kidnappedcoed.page

Kidnapped Coed (1977)
76 min

aka - Kidnapped Lover
The Kidnapper
House of Terror
Date with a Kidnapper

Frederick R. Friedel, the director of Axe, returns a few years later with another collaboration with Harry Novak. For Friedel, it's a step up...For Novak, it's something kind of different. This is not to say that Axe is terrible movie, Kidnapped Coed is just more competently made and all around more interesting. They both have a common flaw however, they take themselves entirely too seriously at times. Kidcapped Coed gets the edge here though, when it takes an offbeat turn after a rather dull expository sequence (more on that later). For Novak though, this film isn't quite what you might expect. With it's title and marketing strategy one would probably expect heavy exploitation along the lines of Massage Parlor Wife or some of David Friedman's roughies. Instead we get kind of an evolved version of Axe. Again, this isn't a complaint - but playing with expecations on this kind of movie isn't usually a good idea. When people want a specific kind of sleaze it can be quite a let down to see otherwise.

On it's own, the movie is a mixed bag. Painfully dull at times, but also has enough off-kilter characters and inconceivable plot twists to make the overall product a fun ride. The movie gets right down to business, after the silly opening number our pretty young heroine (Sandra, played by Leslie Ann Rivers) gets in her car and is promptly kidnapped. After the scene is set for the ensuing ransom (her father is very wealthy, why else kidnap a young girl?), the two get a motel room together. The kidnapper, Eddie Matlock, is nice enough to get two beds. Before things quiet down too much, the two thugs that run the motel bust in, tying up him and raping her. The rape is pretty tame as far as this kind of movie goes, avoiding any female nudity but including a pretty funny shot of the culprits stark white ass. It's kept pretty short too (well, compared the epic sequence at the rock in Mier Zarchi's I Spit on Your Grave) as Eddie breaks free pretty quickly shooting the two baddies. From here the movie goes into a rather boring lull for a while, attempting to give the characters depth and further develope their relationship. We get an idea of the broken home that is possibly responsible for Eddies's deviant behavior, and a few phone conversations with his mother (from her rest home). To further test the will of the viewer, there are a couple tedious conversations between the two leads (and a lot of pointless skulking around). The idea is all fine and good, but considering how unpredictable everyone acts later it seems out of place here to try and have the characters progress so logically. Not to mention its execution is easily the weakest part of the film. For a long stretch here, hardly anything is of interest.

Thankfully, things pick up again when the pair has car troubles and has to go to a nearby farm for water. From here on in it should be a crowd pleaser for the rather indiscriminating viewer. The movie is lively, if not a little silly. The characters' motivations are way beyond me, but with how consistent it is through the second half I couldn't help but smile while wondering what the hell would happen next. At another farmhouse the pair stops to rest with the crazy old coot of an owner and some spaced out little girl. From here they inexplicably fall in love! Even more inexplicable is the fact that for some reason this drives the old man out of his mind...The next morning, he attacks Eddie with a pitchfork. This scene deserves special mention, it was easily my favorite in the movie. Most everyone should get a kick out of listening to Eddie try to calm the crazy son of a bitch down. Seeing it transcribed would in no way do it justice, so I'll just have to recommend you make every effort to see this part. And wouldn't you know, the fun doesn't stop here! After an obvious self defense murder, Sandra promptly falls out of love with Eddie and flees the scene. He gives chase in the car for a while and eventually subdues her on foot as she's begging a blind man for help (what he was doing in the middle of no where is beyond me...I guess I'll never understand blind people). From here on in we follow an episodic chain of events until the end, little of it making any more sense than what came before. This is where the movie's charm lies, they seemed to start with the stories premise and then just made the rest up as they went along. What's best is, once they got past the rather unextraordinary story, there seems to be quite an imaginative group behind the camera here. They threw a bunch of ideas together, regardless of whether they made the least amount of sense. I don't want to ruin the end for anyone who might be interested in picking this one up, but I should mention that it's a pretty funny little twist.

Probably the most surprising aspect of the film is that it's technically pretty well done! The photography is nothing striking but looks very good when compared to many other similar efforts. The music runs the gamut from good to just plain ridiculous. The acting isn't as bad as one would expect from this type of movie. Jack Canon (with his name mispelled 'Cannon' here, from - Axe, Weekend at Bernies, and Maximum Overdrive) plays the kidnapper with enough over-the-top gusto to keep it fun. Leslie Ann Rivers (credited as Leslie Lee while playing the lead in Axe) puts in a fun little performance and, strangely enough, looks more and more attractive as the film progresses. As I said earlier, director Friedel handles all of this rather well. Aside from some near fatal pacing problems that plague a good portion of the middle of the film, this is an enjoyable romp in the hay. Friedel improves upon his directorial debut (again, not to say the Axe is without any redeeming qualities). Kidnapped Coed has a similar feel overall, but in the end is far more enjoyable.

It's interesting to note that after this movie, he apparently left the industry for approximately 23 years before returning with a comedy called My Next Funeral. I really don't know anything about My Next Funeral, but the premise sounds pretty funny. I'd love to see how Friedel handles things after over 2 decades of silence! Unfortunatly, I can't find any information on its distribution. I'll be sure to post it here if I do though.

Something Weird Video does another fantastic job with this release. It's actually included as a double feature with another Boxoffice International release, Hitchhike to Hell. The film looks really good with minimal print flaws and pretty clear audio. This disc comes with SWV's usual array of extras, including one hilarious animated short called The Cautious Twins! The only disappointing aspect of this release is the lack of a write-up on the inlay card. In addition to making my job of digging up facts much easier, I find these highly informative and entertaining. Honestly, it's not very easy to find information on the background of these types of movies (which are usually as entertaining as the features themselves).

review by Joe Canistro 04/28/2002

I give this one 3 pitchfork wielding voyeurs out of 5

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