Dave checks out the supposed runt of producer Raj Mehrotra’s poverty row action litter.

“Indies at the end of the ‘80s? There was hardly anyone. There was me, Fred Olen Ray, Jim Wynorski, Roger Corman, David Prior, and of course you, Raj Mehrotra.”

Raj Mehrotra’s name doesn’t roll off the tongue with the same level of familiarity as the names that precede it. Ditto if one includes the mighty David DeCoteau, who said the above during his audio commentary with the Indian producer on their film, American Rampage (1989). Nevertheless, for a brief spell at the dawn of the ’90s, Mehrotra was just one of an ambitious group of cine-passionate men from south and west Asia earning a crust in the B-movie business.

The rampant success of Ashok Amritraj (Death Sentence (2007)) sits at the top end of the scale, with the magnificent cinematic legacy of Amritraj’s frequent collaborator, erotic thriller specialist Jag Mundhra (Night Eyes (1990)), not far behind. Other Indian filmmakers fared poorer on the American exploitation front; Jahangir Salehi (aka ‘John S. Rad’ – Dangerous Men (2005)) and Amir Shervan (Samurai Cop (1991)), for instance, are cornerstones of those tiresome ‘so bad they’re good’ lists.

In terms of quality, Mehrotra sits somewhere in-between. Bitten by the producing bug after stumping up the cash for Mundhra’s Hack-O-Lantern (1988), Mehrotra – a real estate and grocery store tycoon – and fellow countryman Pran Gairola soon realised they could tap into the lucrative home video market. Three more films followed: the aforementioned American Rampage, which utilised the directorial know-how and operational frugality of DeCoteau, who’d met Mehrotra while lobbying to helm Hack-O-Lantern; Eames Demetrios’ Danger USA (1989); and what’s arguably the runt of the litter, DEADLY DIAMONDS.

“What do you get when you cross a prostitute, a mobster, and a stolen diamond?” poses the sell sheet.

The answer is a thinly-plotted, scantily budgeted, but highly satisfying action picture.

In Deadly Diamonds, we meet Desiree (Kathleen Kane); an attractive call girl who swipes a priceless jewel from under the nose of a crime syndicate. With the gangsters in hot pursuit, helping her flee to safety is mild-mannered mob messenger Martin (Kenna Grӧb).

“I’ve got to change careers…” mutters Desiree to herself mid-sex scene, and it’s a moment that epitomizes the light-hearted nature of the film. Hapless hoodlums, a goofball in Martin, and an unconventional love story – it’s all far removed from the bicep-bulging actioners that defined the decade. That’s no bad thing. Deadly Diamonds is a pleasing affront to your expectations, whose likable leads and cartoonish villains combine to conjure an entertaining blast of escapism.

As Mehrotra’s action romps were shot relatively close together, there’s a lot of crossover. Actors Dan Haggerty and Troy Donahue crop up in two of the three, and crew like cinematographer Howard Wexler are mixed and matched accordingly. Thomas Atcheson, meanwhile, jumped across departments. He served as production designer on American Rampage; edited Danger USA; and finally assumed the director’s chair on Deadly Diamonds. Rumour has it that the gig was a consolation prize, Atcheson miffed at being overlooked for megaphone duty on American Rampage.

Seemingly forever the bridesmaid of Mehrotra’s action trilogy, Deadly Diamonds saw its two stablemates get equal billing on a Massacre Video Blu-ray a few years ago. Deadly Diamonds was included in the limited slipcover editions of Massacre’s release – but only as a barebones DVD hastily slipped into the case.

USA ● 1991 ● Action ● 93mins

Kenna Grӧb, Kathleen Kane, Troy Donahue, Dan Haggerty ● Dir. Thomas Atcheson ● Wri. Thomas Atcheson, Ronald D. Herbst