The Ransom (1977)

The Ransom: Directed by Richard Compton. With Oliver Reed, Deborah Raffin, James Mitchum, Stuart Whitman. A Native American travels around a resort town, murdering cops and rich people with a high-powered crossbow, while demanding that the town’s richest residents pay him money to stop the killings.

“Medium budget action film thats not as bad as made out. But Iu0026#39;m not saying itu0026#39;s good either. But it does have something.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOK the premise is a bit naff. A unnamed wealthy small town in the South-West ( the film was filmed around Scottsdale and Mesa in Arizona) is terrorized by an American Indian with a crossbow who seeking to address the injustices of the past by extorting the town rich of $5 million. Add to that the fact that all of the roles are underwritten and there are many undeveloped plot lines. Without being too picky and in no order: is the Indian really an Indian, why all the Indian mysticism, why is he extorting money, what about his Olympius career, what about the lucrative land deal the big wigs are trying to put together, why does this small community have so many rich people …u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlso everyone seems to know each other very well after just meeting. Its as if the actors are anticipating the next scene. Oliver Reedu0026#39;s character abuses, woos, threatens and beds a reporter in about 2 minutes of screen time ! He also forms a friendship based on mutual respect with Jim Mitchumu0026#39;s character in their 4 scenes together.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTo top this off a lot of the action is a bit lame.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo what does the film have? A great cast of familiar faces! I can sit through any tripe if you throw enough faces from years past at me. Stuart Whitman as the millionaire is good ( the best scene in the film is where he and the Indian are playing cat and mouse in his mansion), John Ireland does not have a lot to do but is always dependable, Robert Mitchumu0026#39;s son Jim is vastly underrated ( where is Tarantino to revive his career) and also doesnu0026#39;t have much to do but I suppose he was cast as a familiar face to the 70s action movie crowd ( check him out in u0026quot;Trackdownu0026quot;), Paul Koslo again plays the bad guy ( he was the bad guy in so many 70s films and was always excellent) and almost lifts the ridiculous role above what it is worth! Oliver Reed and Deborah Raffin are OK.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo if you get a buzz , as I do, watching films from the 70s and 80s with great actors of years past in small leads or supports then this is the ticket for you. For my money the action is fast paced and never boring ( its just not that good). The director, Richard Compton, also directed drive-in cult classic u0026quot; Macon County Lineu0026quot;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBy the way the theme song ( for Victor the Indian) , u0026quot;Shoot Himu0026quot;, was co-written and performed by Roger McGuinn ( of the Byrds) and its lyric explains a lot of the motivations behind the Indianu0026#39;s character …. which the script writers had failed to do.”