User Reviews

I'll give John Astin for trying to make something out of this slice of life so called comedy about a man trying to struggle to make a living, walking out on his regular job and opening up a cab service, riding around all day in San Diego trying to get fares while struggling to stay afloat, pay bills and feed his large family. He's the only recognizable cast member outside of a few obscure cameo appearances, so the film basically rests on his shoulders. Basically nothing really happens other than the encounters with the various passengers he runs into, several groups of sailors on leave, offering them special deals. He drives across the Coronado Bridge several times to the famous hotel, so there are some great shots of that iconic landmark.

Films like this are at their best when they deal with quirky characters coming and going, and this film is overloaded with that so it is not entirely awful and painful to watch, with characters of eccentric personalities both troubling and humorous popping out, one woman physically as she changes in the back of the cab. This is a film that some audiences will find it very difficult to make it through, but in spite of an obviously cheap budget, I did find it for the most part fast moving even though after a while I was frustrated with the lack of a linear plot. Something tells me that this would have been better as a sitcom because it acts like one, and what little story there is could fill out 25 minutes rather than the 90 minutes this runs. It even plays like a sitcom, although this is definitely not one that would have had a live audience considering that most of it takes place on the streets of the city. Definitely a time capsule (that being an obscure one), and I did smile with slight guffaws a couple of times.

This movie actually did have some funny parts, like when he takes the guy to the airport and manages to steal fares from legit taxis. Then after all the funny stuff, this movie gets kinda dark out of nowhere. This is suppose to be a family movie? Pepper takes a girl to get a black market abortion, he gets his car stolen, thinks he will have to go back to a job he hates, goes a little crazy and chokes out Frank Sinatra Jr because he thinks hes a car thief. the end of the movie is on a higher note, but the whole movie is weird. its interesting at least.

Pepper (John Astin) decided to quit his factory job in San Diego and start a cab service. He knows nothing about the legal requirements and buys a junker Cadillac. While some of his fares are over-the-top they are far from entertaining and perhaps the only thing "wacky" is the whimsical soundtrack they play in an attempt to let us know this is a comedy and not a bad drama.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Pepe "Pepper" Morales (John Astin) already has four kids and another on the way with Maria (Maria Pohji). What better time than now to quit his job at a can company and paint a car so it looks like a taxi and be his own boss?

Directed and written by Alexander Grasshoff - who also made that Fascist warning movie we watched in high school The Wave that no one paid attention to - with directing help by Astin. This is a movie where John Astin beats up an innocent Frank Sinatra Jr., where Alan Sherman gets in the cab and a female soldier is taken to Tijuana for an abortion. In a family movie. Yes, that happened. Avco Embassy released it, so maybe they weren't used to family audiences.