy is annoying." And eventually I'm saying, "This guy is alright." He was an alright guy in a good movie.
Doesn't know what it wants to be
Wizard-811 March 2018
It seems that writer-director Larry Cohen got some inspiration for this movie from the obscure 1979 German movie "Spare Parts", though to his credit he made a lot of changes so he can't really be accused of plagiarism. For one thing, he adds a considerable amount of humor in this telling when the original movie was dead serious. But ultimately, the humor doesn't really fit this movie, mainly because there is also a serious side to this movie as well. While it may have been possible to be equally humorous and serious, the actual execution here doesn't work, and as the result the movie often has a strange feeling where you don't know whether to laugh or be thrilled. This uneven tone may also explain why most of the cast gives really strange performances, seemingly unsure what tone they should be acting in. The production values are good for what had to be a low budget, and I will freely admit that I wasn't BORED at any moment while watching the movie. But as the end credits started rolling, I felt unsatisfied with what I had just watched. Things probably would have worked better had Cohen stuck with one tone throughout.
Ambulance chaser
dbdumonteil8 May 2007
"The ambulance" is perhaps not what people call a great movie.But it's sure much fun to watch!Its black humor is priceless.All the male actors overplay,Eric Roberts ,James Earl Jones and Eric Braeden camp it up and give the viewer the feeling of watching a cartoon (Roberts' escape from the ambulance) or reading a comic strip :anyway ,Roberts makes comic books ("They are not what they used to be "says cop Jones ).The director knows only one tempo:accelerated and ,for lack of subtlety ,there's never a dull moment.And the villain (Braeden) does believe he works for the greater good of humanity !And anyway won't his patient be in perfect health when he dies?
Larry Cohen packs the maximum amount of crazy into a brisk 90 minutes
IonicBreezeMachine8 May 2022
Marvel Comics artist Josh Baker (Eric Roberts) on a whim decides to talk to a woman he sees everyday at lunch, Cheryl (Janine Turner). While Cheryl rejects Josh's persistent advances, she suddenly faints and Josh stays with her until a 60s style ambulance comes to pick her up. When Josh tries to visit her in the hospital, he finds that they have no such record of her having been brought there. Using his skills as an artist, Josh draws pictures of Cheryl's face and tries to look for her which ends up with far reaching implications of similar disappearances connected to the ambulance and a sinister doctor (Eric Braeden).
The Ambulance comes to us from noted writer/director Larry Cohen who began his career in the 60s with TV on shows like The Fugitive and The Invaders before transitioning to low to mid budget genre films throughout his career, with such trash classics as It's Alive, God Told Me To, the Maniac Cop series, and The Stuff. The Ambulance sees Cohen return to his wheelhouse taking something ordinary (like babies from It's Alive or junk food from The Stuff) and turning it into something horrifying. While the ambulance on the surface seems like a yet another familiar "strange disappearance" thriller a la The Lady Vanishes, The Ambulance takes that familiar thriller setup on a journey of non-stop crazy that you'll be hard pressed to forget.
The movie's lead in Eric Roberts' Josh Baker is really unique for this type of movie because he's a comic book artist who's in the plot of this movie because he decided today of all days to talk to a woman he didn't know on the street. There's sort of this element of dark humor to this story where Josh doesn't seem like he's all that ingrained in this plot and almost forces his way into it through a comical degree such as when he walks down the streets of New York wearing a sandwich board of a portrait he drew of Cheryl asking anyone if they've seen her. It's honestly a pretty fun character and falls well in line with the types of protagonists Cohen created for other films of his ilk such as the Michael Moriarty characters from Q: The Winged Serpent or The Stuff. From the type of character created you can see why Cohen wanted Jim Carrey or John Travolta originally, but Eric Roberts is really good in the role. The movie has a fantastic supporting cast with Eric Braeden nicely slimey and sinister as the unnamed Doctor, James Earl Jones is also good as skeptical cop Frank Spencer, but stealing every scene he's in is Red Buttons as Elias Zacharai, an aging wiseass of a reporter who becomes an ally to Josh in his search and scores some of the most entertaining scenes. The turns this story takes are so unbelievable and surprising, that it's actually hard to convey them without spoiling the impact. This movie has Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee playing himself for no real reason and it also has some of the craziest chase sequences I can recall particularly one in Central Park that begins with a runaway gurney.
The Ambulance is such a unique mixture of dark comedy and mystery thriller that it's the kind of film only the wonderful mind of Larry Cohen could give us. I'm not sure how fairly I can judge a movie like this on objective quality, but in terms of pure entertainment value you'd be hard pressed to find a movie as crazy as The Ambulance that wasn't made by Larry Cohen.
The Ambulance comes to us from noted writer/director Larry Cohen who began his career in the 60s with TV on shows like The Fugitive and The Invaders before transitioning to low to mid budget genre films throughout his career, with such trash classics as It's Alive, God Told Me To, the Maniac Cop series, and The Stuff. The Ambulance sees Cohen return to his wheelhouse taking something ordinary (like babies from It's Alive or junk food from The Stuff) and turning it into something horrifying. While the ambulance on the surface seems like a yet another familiar "strange disappearance" thriller a la The Lady Vanishes, The Ambulance takes that familiar thriller setup on a journey of non-stop crazy that you'll be hard pressed to forget.
The movie's lead in Eric Roberts' Josh Baker is really unique for this type of movie because he's a comic book artist who's in the plot of this movie because he decided today of all days to talk to a woman he didn't know on the street. There's sort of this element of dark humor to this story where Josh doesn't seem like he's all that ingrained in this plot and almost forces his way into it through a comical degree such as when he walks down the streets of New York wearing a sandwich board of a portrait he drew of Cheryl asking anyone if they've seen her. It's honestly a pretty fun character and falls well in line with the types of protagonists Cohen created for other films of his ilk such as the Michael Moriarty characters from Q: The Winged Serpent or The Stuff. From the type of character created you can see why Cohen wanted Jim Carrey or John Travolta originally, but Eric Roberts is really good in the role. The movie has a fantastic supporting cast with Eric Braeden nicely slimey and sinister as the unnamed Doctor, James Earl Jones is also good as skeptical cop Frank Spencer, but stealing every scene he's in is Red Buttons as Elias Zacharai, an aging wiseass of a reporter who becomes an ally to Josh in his search and scores some of the most entertaining scenes. The turns this story takes are so unbelievable and surprising, that it's actually hard to convey them without spoiling the impact. This movie has Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee playing himself for no real reason and it also has some of the craziest chase sequences I can recall particularly one in Central Park that begins with a runaway gurney.
The Ambulance is such a unique mixture of dark comedy and mystery thriller that it's the kind of film only the wonderful mind of Larry Cohen could give us. I'm not sure how fairly I can judge a movie like this on objective quality, but in terms of pure entertainment value you'd be hard pressed to find a movie as crazy as The Ambulance that wasn't made by Larry Cohen.
You'll be in perfect health when you die....
FlashCallahan12 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Josh Baker meets Cheryl, on the streets of New York.
Suddenly she collapses, and she's picked up by an ambulance. When Josh wants to visit her in the hospital, it appears that she hasn't been admitted in the hospital.
Josh follows the roommate of Cheryl, and she disappears after a ride in the same ambulance. It's up to Josh to solve the secret behind this strange vehicle.....
Any film that features Stan Lee as himself as a main character, James Earl Jones chewing erratically as he dies, and Eric Roberts clearly under the influence of something, begs to be seen.
Its a B movie of the highest order, and Cohen has crafted another wonderfully funny, and bonkers story.
An old Ambulance is picking up diabetics and other sorts, in order to find the cure for diseases. There is a mad doctor at the end of all this, but first Roberts has to deal with Earl Jones being angry for no reason whatsoever, a cop who knows Earl Jones dentist appointments, Red Buttons stealing the film, and of course releasing a movie the same year his sister became the biggest on the planet.
But its fun, and no matter how stupid the narrative gets, its fun plain and simple.
Its a hard film to find, but you will be glad you sought after it.
Suddenly she collapses, and she's picked up by an ambulance. When Josh wants to visit her in the hospital, it appears that she hasn't been admitted in the hospital.
Josh follows the roommate of Cheryl, and she disappears after a ride in the same ambulance. It's up to Josh to solve the secret behind this strange vehicle.....
Any film that features Stan Lee as himself as a main character, James Earl Jones chewing erratically as he dies, and Eric Roberts clearly under the influence of something, begs to be seen.
Its a B movie of the highest order, and Cohen has crafted another wonderfully funny, and bonkers story.
An old Ambulance is picking up diabetics and other sorts, in order to find the cure for diseases. There is a mad doctor at the end of all this, but first Roberts has to deal with Earl Jones being angry for no reason whatsoever, a cop who knows Earl Jones dentist appointments, Red Buttons stealing the film, and of course releasing a movie the same year his sister became the biggest on the planet.
But its fun, and no matter how stupid the narrative gets, its fun plain and simple.
Its a hard film to find, but you will be glad you sought after it.
Ecto-1 continues to work and even impresses in this Cohen dud.
film-critic1 December 2007
Ripping from the pages of what seems like a Crichton-esquire medical drama, Cohen pulls the myths of diabetes into the world of comic book artists and paranoid cops. Confused? Not to worry, it doesn't get any better than this. Using Eric Roberts in a horrid accent, unknown decisions, and over-sized 80s suits, Cohen attempts to create a fear for an inanimate object that is typically used to save lives in this film it becomes the source for chaos and death. Couple with the fact that Red Buttons gives us jokes that were made during the early part of creation, James Earl Jones in an unfunny gum chewing scene, and Janine Turner proving there is something she cannot do (i.e. act), Cohen butchers a film that wasn't strong enough in the first place by placing Landis-like jokes in a hodgepodge film.
To begin, Roberts is horrible. He reads his lines from the cards behind the camera, half the time doesn't remember what he is to say (winging it is not one of his stronger suits), and builds absolutely no chemistry with anyone else on set. His initial lust for a random woman is well random. There is no reason to his sanity and his motive for the remainder of the film is never quite established. Is he a hopeless romantic, or just trying for anything? The fact that he is a comic artist is thrown into the story haphazardly, especially in the beginning where he tries to give out pictures he has drawn of her, only to find her cardboard roommate, following the same steps with the style of acting, drinks a Pina Colata, while muttering "I don't know why I am drinking this, I am a diabetic as well". DUM DUH DAH. These poorly placed moments of either comedy or honest drama are miscalculated from the beginning, forcing us to question what Cohen wanted to do.
The words above don't even scratch the surface for what atrocities the acting was in this film. It was worse than a High School drama, nobody cared, and it was apparent from the first time that Roberts opened his mouth. There were no characters. Nobody in this film did something that one could consider saying, "that was fully in his characters realm". Vague was the underlining factor and acting style between these actors. I would have expected this from some, but not from James Earl Jones who proves that you don't have to pass acting 101 to get work in Hollywood. Perhaps I am confused, was Cohen trying to pay homage to another style of film-making or genre? It wasn't apparent in this film, as much as I would like to forget it, the story matched the characters. Diabetes was the joke of the film. While it should have been something that scared us, every time it was mentioned a laugh erupted. What made me happy was to see that at least Ecto-1 was getting work post "Ghostbusters", but even he fell into the Roberts trap. While I believe he was the only one to do his own stunts and physically remember his lines, by the end of the film the ambulance was never quite as frightening as one would hope. The doctor who was committing these crimes was never explained, never questioned, never judged, just evil without motive. Where was the motive in this film? As this review is typed, questions over-inflate my mind. These aren't intelligent questions, but instead, ones that need to be asked to get out of the sinking plot holes in the script. Why would any cop shoot a gun into the air in a dance club? What is the deal with the other death in Central Park? Why was Red Buttons given Bob Hope-styled jokes? Why did Stan Lee approve this film?
Questions. Questions. Questions. I need answers, answers, answers.
"The Ambulance" was a pathetic excuse for a film. There is a reason why it hasn't made it to the honorable level of DVD, and hopefully it never will. Perhaps it has an underground cult following, or Ecto-1 has more fans that I knew, but this was painful to view. James Earl Jones, chewing gum, ranks among one of the worst jokes/images I have ever had to experience in my days of cinema watching. I kept waiting for something, anything to pull this film out of the gutter, but the level of disappointment continue to grew with each unbelievable scene. Nothing made me laugh, nothing frightened me, nothing upset me more than the complacent disrespect for a dangerous and serious disease. If Cohen had done some homework, pushed the level of insanity with the doctor, created a more menacing vehicle, I think we would have had a mediocre little thriller on our hands, but with the choices made, it just turned into depressing garbage. I think Cohen has made his mark, but "The Ambulance" probably set him back for years. From the beginning to the end, there was no potential. This film needed a reset button, from Roberts' amateur accent to the robotic characters that Jones and Gallagher (the tough-as-nails femme cop with a heart of gold), and the jokes of Red Buttons which would make your ears bleed. "The Ambulance" is a hidden film, and with what I just witnessed hopefully will never make it to the surface again.
Grade: ½ out of ***** (only due to my respect for Ecto-1)
To begin, Roberts is horrible. He reads his lines from the cards behind the camera, half the time doesn't remember what he is to say (winging it is not one of his stronger suits), and builds absolutely no chemistry with anyone else on set. His initial lust for a random woman is well random. There is no reason to his sanity and his motive for the remainder of the film is never quite established. Is he a hopeless romantic, or just trying for anything? The fact that he is a comic artist is thrown into the story haphazardly, especially in the beginning where he tries to give out pictures he has drawn of her, only to find her cardboard roommate, following the same steps with the style of acting, drinks a Pina Colata, while muttering "I don't know why I am drinking this, I am a diabetic as well". DUM DUH DAH. These poorly placed moments of either comedy or honest drama are miscalculated from the beginning, forcing us to question what Cohen wanted to do.
The words above don't even scratch the surface for what atrocities the acting was in this film. It was worse than a High School drama, nobody cared, and it was apparent from the first time that Roberts opened his mouth. There were no characters. Nobody in this film did something that one could consider saying, "that was fully in his characters realm". Vague was the underlining factor and acting style between these actors. I would have expected this from some, but not from James Earl Jones who proves that you don't have to pass acting 101 to get work in Hollywood. Perhaps I am confused, was Cohen trying to pay homage to another style of film-making or genre? It wasn't apparent in this film, as much as I would like to forget it, the story matched the characters. Diabetes was the joke of the film. While it should have been something that scared us, every time it was mentioned a laugh erupted. What made me happy was to see that at least Ecto-1 was getting work post "Ghostbusters", but even he fell into the Roberts trap. While I believe he was the only one to do his own stunts and physically remember his lines, by the end of the film the ambulance was never quite as frightening as one would hope. The doctor who was committing these crimes was never explained, never questioned, never judged, just evil without motive. Where was the motive in this film? As this review is typed, questions over-inflate my mind. These aren't intelligent questions, but instead, ones that need to be asked to get out of the sinking plot holes in the script. Why would any cop shoot a gun into the air in a dance club? What is the deal with the other death in Central Park? Why was Red Buttons given Bob Hope-styled jokes? Why did Stan Lee approve this film?
Questions. Questions. Questions. I need answers, answers, answers.
"The Ambulance" was a pathetic excuse for a film. There is a reason why it hasn't made it to the honorable level of DVD, and hopefully it never will. Perhaps it has an underground cult following, or Ecto-1 has more fans that I knew, but this was painful to view. James Earl Jones, chewing gum, ranks among one of the worst jokes/images I have ever had to experience in my days of cinema watching. I kept waiting for something, anything to pull this film out of the gutter, but the level of disappointment continue to grew with each unbelievable scene. Nothing made me laugh, nothing frightened me, nothing upset me more than the complacent disrespect for a dangerous and serious disease. If Cohen had done some homework, pushed the level of insanity with the doctor, created a more menacing vehicle, I think we would have had a mediocre little thriller on our hands, but with the choices made, it just turned into depressing garbage. I think Cohen has made his mark, but "The Ambulance" probably set him back for years. From the beginning to the end, there was no potential. This film needed a reset button, from Roberts' amateur accent to the robotic characters that Jones and Gallagher (the tough-as-nails femme cop with a heart of gold), and the jokes of Red Buttons which would make your ears bleed. "The Ambulance" is a hidden film, and with what I just witnessed hopefully will never make it to the surface again.
Grade: ½ out of ***** (only due to my respect for Ecto-1)
Meat Wagon
sol-kay7 September 2005
**SPOILERS** From the mind of Larry Cohen comes another off-the-wall cult-like classic about a runaway ambulance who's in the hunt on the streets of New York City for people suffering from insulin shock.This crazed doctor,Eric Braeden,having his hospital hidden inside a building housing a disco dance hall has come up with this operation that, he thinks, can cure diabetes and plans to make a mint on it. Braeden has his goons driving in an ambulance picking up unsuspecting diabetic New Yorkers off the streets and sent to his place for further study which ends up with most of them in the local morgue.
Cartoonist Josh Baker, Eric Roberts, trying to hit on and pick up Cheryl, Janine Turner, has her fall into a coma, due to a diabetic attack. Cheryl is quickly picked up by Dr. Braeden's killer ambulance never to be seen again.
Josh going to all the local hospitals finds that Ceryl wasn't admitted in any of them and when he starts snooping around. The crazy Doc has his goons out looking from him and having Josh put under the knife even though he's not a diabetic as well as being in perfect health, physically but not all that mentally.
Josh ending up in the hospital, after he's attacked by a gang of muggers, has Braeden's goons slip into the hospital disguised as police in order to kidnap him. In the hospital Josh together with his hospital room-mate NY Post reporter Elias Zacharia, Red Buttons, break out and make a run for it to the NY Post headquarters where Elias ends up getting kidnapped.
Totally outrageous movie with more holes in it then the Normandy Beaches on D-Day but still holds your attention. There's loads of fun watching the wacky acting of Roberts as well as that of NYPD Let. Spencer, James Earl Jones, who's suffering from burn-out and a string of nerves breakdowns that has his superiors wondering if he can still handle his job.
With Let. Spencer run down and run over by the homicidal ambulance, after trying to rescue the kidnapped Zacharia, Eric gets together with police officer Malloy (Magan Gallagher), who's Spencer's police secretary at the 33rd Precinct, as they track down where the ambulance is secretly parked in the disco where it's is used a a prop on the dance floor. The disco is also where Dr. Braeden's office and laboratory are hidden upstairs.
Hard to follow but still has it's moments with both Eric Roberts and Red Buttons together with Magan Gallagher putting an end to Dr. Braeden's mad plans to make the people of the city of New York guinea pigs in his insane plan to cure diabetes; by killing those who are afflicted with it.
Cartoonist Josh Baker, Eric Roberts, trying to hit on and pick up Cheryl, Janine Turner, has her fall into a coma, due to a diabetic attack. Cheryl is quickly picked up by Dr. Braeden's killer ambulance never to be seen again.
Josh going to all the local hospitals finds that Ceryl wasn't admitted in any of them and when he starts snooping around. The crazy Doc has his goons out looking from him and having Josh put under the knife even though he's not a diabetic as well as being in perfect health, physically but not all that mentally.
Josh ending up in the hospital, after he's attacked by a gang of muggers, has Braeden's goons slip into the hospital disguised as police in order to kidnap him. In the hospital Josh together with his hospital room-mate NY Post reporter Elias Zacharia, Red Buttons, break out and make a run for it to the NY Post headquarters where Elias ends up getting kidnapped.
Totally outrageous movie with more holes in it then the Normandy Beaches on D-Day but still holds your attention. There's loads of fun watching the wacky acting of Roberts as well as that of NYPD Let. Spencer, James Earl Jones, who's suffering from burn-out and a string of nerves breakdowns that has his superiors wondering if he can still handle his job.
With Let. Spencer run down and run over by the homicidal ambulance, after trying to rescue the kidnapped Zacharia, Eric gets together with police officer Malloy (Magan Gallagher), who's Spencer's police secretary at the 33rd Precinct, as they track down where the ambulance is secretly parked in the disco where it's is used a a prop on the dance floor. The disco is also where Dr. Braeden's office and laboratory are hidden upstairs.
Hard to follow but still has it's moments with both Eric Roberts and Red Buttons together with Magan Gallagher putting an end to Dr. Braeden's mad plans to make the people of the city of New York guinea pigs in his insane plan to cure diabetes; by killing those who are afflicted with it.
Great dialogue but a very hollow film
meathookcinema22 October 2020
A young cartoonist Josh chats up a young woman named Cheryl in the street (the board at Gillette must be despairing at this) but when she collapses she is then taken to a nearby hospital in an ambulance which has been called for her. When Josh tries to track her down there appears to be no trace of her being taken to any hospital in an ambulance. Josh then learns that the same fate happened to Cheryl's roommate. Something fishy is going on. Does it have anything to do with that specific ambulance?
With such a great premise I was expecting a cross between Coma and Maniac Cop. But, alas instead this is more like a TV movie that feels very slight and somewhat hollow.
I was also expecting more as this was directed by the great Larry Cohen and whilst there are some great directorial flourishes and some great dialogue which Cohen also wrote (all of the supporting characters in Cohen's films have the best in quirky left-field comebacks), they don't save this movie.
A wasted premise and a shame.
With such a great premise I was expecting a cross between Coma and Maniac Cop. But, alas instead this is more like a TV movie that feels very slight and somewhat hollow.
I was also expecting more as this was directed by the great Larry Cohen and whilst there are some great directorial flourishes and some great dialogue which Cohen also wrote (all of the supporting characters in Cohen's films have the best in quirky left-field comebacks), they don't save this movie.
A wasted premise and a shame.
A lot of action in this movie with some really good dark humour
atinder26 September 2012
I only found out about this movie a few months ago, when first heard the name of the movie thought it be about Ambulance kills people, that not what the plot was.
Josh meet this girl on the road, that flirting with her and then Ambulance pick her up and later he goes to see her, only to find out she didn't go to hospital, then Josh tries solve what happened to her, others become involved and go missing after they picked by this Ambulance .
I don't know what to make of this movie, i found the movie very entertaining there was a lot action in this movie, with some really good dark Humor in this movie, with work well with all the action and drama in the movie
The acting is this movie could been a lot better then it was from some of the people in the cast and same could be said about the fight scenes in this movie was not that well done.
I liked how they ended the movie, it was very fitting ending of the movie.
There was one think that I did not under stand was, why was is killing people in first place, I don't I may of missed something or i had too read between the lines.
6 out of 10 well for really dark humour.
Josh meet this girl on the road, that flirting with her and then Ambulance pick her up and later he goes to see her, only to find out she didn't go to hospital, then Josh tries solve what happened to her, others become involved and go missing after they picked by this Ambulance .
I don't know what to make of this movie, i found the movie very entertaining there was a lot action in this movie, with some really good dark Humor in this movie, with work well with all the action and drama in the movie
The acting is this movie could been a lot better then it was from some of the people in the cast and same could be said about the fight scenes in this movie was not that well done.
I liked how they ended the movie, it was very fitting ending of the movie.
There was one think that I did not under stand was, why was is killing people in first place, I don't I may of missed something or i had too read between the lines.
6 out of 10 well for really dark humour.
Low-budget black comedy thriller is just what the doctor ordered. (minor spoilers)
vertigo_1423 May 2004
The Ambulance actually turned out to be a pretty funny, yet bizarre thriller. Sarcastic extrovert, Josh Baker (Eric Roberts in a hilarious role), probably regrets the day he talked to a woman that he felt compelled to introduce himself to, having always seen her on his lunch break. The woman, a diabetic, suddenly collapses in the street, and he is there as she is carried away in a hearse-turned-ambulance with a mysterious green glowing light in the back. She gets in the ambulance, and as Josh later discovers, she never arrives at any of the local hospitals.
Josh is convinced something is awry, but doesn't pay too much attention to it at first (in fact, as bizarre as the story becomes, he's so matter-of-fact about everything. Him and everyone else). The more people he confronts about the strange ambulance that conveniently seems to arrive when he's talking to them but never seems to be around when he needs to prove it exists, the more likely those people are going to wind up dead because of the ambulance (actually, because of the people driving it, who are the goons for a strange doctor who is using his victims for a strange medical experiment).
Josh's only hope, besides himself (a guy who will soon be quite immune to pain as he gets hit by cars, jumps through barred doors, is drugged, and finally beat by a junkyard gang), is the red head cop Sandra Malloy who turns up after her boss, Spencer (James Earl Jones in an even funnier part as the disbeliever), turns up missing. And if they don't act fast, the ambulance will show up for them, and the only chance of stopping it will be lost.
All in all, the story is bizarre, but the movie is much more of a comedy than a thriller in sort of that 'After Hours' style of comedy. Josh appears to be absolutely crazy to those around him, babbling about some weird ambulance that is out to murder people. But he seems to dismiss the seriousness of it, just hoping to save the girl and get through the day, and not much else. Eric Roberts and Red Buttons, too, made a good team, albeit a brief one with Red Buttons as Elias Zacharai, the fast-talking newspaper reporter who befriends Josh and has similar convictions about the hospital staff trying to drug up patients and keep them against his will, but in that senile old man kind of way. He plays the reporter that wants the exclusive story on the ambulance.
Loosen up and give it a try. Though cheap, it's got some good action sequences, a decent plot, and is just overall, pretty funny. Except, for maybe the ending. It was just too easy.
Josh is convinced something is awry, but doesn't pay too much attention to it at first (in fact, as bizarre as the story becomes, he's so matter-of-fact about everything. Him and everyone else). The more people he confronts about the strange ambulance that conveniently seems to arrive when he's talking to them but never seems to be around when he needs to prove it exists, the more likely those people are going to wind up dead because of the ambulance (actually, because of the people driving it, who are the goons for a strange doctor who is using his victims for a strange medical experiment).
Josh's only hope, besides himself (a guy who will soon be quite immune to pain as he gets hit by cars, jumps through barred doors, is drugged, and finally beat by a junkyard gang), is the red head cop Sandra Malloy who turns up after her boss, Spencer (James Earl Jones in an even funnier part as the disbeliever), turns up missing. And if they don't act fast, the ambulance will show up for them, and the only chance of stopping it will be lost.
All in all, the story is bizarre, but the movie is much more of a comedy than a thriller in sort of that 'After Hours' style of comedy. Josh appears to be absolutely crazy to those around him, babbling about some weird ambulance that is out to murder people. But he seems to dismiss the seriousness of it, just hoping to save the girl and get through the day, and not much else. Eric Roberts and Red Buttons, too, made a good team, albeit a brief one with Red Buttons as Elias Zacharai, the fast-talking newspaper reporter who befriends Josh and has similar convictions about the hospital staff trying to drug up patients and keep them against his will, but in that senile old man kind of way. He plays the reporter that wants the exclusive story on the ambulance.
Loosen up and give it a try. Though cheap, it's got some good action sequences, a decent plot, and is just overall, pretty funny. Except, for maybe the ending. It was just too easy.
Nicely handled
Leofwine_draca11 August 2022
Another fun little comedy horror from Larry Cohen; this isn't one of his most creative or memorable films, but it has its moments. Eric Roberts is surprisingly good value as a comic book artist who begins to suspect that a sinister ambulance is kidnapping people for nefarious purposes, and the early Marvel connection (complete with Stan Lee cameo) is nice. The plot does feel light and slightly repetitive at times, the old capture-and-escape played out over and over, but the stylistics are pretty decent and the low budget action is directed well by the veteran Cohen.
Well, it was what it was...
paul_haakonsen28 April 2022
Never having heard about the 1990 thriller "The Ambulance" before now in 2022, as I stumbled upon the movie by random chance, of course I opted to sit down and watch the movie.
Initially I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from writer and director Larry Cohen, given the fact that the movie was having Eric Roberts in the leading role. But still, I opted to watch it, since I had never actually seen the movie before.
And I will say that "The Ambulance" was watchable. It was definitely an archetypical 1990s action thriller, but with that being said, then you should keen in mind that it wasn't a particularly outstanding or memorable one. Sure, "The Ambulance" can be watched once, but that was essentially also all there was to the movie.
The storyline was actually fair enough, and it was certainly a nice approach to the thriller genre. I did like the concept idea, I will give writer Larry Cohen that much credit.
The acting in the movie was what it was. You know, you have Eric Roberts in the leading role, and that pretty much says it all. The movie also had Janine Turner on the cast list, despite in a very small role. "The Ambulance" also had James Earl Jones and Red Buttons on the cast list, and none other than Stan Lee himself.
All in all, then "The Ambulance" was fair enough for a single viewing. However, this is not a movie that I will ever be returning to watch a second time.
My rating of "The Ambulance" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Initially I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from writer and director Larry Cohen, given the fact that the movie was having Eric Roberts in the leading role. But still, I opted to watch it, since I had never actually seen the movie before.
And I will say that "The Ambulance" was watchable. It was definitely an archetypical 1990s action thriller, but with that being said, then you should keen in mind that it wasn't a particularly outstanding or memorable one. Sure, "The Ambulance" can be watched once, but that was essentially also all there was to the movie.
The storyline was actually fair enough, and it was certainly a nice approach to the thriller genre. I did like the concept idea, I will give writer Larry Cohen that much credit.
The acting in the movie was what it was. You know, you have Eric Roberts in the leading role, and that pretty much says it all. The movie also had Janine Turner on the cast list, despite in a very small role. "The Ambulance" also had James Earl Jones and Red Buttons on the cast list, and none other than Stan Lee himself.
All in all, then "The Ambulance" was fair enough for a single viewing. However, this is not a movie that I will ever be returning to watch a second time.
My rating of "The Ambulance" lands on a five out of ten stars.
Delightful comedy thriller
lor_2 June 2023
My review was written in December 1990 after watching the film at a Manhattan screening room.
"The Ambulance" is a wild thriller laced with black humor. Entertaining exercise in urban paranoia will be shown at the Avoriaz fantasy film festival in France and gives Triumph Films a genuine sleeper for 1991 domestic release.
As with his recent "Maniac Cop" pics, filmmaker Larry Cohen works with the inversion principle: taking a symbol of rescue, a vintage red ambulance, and making its appearance and siren fearful. Here he tilts the balance toward humor, though hair-raising stents and sudden moments of violence teem.
Eric Roberts introduces the film as sort of a day in the life of James Toback ("The Pick Up Artist" helmer). In telephoto shots on Manhattan streets (apparently using real-life people as extras), he tries to pick up beautiful Janine Turner.
As she valiantly gives him the brush-off, she suddenly faints, and a sinister ambulance, controlled by the film's heavy Eric Braeden, whisks the diabetic girl to a hospital. After work, Robets tries to find her and, as the film's shooting title suggested, she's vanished "Into Thin Air".
With fast repartee and a gallery of quirky characters spurring the tale along, Roberts continues his search but finds little help from the disbelieving police inspector James Earl Jones. His paranoia increases in quantum leaps as mad scientist Braeden's henchmen start eliminating people around him and give Roberts a frightening ambulance ride.
Help finally surfaces in unlikely sidekick Red Buttons, an aging New York Post reporter Roberts rooms with at the hospital. Jons' pretty assistant on the force, Megan Gallagher, is another kindred spirit leading to an exciting climax atg a downtown dance club where Braeden keeps his kidnap victims upstairs as medical experiments.
With unpredictable plot twists coming fast and furious, this fresh approach to the thriller format is especially of interest to genre fans. Real-life Marvel Comics exec Stan Lee has a nice guest role playing himself as Roberts' boss, and the comic book backdrop is used effectively as Roberts draws large panels of Turner and the ambulance to aid his investigation.
Cohen puts a sting in this tale with a delightful false ending that trumps the "Carrie" finish tacked onto nearly every horror film of recent vintage.
Reteamed here with Jones shortly after they filmed "Best of the Bet" two years ago, Roberts is perfectly cast. His familiar abrasiveness ("Star 80", "The Pope of Greenwich Village") is used to good advantage.
Jones is a hoot as the gum-chewing cop whose know-it-all attitude gets him in trouble. Buttons steals his scenes in his best film assignment since "The Poseidon Adventure".
Following up on her tv policewoman duty on the defunct series "Hill Street Blues", Gallagher is a big-screen find as the tough cop who believes in Roberts. Turner, adopting a different look with long, dark hair here, develops considerable sympathy in her brief assignment. Supporting cast is solid, including Richard Bright (of "The Godfather Part III") as a no-nonsense cop and Braeden, inverting his messianic scientist role of Dr. Forbin, memorable to genre fans in the classic: "Colossus: The Forbin Project".
Tech credits exploit the NYC terrain well, especially Spiro Razatos' unusual chases and stunt work.
"The Ambulance" is a wild thriller laced with black humor. Entertaining exercise in urban paranoia will be shown at the Avoriaz fantasy film festival in France and gives Triumph Films a genuine sleeper for 1991 domestic release.
As with his recent "Maniac Cop" pics, filmmaker Larry Cohen works with the inversion principle: taking a symbol of rescue, a vintage red ambulance, and making its appearance and siren fearful. Here he tilts the balance toward humor, though hair-raising stents and sudden moments of violence teem.
Eric Roberts introduces the film as sort of a day in the life of James Toback ("The Pick Up Artist" helmer). In telephoto shots on Manhattan streets (apparently using real-life people as extras), he tries to pick up beautiful Janine Turner.
As she valiantly gives him the brush-off, she suddenly faints, and a sinister ambulance, controlled by the film's heavy Eric Braeden, whisks the diabetic girl to a hospital. After work, Robets tries to find her and, as the film's shooting title suggested, she's vanished "Into Thin Air".
With fast repartee and a gallery of quirky characters spurring the tale along, Roberts continues his search but finds little help from the disbelieving police inspector James Earl Jones. His paranoia increases in quantum leaps as mad scientist Braeden's henchmen start eliminating people around him and give Roberts a frightening ambulance ride.
Help finally surfaces in unlikely sidekick Red Buttons, an aging New York Post reporter Roberts rooms with at the hospital. Jons' pretty assistant on the force, Megan Gallagher, is another kindred spirit leading to an exciting climax atg a downtown dance club where Braeden keeps his kidnap victims upstairs as medical experiments.
With unpredictable plot twists coming fast and furious, this fresh approach to the thriller format is especially of interest to genre fans. Real-life Marvel Comics exec Stan Lee has a nice guest role playing himself as Roberts' boss, and the comic book backdrop is used effectively as Roberts draws large panels of Turner and the ambulance to aid his investigation.
Cohen puts a sting in this tale with a delightful false ending that trumps the "Carrie" finish tacked onto nearly every horror film of recent vintage.
Reteamed here with Jones shortly after they filmed "Best of the Bet" two years ago, Roberts is perfectly cast. His familiar abrasiveness ("Star 80", "The Pope of Greenwich Village") is used to good advantage.
Jones is a hoot as the gum-chewing cop whose know-it-all attitude gets him in trouble. Buttons steals his scenes in his best film assignment since "The Poseidon Adventure".
Following up on her tv policewoman duty on the defunct series "Hill Street Blues", Gallagher is a big-screen find as the tough cop who believes in Roberts. Turner, adopting a different look with long, dark hair here, develops considerable sympathy in her brief assignment. Supporting cast is solid, including Richard Bright (of "The Godfather Part III") as a no-nonsense cop and Braeden, inverting his messianic scientist role of Dr. Forbin, memorable to genre fans in the classic: "Colossus: The Forbin Project".
Tech credits exploit the NYC terrain well, especially Spiro Razatos' unusual chases and stunt work.
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