Race with the Devil (1975)

Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.

Director:

Jack Starrett

Writers:

Lee Frost, Wes Bishop

Stars:

Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Fonda	...	Roger Marsh
Warren Oates	...	Frank Stewart
Loretta Swit	...	Alice Stewart
Lara Parker	...	Kelly Marsh
R.G. Armstrong	...	Sheriff Taylor
Clay Tanner	...	Delbert
Carol Blodgett	...	Ethel Henderson
Phil Hoover	...	Mechanic
Ricci Ware	...	Ricci Ware
Paul A. Partain	...	Cal Mathers
James N. Harrell	...	Gun Shop Owner
Karen Miller	...	Kay
Arkey Blue	...	Arkey Blue
Jack Starrett	...	Gas Station Attendant
Wes Bishop	...	Deputy Dave

Storyline

Frank and Roger and their wives take off for Colorado in a recreational vehicle, looking forward to some skiing and dirt biking. While camping en route, they witness a Satanic ritual sacrifice, but the local sheriff finds no evidence to support their claims and urges them to continue on their vacation. On the way, however, they find themselves repeatedly attacked by cult members, and they take measures to defend themselves.

---

Plot Keywords:

vacation | occult | black magic | cult film | carsploitation | 

---

Taglines:

Peter Fonda and Warren Oates are burning their bridges and a lot of rubber... on the deadliest stretch of road in the country!

---

Genres:

Action | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vier im rasenden Sarg

Filming Locations:

Bandera, Texas, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 973,425 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Saber Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jack Starrett claims he hired real life Satanists as cult-member extras.

---

Goofs

During the scene when Peter is shooting at the final car chasing after them during the chase scene the car that was following them was a late 1960s Oldsmobile Delmont 88, but the close up scenes of the car getting shot appears to be an early 1960s compact vehicle.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: They Saved Hitler's Brain (2012)

User Reviews

Defending the Ending ***SPOILER***

For years I've listened to nitpickers attack the ending. "Why didn't they just drive away?" If you recall, the attendant at the last gas station they stopped at warned, "You got a busted headlight on that thing". Not to mention half of the front end torn off, exposing the engine compartment.

Fonda's character pulls off the road to repair the headlight "while there's still enough light to see what I'm doing". The cultists last contacted them at the roadside construction project, and followed them to where they stopped -- at twilight.

When night fell, they either smashed the other headlight or disabled the engine by quietly pulling a cable or belt. In the dark, with no headlights, surrounded by hills and dales and rocks and streams and trees, that big behemoth isn't going anywhere, if it's even still running.

The couples originally see their $26,000 Vogue as a castle on wheels -- king of the road. "We don't need anything. We are self-contained, baby!" They quickly realize that it is in fact a lumbering, vulnerable deathtrap that makes them easy prey in isolated, unfamiliar territory. This refusal to accept that they are so out of their element -- in a race that they can't possibly win -- is the movie's entire point.