The Car (Directed by Elliot Silverstein-1977)

Killer car movies of the late 70's may not seem like the easiest genre to recommend but this, along with Christine and Speilberg's Duel, are exciting and highly watchable slices of nostalgic fun. And while The Car is obviously as silly as it sounds, it's also genuinely terrifying at times and looks fantastic on DVD (I'm assuming this won't be making it onto Bluray anytime soon and for that I'm quite glad as it doesn't really need any further special treatment). The story couldn't be much simpler. Starring as the local sheriff, James Brolin has the unconventional task of ridding his small New Mexican town from a murderous 2 door black sedan that appears to be driving itself. And that's pretty much it. However, there are several interesting hints throughout that the car may be driven by the devil himself,(starting quite blatantly with an unnerving Anton La Vey quote at the start of the film) making this a truly one of kind experience, and despite the car itself being the main character you're likely to remember, Brolin is the star of the film. His performance as Sherriff Wade Parent(?!)plays out very much like a warm up for his career defining turn in 1979's Amytiville Horror. His personal vendetta against the evil sedan spirals into a crazy showdown in the dessert after the unexplained death of his girlfriend Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd). There are certain jumps and shocks in this film that simply have to be seen to be believed, and while there are a few rather talky moments, the sheer unpredictability of the script and the bizarre use of sped up car chases keep you gripped to the final jaw dropping credit sequence.

Evil sedans and horror aside, Silverstein's film also boasts some truly spectacular scope photography, courtesy of the man behind Young Frankenstein and other Mel Brooks features, Gerald Hirschfeld. Here, he makes incredible use of the films sparse location and provides an integral contribution to the overwhelming atmosphere. The opening sequence alone appears almost immediately legendary before the car has even made it's first appearance. The opening shot sends shivers up the spine with an almost amusing anticipation. Arriving at top speed through a menacing cloud of dessert dust and a red-tinted camera lenses (so we know when we are meant to be seeing this from the car's point of view)the car wastes no time at all in offing a young couple of cyclists in an opening that may very well be the films defining moment. The tone is set straight away, and whilst similarities to Duel are going to be obvious, this film moves quicker and is definitely stooped deeper in the traditionl stalk and slash horror field. Only here it's in non human form, making it all the more unsettling. At the same time this film has a justifiably low 12 certificate in the UK as it's easy to be seen as a harmless exercise in an almost 1950's comic book style. There's nothing at all offensive on display here whatsoever and could very well be shown before the watershed. Finally, but interestingly, it's also worth pointing out the similarities between Leonard Rosenman's sweeping score and Wendy Carlos's main theme to Kubricks adaption of Stephen Kings The Shining. The two pieces of music are almost identical. The Car predates The Shining by three years however, so, you heard it here first. While not quite up there with Christine (another King favourite) The Car is a good solid film. Of it's time in every way but also just a little suprising in it's originality. Happy viewing.