The Car [Blu-ray]

Elliott Silverstein

Overview

A killer car, fueled by demonic power, runs amok through the Detroit streets in this horror film.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/15/2015
UPC:	0826663161489
Original Release:	1977
Rating:	PG
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	5,387

Special Features

New interviews with Director Elliot Silverstein and Actors Melody Thomas Scott and Geraldine Keams; Theatrical Trailer; TV Spot; Radio Spots; Still Gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Brolin	Wade Parent
Kathleen Lloyd	Lauren,Lauren Humphries
Ronny Cox	Luke,Luke
John Marley	Everett,Actor
R.G. Armstrong	Amos Clements
John Rubinstein	John Norris
Elizabeth Thompson	Margie
Roy Jenson	Ray Mott,Ray
Kim Richards	Lynn Marie Parent,Lynn,Debra Parent,Debbie
Kate Murtah	Miss McDonald
Doris Dowling	Bertha Clements,Bertha
Kate Murtagh	Miss McDonald
Eddie Little Sky	Denson,Denson
Robert Phillips	Metcalf
Read Morgan	Mac Gruder,Mac Gruder,Mac Gruder
Geraldine Keams	Donna,Donna
Henry O'Brien	Chas
Bob Woodstock	Cyclist
Melody Thomas Scott	Suzie Pullbrook,Suzie, Cyclist
Bryan O'Byrne	Wally,Wally
Don Keefer	Dr. Pullbrook,Dr. Pullbrook
Lee McLaughlin	Marvin Fats
Margaret Wiley	Navajo Woman
Leslie Hoffman	High School Student
Elliott Mason	Little Boy
Ernest Orsatti	Dalton
Johnny Timko	Little Boy
Joshua Davis	Jimmy
James Rawley	Thompson,Thompson
Hank Hamilton	Al
John Moio	Parker
Bob Woodlock	Pete
Louis Welch	Berry
Steve Gravers	Mackey
Tony Brande	Joe
Edward Sky	Denson
Ernie F. Orsatti	Dalton
Margaret Willey	Navajo Woman
Leonard Rosenman	Composer

Technical Credits

Dennis Shryack

Michael Butler

Elliott Silverstein	Director,Producer,Producer,Producer
Dennis Shryack	Screenwriter
James Brolin	Director
Kathleen Lloyd	Director
John Marley	Director
Marvin Birdt	Producer,Producer
Ronny Cox	Director
Peter Saphier	Producer
Kevin F. Cleary	Sound/Sound Designer
Jim Alexander	Sound/Sound Designer
Martin Birot	Producer
Michael Butler	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

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.