Rickshaw

This may be named "AMERICAN Rickshaw", but it's a 200% ITALIAN cocktail of absurd satanic horror, sleazy exploitation, and macho 80s action! Sergio Martino was one of the most prominent and successful directors of the 70s and early 80s but, just like his compatriots, he struggled during the late 80s to get his movies noticed. "American Rickshaw" is little-known and barely loved, but undeservedly so, as it's marvelous entertainment.

I presume that Italian cult directors booked group travels together to Miami, Florida, and then shot movies there separately. Enzo G. Castellari made "Hammerhead", Alberto de Martino did "Miami Golem", and Sergio Martino thought up the grotesquely inventive "American Rickshaw". The hunky & athletic Mitchell Gaylord (I'm not making fun of him, mind you, that's his actual name) stars as a student/rickshaw driver Scott Edwards who becomes entangled in a convoluted web of Chinese spiritualism, devilish evangelists, voyeuristic amateur-pornography, double-crossing strip dancers, hypnotizing cobras, spontaneously combusting boats, eerie warthog relics, prophetic cats, rejuvenating geishas, and flesh-melting locker keys. I kid you not!

Explaining how all these bizarre elements connect would take too long and would also ruin the fun! Just take my word for it, "American Rickshaw" is jolly great fun IF you don't ask any questions regarding logic or sense. It's fast-paced, full of action and gratuitous nudity, and - especially towards the finale - there's also some excellent gore! Mr. Gaylord and the ravishing Victoria Prouty (in her only role ever) are amiable, but - as usual - my preference goes to the nasty, evil villains! Daniel Green, Martino's regular beefcake from "Atomic Cyborg" and "Day of the Condor" is awesome as the unstoppable killer, and good old Donald Pleasance is present again as well. I'm not sure if Pleasance fully realized what filmset he was on, but his charisma is always an added cult value.

Not your typical B movie schlock. I've had this one on my shelf for about 6 months now and finally built up the nerve to sit down and watch it and it did not disappoint! A storyline so chalked full of confusing twists and turns, most of which prove to be completely unnecessary, American Rickshaw confuses and then kind of explains it all by the end of the movie. It's a headscratcher and rightfully so as most low budget Italian American films turn out to be in this era of B movies. Some hilarious scenes (Jeans shower, Aids threat and of course Donald Pleasance pig transformation) as well as some genuinely well done practical effects (burning key, Donald Pleasance pig transformation). If you're into these types of movies this one definitely isn't your average bad movie, it has its own charm and wild storyline. I Very much recommend!

'American Rickshaw' on my disc but even with its Italian title, 'American Riscio', it would be no better. Directed by prolific and usually reliable, Sergio Martino, this suffers from weak and mostly inexperienced cast and pretty ludicrous storyline. Male lead, Mitch Gaylord is famous for having been the 1984 US Olympic gymnast champion and his female counterpart is unknown Victoria Prouty, who does well enough compared to everyone else but is asked to play a lap dancer despite a most modest chest. Actually, this begins fairly well and remains quirky throughout but things start to go wrong with appalling police representation and then this Chinese mumbo jumbo which becomes more prominent as the film progresses. We also get a spluttering performance from, always willing but not always able, Donald Pleasence as an evangelical nutter preacher, gone very wrong.

This movie is baffling, but baffling in every best ways a movie can be. If you are someone who loves strange, unorthodox and confusing storylines, it doesn't get much better than this. You will find yourself baffled many times, saying "what?'' and usually it would make for a terrible viewing experience, but this is actually enthrallingly confusing. The acting isn't the best you'll ever see obviously, but it is certainly passible and as bonus, you even get to see the one and only Donald Pleasance do ludicrous stuff towards the end that I won't spoil.

I'll just end by saying that for a movie that may somewhat have the reputation of being bad, I was captivated by how confusing everything was. I sincerly think every lovers of bad movies should give it a shot. 10/10 recommended.

After seeing this movie, I realize how bad a film can be. I was sober when I began the movie but it left me intoxicated with stupidity. I've never seen a movie about a rickshaw driver and, because of this movie, I never will again. What was Donald Pleasence thinking? A horrid film such as this does not deserve even a hint of his presence.