American Way

Riders of the Storm is a little known film starring Dennis Hopper, featuring him as the captain of an ex-USAF electronic warfare aircraft, now dedicated to filling the airwaves with pirate TV broadcasts. Politics, TV evangelism, the USAF, Transvestisism, public access TV: none can escape the cutting observations of this must see film.

This movie is horribly dated by modern technology and society, but I still get a kick out of it every time I watch.

The best parts of the film are the television parodies. TV evangelists, politicians and even country music gets a swipe in this film. Although some moments are quite serious, the film is mostly played for laughs.

Totally enjoyable!

'The American Way' is a curious movie, half zany comedy, half political commentary. Sixties survivors Dennis Hopper ('Easy Rider') and Michael J. Pollard ('Bonnie And Clyde') lead a band of Vietnam veterans who broadcast from a pirate TV station located in a B-29 bomber. While negotiating some kind of amnesty/media deal they continue to circle the globe and beam down their programs which mix subversive hijinks and rock'n'roll. Hopper, "The Captain", becomes increasingly irritated with Mrs Westinghouse (Nigel Pegram), an ambitious warmongering politician who aligns herself with the Moral Majority. The Captain decides that he and his comrades last mission will be to discredit her and foil her plans to run for the Senate, and possibly the Presidency. I can't honestly say that this movie is actually all that funny, but it's certainly more entertaining than say 'Rude Awakening', the lame Eric Roberts/Cheech Marin vehicle that similarly deals with 60s idealists encountering the Reaganite 80s. The main reason to watch this is for Dennis Hopper's spirited performance, which is actually much better than the uneven material he has to work with. 'The American Way' is an interesting failure that may appeal to fans of 60s music and pop culture. I wish I could say it was a lot better than it is but even with its many flaws (i.e. it's variable soundtrack which ranges from Hendrix, The Kinks and Alice Cooper to Godawful generic 80s MTV schlock rock) it has quite a few amusing moments and therefore I say it's still worth a rental.

I've been collecting Dennis Hopper films for some time. Tonight I decided to watch "Riders of the Storm" and I'm happily impressed! I bought a VHS copy of it on line for less than $2.00, and a DVD version is over $30.! This movie falls in the category of "Off Beat" or beyond.

Hopper played a Vietnam vet in "Apocalpse Now", but this one is much, much closer to one of my all time favorites, "O.C. & Stiggs".

My first reaction (and it's still playing), is that it's a combination of "Max Headroom" and "Pray TV".

Wonderful entertainment if you like the style.

Hope you can find a copy.

When this was made, the script was a comment on Regan's America and how the Military/Industrial Alliance combined with Fundamentalist Right Wing Churches tried to influence US politics.

Sadly it seems that the points made in this picture are just as valid now as they were then.

Hopper is outstanding as the Captain. He is joined by a top class cast who obviously take great delight in their roles.

I particularly loved the soundtrack and will forever look at the music of Jimi Hendrix in a new light.

Afficionados of the work of "Filthy George" of New York Cable TV fame, will enjoy the sequence which pays tribute to his rather unique "news gathering" techniques.

What else can I say, great story, great script, great cast, great soundtrack - a classic, don't miss any opportunity to see this picture which restored my faith in the ability of the US industry to produce an intelligent, witty and thought provoking movie.