The 70s were a unique time in American history. On the plus side, you have Star Wars, and some really fine rock and roll. On the minus side were the gas crisis, and Riding with Death. This movie, which is, of course, two BAD episodes of the failed Gemini Man TV series, was quickly packaged and sent to theaters in an attempt to recoup some money from this series. We are introduced to Sam Murphy...or is it Ben Casey? Either way, same result: a cheesy 70s era actor trying to be something hes not. Ben Murphy works for Intersect, a sort of poor mans spy network. Murphy has a special power...the power to turn invisible for short periods of time, as a result of some sort of accident. We get to see Ben in action early in the film, as he takes on two men who try to jump a doctor in the Intersect parking lot. We learn in the next scene that these men are trying to steal the formula of a gas additive.
A brilliant plan is hatched, where Ben Murphy is tapped by William Sylvester(of Devil Doll and 2001 fame) to drive Dr. Hale(a Captain Stubbing lookalike) in a moving truck complete with bolt-hole about 35 miles or so to....somewhere. And the next day, the mission begins, slightly ahead of schedule. Murphys partner in crime, Abby Lawrence, arrives a few minutes after they leave, and finds out that the fuel additive is unstable by blowing up her Kleenex. She tries to report this, but is captured by some other 70s men, and put in a laundry bag. Dr. Hale tells Murphy to stop at another lab to pick up something indispensable, and laundry bags are taken in and out of the truck. And, what do you know, Dr. Hale and Abby have switched places, with Abby locked in the truck vault with the unstable highly explosive additive. After some attempted sabotage, and way too many scenes with the cracker Jim Stafford, Murphy finally figures out that hes been duped, which probably happens to him at least 30 times a day.
Well, using his awesome invisible powers, Murphy gets the drop on Dr. Hale, and is rewarded by being told that he's elusive as Robert Denby, a name that means absolutely nothing up to this point. In an extremely violent cut, we are thrown into the second part of this movie, which revolves around Bob Denby blowing up things. The jet plane I can understand, but his own race car??!? It boggles the mind. Anyway, Murphy is reunited with the cracker Stafford, who sings way too much in this portion of the film. Suffice to say, Ben Murphy wins the C-class race, and is able to get the car far enough away from the filmmakers to avoid blowing them up, which is our collective loss. Riding with Death will leave you on the edge of your seat, especially if you really have to use the bathroom. I give this fine television episode...I mean movie a big 1 out of 10. MST3K episode: 9 of 10
A brilliant plan is hatched, where Ben Murphy is tapped by William Sylvester(of Devil Doll and 2001 fame) to drive Dr. Hale(a Captain Stubbing lookalike) in a moving truck complete with bolt-hole about 35 miles or so to....somewhere. And the next day, the mission begins, slightly ahead of schedule. Murphys partner in crime, Abby Lawrence, arrives a few minutes after they leave, and finds out that the fuel additive is unstable by blowing up her Kleenex. She tries to report this, but is captured by some other 70s men, and put in a laundry bag. Dr. Hale tells Murphy to stop at another lab to pick up something indispensable, and laundry bags are taken in and out of the truck. And, what do you know, Dr. Hale and Abby have switched places, with Abby locked in the truck vault with the unstable highly explosive additive. After some attempted sabotage, and way too many scenes with the cracker Jim Stafford, Murphy finally figures out that hes been duped, which probably happens to him at least 30 times a day.
Well, using his awesome invisible powers, Murphy gets the drop on Dr. Hale, and is rewarded by being told that he's elusive as Robert Denby, a name that means absolutely nothing up to this point. In an extremely violent cut, we are thrown into the second part of this movie, which revolves around Bob Denby blowing up things. The jet plane I can understand, but his own race car??!? It boggles the mind. Anyway, Murphy is reunited with the cracker Stafford, who sings way too much in this portion of the film. Suffice to say, Ben Murphy wins the C-class race, and is able to get the car far enough away from the filmmakers to avoid blowing them up, which is our collective loss. Riding with Death will leave you on the edge of your seat, especially if you really have to use the bathroom. I give this fine television episode...I mean movie a big 1 out of 10. MST3K episode: 9 of 10