Date with a Kidnapper (1976)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Let's be realistic.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The first thing you're drawn to is the camera work. It looks and feels like a movie that is well beyond its low budget. Very nice. Then there's the lead actor, Canon. He does a very good job and I was stunned to see he didn't do much more. Too bad.The opening 15 minutes or so are great but it's after the incident at the hotel with the two criminals it starts to go downhill. It's not because of the story either. It's the REALLY drawn-out scenes of little dialogue which involve Canon or others "waiting" to act. At first I kind of dug it because it seemed to give the film more of a realistic feel. But there came a point where this was happening more and more to the point of feeling like nothing more than filler. The editing could have been much tighter and would have greatly benefited the film.But the biggest beef I have I guess is the inconsistency with the two leads' characters. Their actions, at times, seemed to turn on a dime with no justification. I could see how it was possible for each of them to end up the way they did but the journey we're shown doesn't do that effectively.As has been posted before the two criminals in the hotel early on are not explained. I was willing to overlook this until the old man that lets Canon & Rivers into his home suddenly went apeshirt and tried to kill them. At that point the fault has to be placed on Friedel for not giving us even a hint as to the reasons these people were doing what they were doing. I don't mind filling in the blanks sometimes with my imagination but on a project like this I shouldn't have to invent back stories for half the cast.It's worth a curious look for the camera work and for Canon's performance and also to imagine what this film could have been.And for my 2 cents about the ending...it could have either been:1) They were both killed by the gunmen (not likely, although the chapter name is Dance of Death) because the couple didn't seem to care about anything but each other since they're in love or 2) They gave up the car keys to the gunmen not caring about the money since they are now in love. Their love and the future they have together is much more important to them than the money (most likely to be the reason). Not wanting to lose that, I'm sure they gladly gave up the car and the money.As mentioned in another post it's the second half of a double feature from Something Weird Vido with some great trailers as extras. The first film of the double feature is HITCH HIKE TO HELL and that's a complete gas to watch from start to finish. FUN!

You would never think that a movie with a name such as "Kidnapped Coed" would be so..well..boring. But, it is. There are long stretches where absolutely nothing happens! I actually shouted at the screen several times, "DO SOMETHING!" and I'm not usually that agitated. This had so much sleaze potential and it bypassed all of its opportunities. There is a violent rape scene in the first 15 minutes, but it's ineptly staged and filmed in a slapdash manner.Several other drawbacks: the girl is plain, to be kind and there is no nudity (It may have been cut-out, but I doubt it). There's also many odd plot devices which make no sense whatsoever. I will say that the photography is excellent and the actor that plays the kidnapper is a fairly decent thespian. The subplot regarding his trying to relate to his mother in a nursing home oddly resonated with me since I've had some experiences with my own mom. I hate myself for tearing up during "Kipnapped Coed"!

An ugly girl is kidnapped and held for ransom by some mean man. When they head to a hotel, a group of bad guys hear this and try to take the girl to get the ransom money for themselves. It doesn't work and the mean kidnapper gets beaten and the girl gets raped in the process. The kidnapper flees with the girl and spends some time trying to talk to his mother who is in a nursing home. Get a load of a very young Larry Drake as the home attendant. Anyways, the girl ends up falling in love with the kidnapper and the rest of the movie just drags. The only good out of this movie is seeing Larry Drake's package through his tight jeans. Wow!! Low and behold people, the 'L.A. Law' star is indeed packing'!!!

(Potential Spoilers)This is a very strange movie from the same director as the equally strange Axe. In some ways, it resembles other grim, depressing early 70's drive-in fare (like The Candy Snatchers) with its casual abuse of young women, "heroes" who are only sympathetic or likeable relative to the even more sleazy characters surrounding them, and general aura of misanthropy and malaise. This movie, however, takes a strange romantic turn halfway through that may be completely implausible but at least washes away the bad taste left in your mouth by some of the earlier scenes (especially a mean-spirited rape scene). And, unlike Axe or The Candy Snatchers this movie has an honest-to-god, if rather surreal, happy ending. Recommended, if your into this sort of thing.