Bersaglio sull'autostrada

What a shame to see the star of MARTY and THE WILD BUNCH, the great Ernest Borgnine, forced to accept roles in such pedestrian films during the latter stages of his often brilliant career. The only thing noteworthy about this waste of celluloid is that it co-stars Janine Lindemulder (credited as Janine Linde), who went on to become a porn star when her mainstream career obviously didn't pan out. Watch this film to find out why.

My review was written in December 1990 after watching a South Gate video cassette.

"Moving Target" is a nonsensical action film essentially geared to showing off the body of attractive newcomer Janine Linde.

Released direct to-video last summer, pic was made by a mixture of Italian and Floridians in 1988. Unconvincing plot line relies on blonde beauty Linde getting amnesia after a car chase and crash that follows the murder of her boyfriend.

In the hospital being tended by doctor Linda Blair, Linde becomes convinced she's the illegitimate daughter of tennis star Charles Pitt. Later she seduces him, but it's okay since he knows she's not really his kid.

Meanwhile, bad guys are trying to get a key to a safety deposit box that Linde has obtained. All the while a mysterious motorcyclist in black is killing everybody.

Final twists revealing the biker's true identity and revealing a good guy as really a baddie are poorly done, leading up to a very cynical ending.

Cast is hamstrung by this material. Though Linde is pleasant to look at , she is featured in so many topless scenes that it becomes a running gag.

Pathetic Italian-made (non)actioner with poor Ernest Borgnine picking up a quick paycheck and a Florida vacation. Linda Blair looks like a frumpy old lady and bloated Stuart Whitman looks ridiculous and curses a lot. I suppose the real attraction was Janine Linde's breasts, which are on display through most of the film. (There's about 20 hot tub/pool/beach scenes.) But honestly, they were boring too.

But even these veterans have little to do since the movie revolves around a bunch of non-actors.

Did I say the "movie revolves?" No, it was MY HEAD that was revolving like Linda Blair's in The Exorcist after sitting through this maggot-infested cheese wedge of a movie.

I still love ya, Ernie, despite this!

The name of the writer/director of "Moving Target" is Marius Mattei. That name doesn't necessarily ring a bell, but the family name is the same as one of the most notorious "bad directors" of the Italian horror industry; - namely Bruno Mattei. On neither of the two men's profile pages here on IMDb it is mentioned they are related, but a blood connection would definitely seem logical, especially considering the abominable quality level of this thing!

Pretty much like every flick Bruno Mattei ever worked on, Marius Mattei's "Moving Target" is bad but incredibly entertaining! The plot is downright dumb, major Hollywood stars appear in meaningless supportive roles (solely to collect their paychecks), cheesy and cheerful 80s pop-songs are exchanged with moments of excessive graphic violence and - most importantly - there is lots and lots of nudity! Janine Lindemulder makes her acting debut and she's naked, or at least topless, in practically 90% of her scenes (she has a lot of scenes, by the way). Janine obviously didn't mind showing what nature gave her, because she made it big in the adult film industry. Yummy Janine plays a bimbo on the run for a stone-cold mafia hitman, and she seeks shelter in the mansion (more particularly, in the jacuzzi) of former tennis player Ferry Spencer. Ferry may even be her long-lost father, but that still doesn't prevent him from sleeping with her. The almighty Ernest Borgnine depicts a veteran copper pretending to solve the case, and Linda Blair stars as a meaningless doctor. I think they both accepted the job for the complementary holiday in Florida. The identity of the "mysterious" biker-with-black-helmet is quite easy to guess, and the final twist is so cliche it's eye-rolling. Classic Mattei!