Drive-In Dust Offs: THE CAR

In the wake of the massive hit that was Jaws (1975), studios were foaming at the mouth to replicate its success. Of course, their idea was to take everything that they thought made Jaws a winner and put it in a different setting. Here’s a few that were cranked out by the dream machine: Jaws on Land (Grizzly), Micro-Jaws (Piranha), Jaws, Back to the Water (Orca), Jaws, Back to the Water Again, with Feeling (Jaws II) , and our flick du jour, the little engine that could, Jaws on Wheels – The Car (1977) .

In actuality, Steven Spielberg made Jaws on Wheels before he made Jaws, with the relentless cat and mousecapades of Duel (1971). However, this was 1977 and it was time for an upgrade. Released by Universal in May, The Car was (naturally) laughed off the screen by the critics, and why wouldn’t it be? A demonic vehicle terrorizing a town is not going to win over voters at the Academy. However, one man’s crap is another man’s Chrysler, and this rip roaring, road tested funster fires on all cylinders from beginning to end. The Car proves that a righteous ride, cool carnage, and a tight script are all you need for a good time at the movies.

Story time: The small town of Santa Ynez, Utah has a new visitor. First, cyclists are sent plunging to their deaths mountainside by a slick, black Lincoln Continental LHE (Limited Hades Edition) that doesn’t believe in following the rules of the road. Next, an unlucky hitchhiker rubs our satanic sedan the wrong way, so the car rubs him out. These activities draw the attention of the Santa Ynez Sheriff’s Department. Roll Call! Sheriff Everett (John Marley – Deathdream) , Chief Deputy Wade (James Brolin – Westworld), Deputy Luke (Ronny Cox – The Beast Within), et al, are determined to catch the chrome plated carnivore, but a lack of license plates (or a driver) make it hard to nab. Of course, Wade’s girlfriend Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd – It Lives Again) and his two daughters (Kim & Kyle Richards – see every kid’s movie in the 70’s) are put in harm’s way just to make it personal. Can Wade and his posse muster the strength to defeat the Four Wheeled One? As it never stops for gas, does the car run on eternal hellfire? Will two of the cast end up on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?

Look, the idea of a killer automobile is patently ridiculous, so let’s get that off the table right away. This is a horror film, where the ridiculous and asinine often go to roost. The Car peels right out of the gate and doesn’t let go, creating a sense of mischief, wondering where these hot wheels from hell will strike next. It plays out straight, but you can’t resist cracking a broad smile as it roars down the highway searching for its next desert dweller. Utah provides the perfect backdrop for the film, its wide open spaces giving little comfort or protection from the evil at hand. All of the characters are given enough beats to help flesh them out, courtesy of a lean script by Michael Butler & Dennis Shryack (they would collaborate again on Pale Rider and Turner & Hooch) and Lane Slate, allowing each of the cast some good moments.

Speaking of the cast, this one has 70’s royalty written all over it. Brolin brings his tough Everyman game and works it to the bone, Cox does a great turn as the Deputy with a drinking problem, and let’s not forget to mention the great R.G. Armstrong, menacing as a wife beater who is the first to witness the car’s devilry. Each and every cast member portrays small town life with an all too real weariness and acceptance of their lot in life.

The direction by Elliot Silverstein (of horror note, he would go on to helm several episodes of the Tales from the Crypt TV series) is as economical as the script, keeping the plot moving along just enough to help you forget (albeit temporarily) that you’re watching a film about a vehicle possessed by the Devil. The cinematography of Gerald Hirschfeld (Young Frankenstein) is clean and unobtrusive, simpatico with the script and direction, letting the story unfold without distraction.

Designed by THE custom car guy to Hollywood, George Barris (TV’s Batmobile, Munsters hot rod, etc.), the Lincoln was modified to look like something the Devil would love to drive if he could afford the payments. All black, with a lowered roof and a trucker’s grill that seems to smile right before it lays you to waste, it’s a beauty of death and design.

The film shows up from time to time on television, winding its way from town to dusty town, leaving a barrage of new admirers in its hellblazing trail. Much like its oceanic cousin, The Car never stops moving – but if you’re flipping around the dial, hop in. It’s well worth the ride.

The Car is available on DVD from Universal and will hit Blu-ray in 2016, courtesy of Scream Factory.