By Leeann Aubuchon-Swimm
Most people are familiar with “Christine” but fewer are with “The Car” which could be Christine’s evil predecessor. “The Car” is a 1977 thriller directed by Elliot Silverstein and stars 1970s heartthrob James Brolin. I’m using the term “heartthrob” loosely; maybe it’s that handlebar mustache throwing me off.
The premise of the film can be summed up in one sentence. The movie is about a mysterious car on a murderous rampage in a small Utah town. That being said, I shall elaborate a bit more. The movie started off like gangbusters with the car chasing down two teenagers on bicycles. I found this opening scene to be one of the most thrilling parts of the entire movie. The Car’s next victim is French horn playing hitchhiker, sporting a 1970s bouffant. A local witnesses the hitchhiker’s demise and reports to the sheriff, that he couldn’t see anyone driving the unusual Lincoln.
The police set up roadblocks in an attempt to catch the murderer. However, the vile vehicle seems impossible to locate. As the casualty count continues to rise, Sheriff Wade (James Brolin) comes to a chilling realization… the car has no driver.
The Good: The score is helpful in building suspense. I also liked the car’s eerie, signature car horn sound. The cinematography in this film is outstanding. I was also quite impressed with the special effects.
The Bad: My biggest complaint in this movie is that there was a lot of odd dialogue. The Car also had points where it was dragging. Perhaps, too much character development of the supporting cast contributed to the lag.
Interesting to Note: I noticed that while Sheriff Wade was climbing up a rope in the canyon, a pair of gloves mysteriously appears on his hands.
I also wanted to pass on a pearl of wisdom I learned from watching this movie. If a diabolical vehicle is chasing you down, hurling your motorcycle helmet at it is an ineffective defense.
Overall Impression: This film is probably worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of the killer car genre or even Jaws for that matter.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6.0 /10
