THE CAR (1977). Director: Elliot Silverstein.
An ominous black sedan with an unnerving horn shows up in a sleepy desert community and begins tearing after and running down assorted citizens. Once you swallow the rather absurd supernatural premise and bizarre developments, The Car turns out to be a very nicely done, suspenseful chiller with a genuinely creepy atmosphere and some thrilling sequences. In addition, the screenplay by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack presents three-dimensional characters who have back stories and who you come to care about. The performances are all quite good, with Ronny Cox and John Marley especially effective as two police officers, and R. G. Armstrong scoring as a belligerent wife-beater. James Brolin is fine as the sheriff, Wade Parent, as is Kathleen Lloyd as his girlfriend, Lauren (who features in perhaps the movie's most bravura sequence). Silverstein's direction makes the most of the material and Leonard Rosenman's eerie score embellishes every scene. Gerald Hirschfeld's wide screen photography is also top-notch. The movie was not welcomed by the critics but it's actually a neat little intelligent chiller if admittedly on the far-fetched side.
Verdict: Definitely worth a look. ***.
2 comments:
I liked this one too--I saw it in the theater by myself because no one else wanted to go and was blown away by the widescreen photography and lush production values--as well as the very likeable characters, some surprising and creative deaths and overall feeling of WTF regarding the titular menace. Perhaps strangely, I thought it was very similar to a giant bug movie from the 50s (could've been the desert locale lending that feeling...?), except that the monster was apparently the devil's limo driven by his demonic chauffeur (on his day off from driving Satan around, maybe?). Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot and felt guilty about it later it by scoffing friends (who wouldn't even watch it) and the general critical consensus.
Great review!
--Mark
I've seen this flick about three times -- almost ready for a fourth -- and am always reminded of what a very decent thriller it is. I've always wished that there was some psycho behind the wheel instead of this unseen devilish presence, but once you accept that oddball supernatural aspect, the picture plays beautifully. I think the absurd premise is what killed this for critics and even horror fans, because it's actually quite well-done. I don't remember if I saw this in theaters or not, but I probably didn't manage to drag anyone else with me if I did!
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