Autostop rosso sangue (1977)

Director:

Pasquale Festa Campanile

Writers:

Peter Kane (novel)
Aldo Crudo (screen treatment) ...

Release Date:

July 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A bickering couple driving cross-country pick up a murderous hitchhiker whom threatens to kill them unless they take him to a santuary, and in return agrees to split some bank loot he has on him.

Plot Keywords:

Hostage | Hitchhiker | Extreme Violence | Psychopath | Double Cross

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Franco Nero	...	Walter Mancini
Corinne Clery	...	Eve Mancini
David Hess	...	Adam Konitz
Joshua Sinclair	...	Oaks (as John Loffredo)
Carlo Puri	...	Hawk
Ignazio Spalla	...	Bar Owner (as Pedro Sanchez)
Leonardo Scavino	...	Mendoza (as Leon Lenor)
Mónica Zanchi	...	Girl at Camp Site
Benito Pacifico	...	Highway Patrolman #1
Angelo Ragusa	...	Highway Patrolman #2
Luigi Birri	...	Motorcycle Punk #2
Robert Sommer	...	Harry Stetson
Ann Ferguson	...	Lucy Stetson
Fausto Di Bella	...	Motorcycle Punk #1

Also Known As:

Death Drive (UK) (video title)
Hitch Hike
Hitchhike: Last House on the Left (USA) (video title)
The Naked Prey (USA)

Runtime:

104 min | Canada:82 min | UK:98 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (cut) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | France:X (original rating) | UK:18 | Australia:(Banned) (original rating) | Australia:R (censored)

Filming Locations:

Campo Imperatore, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

Company:

Explorer Film '58

Trivia:

Franco Nero had a broken hand throughout the film because the he actually broke his hand working on a previous production. Because of the injury the script was re-written to have Walter drunkly fall and break his hand early in the film. Also it was re-written that Eve would be driving the car throughout the film, originally it was suppose to be Walter driving.

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 1 (2005) (V)

Wow!

With all the crap movies we in the US suffered through in the 1970's both domestic and foreign, it's amazing that this little gem never got widely released. This movie is part film noir, part existential road movie, and part Italian giallo. It's very suspenseful and contains many strong scenes of realistic violence (and sexual violence), but never veers into the realm of total tastelessness like much of the 70's drive-in fare (especially the Italian-made stuff). The score from Ennio Morricone is great. The three leads are phenomenal. Franco Nero is so charismatic you forget what a bastard he is. Not surprisingly (considering it's an Italian exploitation movie), Bond girl Corrine Clery spends half the film at least partially naked, but what is surprising is that she would have been excellent regardless. And David Hess is better than he was in Last House on the Left. The British DVD contains a superb documentary which interviews the three stars, and it's downright surreal seeing a middle-aged, mild-mannered David Hess. He played a sick creep so well in this and other 70's movies, I had just assumed he was one in real life. The most amazing thing about this movie though was that it was shot in Italy. The filmmakers did such a good job capturing the look of 1970's Northern California and Nevada that I was having flashbacks of childhood road trips with my parents. And what an ending! They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Highly recommended.