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 | Female Full Frontal Nudity | Upskirt | Italian

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:

Star Franco Nero suggested David Hess for the role of Adam because Nero had recently worked with Hess for the film 21 Hours at Munich (1976) (TV). While shooting that film the two met and Hess told Nero he was anxious to work in Italy.

Movie Connections:

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

Little known, but terrific road thriller

Intense, off-beat Italian thriller is an underexposed classic.

Fueding married couple, traveling across the country, make the mistake of picking up a hitch hiker who turns out to be a violent bank robber. But that's only the beginning of the story.

Skillfully well done thriller is gripping in it's wildly turning plot. The cinematography is stylishly good, with some beautiful country side filming locations. The music, though seemingly out of place at times, is great too. In addition there is a decent amount of violence and some nudity.

The real highlights of this film though are it's three stars, who seem to be in a show-stealing competition all through out the film. Franco Nero does a convincingly good performance as the alcoholic reporter, who has grown tired of his wife. Corinne Clery is fetching and talented as Nero's equally weary wife. The terrific David Hess makes for another great villain, also having played a crazed criminal in both Craven's Last House on the Left (1972) and another Italian exploitation film House on the Edge of the Park (1979).

For those who are seeking an unconventional thriller or just a fan of Hess, this film will be a well rewarding watch.

*** 1/2 out of ****