I distinctly remember reading Marvel comics when I was a kid, Spider-Man or Captain America, and they always included a little editorial from Stan Lee, and there were a few issues of him promoting The Ambulance (1990), a thriller starring Eric Roberts that was written and directed by Larry Cohen (Q – The Winged Serpent, The Stuff). Why was Stan Lee promoting The Ambulance? Well, because Stan Lee is in it! As himself, playing the boss of Eric Roberts’ character who works at Marvel Comics as an illustrator; there are a couple of scenes set at his workplace. This is only tangentially related to the story: when Roberts talks about his job to cop James Earl Jones, he is dismissed as a weirdo, prone to making stuff up, and then Roberts also uses his illustrator skills to mock up a drawing of a missing woman (who looks more like Duran Duran cover art than a police ID sketch).
Larry Cohen’s main high concept hook for The Ambulance is a twist on his Maniac Cop formula: “What if a cop was a psycho murderer?” Here, it’s “What if an ambulance was run by psycho murderers?” In the opening scene, Roberts tries to pick up a woman on the street (Janine Turner) who then falls ill and is taken away by an ambulance. Roberts tries to track her down and find out if she’s okay, but begins to stumble across a murderous conspiracy. All of which builds up to a recurring scene of him getting ill or knocked out and freaking out when a gurney arrives (“Don’t let them take me!!!”).
I had lots of fun with this 95 minute thriller. More Hitchcockian New York exploitation thrillers should have an unhinged protagonist as their hero like with Eric Roberts’ full-bodied performance, all sweaty and fast-talking, and charming me with his complete commitment, that and his lion mane of a mullet (circa Best Of The Best style). Cohen is from an older generation of movie-making, and makes sure the dialogue is snappy and cute, and provides great supporting roles for old pros like James Earl Jones and Red Buttons as a wisecracking journalist. Megan Gallagher also plays a cop who becomes involved in the mystery. And what a twist to see in the credits, “And introducing Nick Chinlund”, the first feature film for one of my favourite bad guy character actors! The Ambulance features plenty of New York street locations and neo-noir style to the cinematography; the idea to illuminate the interior of the sinister ambulance with green lighting is a brilliant visual. And there are lots of hectic stunts including car chases and a runaway gurney gag well before Hudson Hawk. More goofy and whacked out than scary or suspenseful, The Ambulance is still very entertaining, even when it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Just surrender to the momentum and the brio of Eric Roberts. Recommended.
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