THE AMBULANCE
***
Directed by Larry Cohen.
Starring Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Janine Turner, Megan Gallagher.
Thriller, US, 96 Minutes, Certificate 15.
Released on Blu-ray in the UK by Eureka Entertainment on 13th October
Nobody else did it quite like Larry Cohen. A veritable one-man factory of ideas, he was responsible for a large number of punchy, inventive and offbeat B-movies that were packed full of action, snappy dialogue and memorable characters, offering an alternative to the mass bland output of the major studios at the time. One of the best examples of his work, THE AMBULANCE, from 1990, still proves to be a prime example of what Cohen was capable of, aided by an entertainingly smarmy Eric Roberts performance.
Roberts plays Josh, a comic book artist who when walking the crowded streets of New York spies Cheryl, a beautiful woman, who he aggressively chats up, not taking no for an answer until she suddenly collapses. Whisked away in an old style ambulance, Josh discovers Cheryl has gone missing when no record of her admittance turns up at any hospital. Suspecting that the titular vehicle may be involved in a sinister conspiracy, Josh seeks help from a detective, played by an unhinged, gum-chewing James Earl Jones, but soon finds himself under threat from a sinister doctor and his ruthless henchmen who will stop at nothing to wipe out anyone who gets in their way.
A number of Cohen's trademarks are on display here. His guerilla film-making techniques, using hidden and/or handheld cameras on busy streets to avoid paying for extras and permits for example being one of the most entertaining examples with passers by gawking at the actors as they walk through the shot. Complementing the twist filled plot delivered in his kinetic directorial style is Cohen's abrasive, wisecracking dialogue delivered in fine form by a band of recognizable character actors, including veteran comedian Red Buttons, Nick Chinlund in his villainous screen debut and Stan Lee playing himself as Josh's boss. Roberts too is in fine form. At the tail end of his career as a young leading man, while his younger sister Julia's star was on the ascendant, it feels hard to imagine his fast talking, confrontational style ever gelling with a mainstream audience before making the shift to become a hard working and always entertaining character actor in his own right.
Released onto Blu-ray for the first time in the UK by Eureka Entertainment, the film looks sharp and clear, an obvious upgrade on its straight to VHS release. To go along with the audio and visual upgrade are a small number of extras which are more than substantial. Two audio commentaries, one with Cohen and Steve Mitchell, who directed the excellent 2017 documentary KING COHEN and a solo commentary with Mitchell offer up a wealth of behind the scenes info and gossip. Cohen is on fine and refreshingly honest form here as well as the newly edited interview from the aforementioned documentary. Also interviewed is Michael Doyle, author of LARRY COHEN: THE STUFF OF GODS AND MONSTERS, who gives a concise and comprehensive overview of Cohen’s work, including mentions of unmade projects with the likes of John Carpenter. Rounding out the extras is a video essay from Murray Leeder that places THE AMBULANCE within the field of the medical horror sub-genre.
Since his passing in 2019, Cohen’s brand of film-making has been much missed. For long time fans and collectors, this is a more than welcome upgrade of a small cult gem. While it may be a tad tamer than some of his other work, this is also a good introduction to one of the most distinctive voices of the genre for newcomers.
Iain MacLeod