Spare Parts

I was drawn to watch this movie in part because it was a foreign production filmed and set in America, and that promised that the movie would have a unique angle. The portrayal of America is surprisingly balanced - there is a deep and deadly conspiracy in the story, but the movie does give us plenty of innocent and helpful American characters at the same time. Unfortunately, this interesting balance is about the only good thing I can say about the movie. Certainly I can't blame the filmmakers for the atrocious dubbing, but they are guilty of other things. At 105 minutes, the movie is way too long (and slow) for its own good. Along this tedious journey are some real unbelievable plot elements like the fact the protagonists don't consider contacting the police until very late into the story. The movie is also directed with no sense of style, with no tension or any great feelings coming from the movie at any moment - it always feel flat. It's capped off with one of the worst opening/closing credits songs I have ever heard in a motion picture. There is the occasional hint of a decent (though not original) thriller here, but as a whole it simply does not work.

An ambulance abducts the man from a honeymooning couple shortly after they checked into a cheap motel. His wife Monica follows the trace from the ambulance with the help of a friendly trucker named bill.

This production was released shortly after "Coma" (1978) and has a similar approach. This basic concept was picked up again with "The Island" (2005).

Filmed in the U. S. this is a suprisingly well produced TV movie, that could have been run in theaters at his time. Action, speed and pace are a slower than today, but it is still has suspense. A nude scene may be the reason for its rating, blood & violence are harmless.

Drive-in 50-pack is where I got this film, under the name "Spare Parts". I didn't think I would like it but the movie actually pulled me in - got me interested fairly fast and held it to the end of the film - I was surprised.

It's a weird film! A couple gets married, goes on honeymoon, stays at the honeymoon motel, here comes the ambulance then complete strangeness of the film begins. The more of the film you watch, the stranger it gets.

The movie will have you asking questions: Why didn't she go to the police right from the start? Why did truck driver Bill help her (he never answered her nor the viewer's question)? Why did the truck drivers help her? When the police did get involved, why didn't she tell them there ARE other witnesses - the truck drivers? What happened to the ambulance drivers at the end of the film - were they caught?

Dr.Jackson is creepy - even when she decides to turn herself into the police and helps the girl she's just plain creepy!

This is not a great film but it is an interesting one. It takes some twists and turns that are unexpected - it's not a slasher film like I thought it was going to be. It's not perfect - it's got it's flaws - but it is worth watching for a 1970s made for TV horror-thriller.

6/10

In yet another case of 'great idea, shame about the execution' this drama/thriller about secret organ dealers kidnapping unsuspecting people to harvest their body parts might've been much better with a more cohesive plot, much less filler (like, for instance, a five minute run through New York for some reason) and well-developed characters.

Oh, and the dubbing is TERRIBLE. Sheesh. 4/10

Saw this in the horror section of video store and it looked worth a rental. It was. A poor young German chick and her newlywed husband go on their honeymoon in New Mexico. The lady innkeeper is way too friendly, so you sort of suspect something is up with her. Later, an ambulance appears out of nowhere and kidnaps the hubby away. The wife pleads to the innkeeper for help, but now the innkeeper claims she doesn't know the wife, even though she just rented her a room! In a bizarre twist (yet it works well), the wife ends up hitching a ride with Sierra Bill, a good ol' boy trucker. So you got this redneck Texan helping a German student who's looking for her Princeton husband. Anyway, they come up with a pretty cool plan. It gets suspenseful and a bit confusing, but all is explained in the end. Jutta Spiedel surprised me as a really good actress, considering I did not know her work before this film. Good stuff