Plot: What’s it about?
In the scenic countryside of California, the tranquil everyday bustle is about to be shattered by a most unusual occurrence. A strange car has been having some fun at the expense of innocent bystanders, by running them over and crushing them to death. Now, some may see these incidents as good clean fun, but the police force is very serious about stopping this trend. Since no one has survived a trip under the wheels of this mystery car, the police just assume that a crazed driver is behind the wheel, getting his kicks by plowing folks down. The police hate that car with a passion, but that hatred goes to a whole new level when it leaves skidmarks on the town Sheriff, right in front of the station no less! Wade Parent (James Brolin) is promoted as the new Sheriff, and he declares nothing less than war on that mysterious vehicle. As the officers chase down the car, it manages to out maneuver them at every turn, as if the car has a complex thinking structure of some kind. The car takes these actions by the law enforcers personally, and targets the Sheriff and his lovely little gal pal for his next victims. But the police have a plan of their own, that is to lure the car into a place filled with explosives, then blow the damn thing to Hell. Can this plan work, or will the car leave our Sheriff as nothing more than a red smear on the pavement?
When you combine a car that seeks to murder all those in its path with actor James Brolin, how in the world can things go wrong? They can’t! While this ’70s horror staple might not electrify younger viewers who need young teen casts and buckets upon buckets of blood to be happy, it will please those who like a well crafted suspense story with a fair amount of gore tossed in. The chase scenes are the best sequences in the movie I think and unlike many horror flicks this one has some nice dialogue and character interaction. Now I am not saying this should have won an Oscar for Best Screenplay by any means, but it does have a solid basis for the characters and events within the film. This is a very well developed storyline, which means the pace is a mite slower than usual horror films so those with short attention spans should seek out the next Scream movie or perhaps The Sixth Sense instead. While this release is short on bonus features, it has a fantastic look and sound to it so I can recommend it without problems. If you’re in the mood for a well written suspense/horror movie with some nice twists, then give this disc a rent and see James Brolin in all his glory!
This film was directed by Elliot Silverstein, who handles this horror film well despite his wide canvas of previous works. With a suspense/horror movie like this one you need good camera work and pacing and Silverstein delivers on both counts, using his camera to make sure the events hit us with full impact. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to make a serious movie about a killer Sedan, but it has been done here and Silverstein is a driving force behind that. If you want to see more films by Silverstein I recommend Cat Ballou, A Man Called Horse, Flashfire, and Nightmare Honeymoon. This film has a very solid cast, which is led by the ever popular James Brolin who gives a terrific turn in this one. Brolin (Westworld, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure) doesn’t seem like the type of actor to carry horror well, but he comes through very well in the end. The rest of the cast includes John Marley (The Godfather, The Alpha Caper), John Rubinstein (Another Stakeout, The Boys From Brazil), R.G. Armstrong (The Man In The Iron Mask, Payback), Kathleen Lloyd (Skateboard, It Lives Again), and Roy Jenson (Solar Crisis, Bustin’ Loose).
Video: How does it look?
The Car is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version also included on the same side of this dual layered disc. This movie might be over twenty years old, but the clean source print used doesn’t look dated or faded in any way and nicks and wear signs are at a minimum. The colors are based within a more natural scope, but still retain some brightness and flesh tones seem accurate and warm. Contrast looks good also, with complex shadows and no visible detail loss to be seen. This transfer is also free from compression artifacts, another terrific transfer from the folks at Anchor Bay!
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 track which offers a solid, but unimpressive audio experience. The surrounds are used mostly for the musical score, but some effects make their way through also and sound very good. This isn’t an audio heavy picture so don’t expect the speakers to shake off the walls, but this is a fine mix. The dialogue is crisp and clear, with no volume or separation issues to deal with. A 2.0 surround track is also included, if you’re interested.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains the theatrical trailer and some sparse talent files.
