The Car

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A murderous car wreaks havoc on a small Western town in this thriller that has gone on to achieve a small degree of cult status in spite of its own silliness. After a pair of bikers and a horn-playing hitchhiker are viciously mowed down, local police realize they have a motoring maniac on their hands. In a show of boldness, the mysterious black automobile kills the sheriff (John Marley) on the town's main street, leaving the post to officer Wade Parent (James Brolin). A supernatural element enters the picture when the car motors through a parade practice, but refuses to enter the hallowed ground of a cemetery. The cops chase the car through the desert, but it takes out several squad cars and disappears after injuring Wade. Things take a personal turn when the car eliminates Wade's girlfriend Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd) in a shocking sequence. Gathering his remaining officers, Wade concocts a plan to stop the horsepower-laden psychopath. ~ Patrick Legare, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       James Brolin - Wade Parent
       Kathleen Lloyd - Lauren
       John Marley - everett
       R.G. Armstrong - Amos
       John Rubinstein - John Morris
       Elizabeth Thompson - Margie
       Roy Jenson - Ray Mott
       Kim Richards - Lynn Marie
       Kyle Richards - Debbie
       Kate Murtagh - Miss McDonald
       Robert Phillips - Metcalf
       Doris Dowling - Bertha
       Henry O'Brien - Chas
       Ronny Cox - Luke
       Melody Thomas - Cyclist
       Bob Woodlock - Pete
       James Rawley - Thompson
       Boyd "Red" Morgan - Mac Gruder
       Bob Woodstock - Cyclist
       Steve Gravers - Mackey
       Bryan O'Byrne - Wally
       Edward Little Sky - Denson
       Tony Brande - Joe
       Lee Mc Laughlin - Marvin Fats
       Margaret Wiley - Navajo Woman
       Ernie F. Orsatti - Dalton
       Don Keefer - Dr. Pullbrook
       Hank Hamilton - Al
       John Moio - Parker

• Director:

  Elliot Silverstein

• Producer:

  Marvin Birdt, Elliot Silverstein, Peter Saphier

• Screen Story:

  Michael Butler

• Screenwriter:

  Michael Butler

• Screen Story:

  Dennis Shryack

• Screenwriter:

  Dennis Shryack, Lane Slate

• Cinematographer:

  Gerald Hirschfeld

• Composer (Music Score):

  Leonard Rosenman

• Editor:

  Michael McCroskey

• Art Director:

  Lloyd S. Papez

• Set Designer:

  John McCarthy

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  James R. Alexander, Kevin F. Cleary

• First Assistant Director:

  Gary Daigler

• Stunts:

  Everett Creach

• Stunts Coordinator:

  Everett Creach

REVIEW:

• Often criticized as being Jaws in the desert, Elliot Silverstein's The Car is a straightforward thriller that plays a lot more like Steven Spielberg's earlier classic Duel, which was also about a killer vehicle in a barren wasteland. While the film does feature a number of exciting car stunts and is sharply lensed in widescreen, it continuously sinks itself with a combination of ridiculous scripting and bad acting. Looking at the film from a different perspective, however, those same negatives, when combined with the overly serious tone and the wacky, sped-up chase scenes, make the film a humorous watch. The car itself is not fully revealed until nearly halfway through and is in keeping with the film's cartoonish feel. Customized by George Barris, it is a highly modified machine with a huge front bumper and two headlights that look like eyes. It is accompanied by the throaty roar of a racing engine and a constantly blaring horn. Stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Farley, and Ronny Cox (who is constantly on the verge of tears) are somber to the point of being laughable. Lloyd has one particularly awful scene in which she insults the car from the safety of holy ground. Thankfully, the screenplay by Dennis Shryack, Michael Butler, and Lane Slate (three writers!) stays focused on the action, although it does stray into two extraneous subplots involving domestic abuse and alcoholism. The stuntwork by Everett Creach is the film's strongest suit, the highlight being an amusing but cool sideways flip by the car onto two oncoming police vehicles. Special effects by Albert Whitlock are saved for an apocalyptic finish that appears phony and cheap. ~ Patrick Legare, Rovi