American Way

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.

I may have been one of the few people to have actually seen this movie in the theaters in the 80's. I was living in Houston,TX at the time, and had heard of it because some of the filming was done in the Houston area (I was very familiar with the shopping mall and downtown scene locations).

This movie is a strange mix of Classic Rock, Science Fiction, and Social Parody/Commentary. Anyone interested in at least two of these three genres MUST see this film.

I was lucky enough to be rooming with a fellow in Houston who enjoyed the movie as much as I did, and didn't mind watching it dozens of times. Over the course of 5 years, we introduced at least a couple of people a month to this film, and almost always had positive feedback.

I consider this one of Dennis Hopper's best roles. When I state that his "Captain" character is one of the most sane of the plane crew, that should make clear what an eccentric group of individuals he is surrounded by.

I'm a little disappointed that this movie didn't get more recognition than what it did. As far as I know, there has been no DVD release for it. With a soundtrack of its caliber, this movie screams for a DVD with a remastered audio track.

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 is the type of cinema I live for. A bizarre 80's political black comedy masterpiece.

In "The American Way" we find ourselves following an eclectic bunch of PTSD suffering Vietnam Veterans aboard a B-29 bomber called the "Uncle Slam". The group is flying low over the USA taking over the airwaves with S&MTV- their pirate television broadcasts of rock and roll mash ups and other dissident material.

"The Captain" is team leader and Producer of S&MTV, played amazingly by Dennis Hopper (RIP). The rest of the crew consists of: Sam, the hunky jet pack-wielding ground technician and journalist; Ace, the Dr. Strangelove like Director that is electric-wheelchair bound with a hook and American Flag tattoo on his bald head; Claude, the Actor who dresses and acts like Tony Montana; Doc, the acid tripping, technical wizard and radarman; Jerry, the possibly schizophrenic pot smoking pilot that may or not be having UFO or God experiences (he's not sure); Minh, the bomb-riding Vietnamese man who does martial arts while watching American movies about Vietnam; and Benedict, the Lando Calrissian helmet wearing cook, who also serves the food and is left to do the most dangerous tasks.

Why are they doing this? Well, The Captain is in constant contact with major media executives trying to work out a broadcast deal for his men and their TV program...oh and...to ensure they won't face any criminal charges, of course.

That is, until they discover that a Thatcher-esque (Michelle Bachmann-esque might be more appropriate) woman named Westinghouse is being groomed for the Presidency. The Captain fears that if this woman is elected President, innocent men are going to be forced into fighting a f**ked up war in South America, much like Vietnam (the war that clearly messed them each up, in one hilarious way or another), so that politicians like Westinghouse can make themselves look "strong".

Originally using the pirate broadcasts as a means to coerce themselves a cushy TV deal, the men shift the purpose of their mission when Westinghouse makes her candidacy official. Their goal now to: "Put this bitch Westinghouse out of business"; their weapon of choice: pirate television.

Their first attack targets a national nightly news broadcast with a smear campaign against Westinghouse. The attack is successful and manages to capture the attention of both the military- who believe The Captain and his men are "Experts of Psychological Warfare"- and Westinghouse herself, who wants them shot out of the sky...

The Captain and his crew refuse to back down- despite the direct threat to their lives- and continue to expose Westinghouse as the fraudulent manipulator she really is. This all culminates in an unexpected and totally hilarious conclusion that should surely convince the masses that Westinghouse is not the right candidate for President of the USA.

This much overlooked and absolutely brilliant hidden gem- both in message and style- must be seen. It is sort of like Brazil meets Network meets Airplane. It satirizes many topics- on both the media and political fronts- that continue to be relevant to this day, such as: how technology and the media has made war seem like a video game; how the masses are manipulated by the tube; how politicians are sold on image as opposed to their stance on the issues; how politicians will wage wars and exploit religion to obtain votes; how right-wing politicians and televangelists make good bedfellows (as they both manipulate the public for their own gain); and how there is a need for activist minded individuals to work together and take the power back, even if it means using extra-legal (but peaceful) means.

Do not pass up the chance to check this film out, it is Highly Recommended. It will have you laughing your ass off and pondering the political message at the same time. 10 out of 10.

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!