"The Hitchhiker" Man of Her Dreams (1986)

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Lewis Chesler (creator) and
Riff Markowitz (creator) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"The Hitchhiker" (1983)

Original Air Date:

8 April 1986 (Season 3, Episode 12)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A stressed out bank employee begins having premonitions concerning a serial killer, who could be any one of the men in her life. |

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Murder Investigation | Hitchhiker | Nudity | Female Nudity

Cast

Marilyn Hassett	...	Jill
Antony Hamilton	...	Jim Buckley
Page Fletcher	...	The Hitchhiker
Dennis Kelly	...	Markey
Robin Ward	...	Tony
Dwight Koss	...	Mark
Paul Batten	...	Young Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Doherty	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Phillip Noyce

Writing credits
Lewis Chesler		(creator) and
Riff Markowitz		(creator) and
Richard Rothstein		(creator)
Gary Ross		(teleplay)
April Campbell Jones		(story) (as April Campbell) &
Bruce Jones		(story)

Produced by
Jon Anderson	....	co-producer (as Jon Andersen)
Lewis Chesler	....	producer
Riff Markowitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Michel Rubini

Cinematography by
Reginald H. Morris		(director of photography)

Set Decoration by
Elizabeth Wilcox

Costume Design by
Christopher Ryan

Production Management
Les Kimber	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Markowitz	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Phil Gough	....	assistant property master
Wayne McLaughlin	....	property master

Camera and Electrical Department
Al Campbell	....	best boy grip
Julian Chojnacki	....	camera operator

Other crew
Tab Baird	....	executive in charge of business affairs
Gail Glaze	....	story editor
Richard Rothstein	....	executive story supervisor

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lewis Chesler		creator
Naomi Janzen		11 episodes
Riff Markowitz		creator
Richard Rothstein		creator

Cinematography by
Richard Wincenty

Casting by
Rosina Bucci

Production Design by
Carmi Gallo

Makeup Department
Rachel Griffin	....	special makeup effects artist
Larry Odien	....	key makeup artist
Thomas Yee	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tommy Burns	....	first assistant director
Frank Ruszczynski	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Marc Fiquet	....	props buyer
Marc Fiquet	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Donald D. Brown	....	boom operator
Yuri Gorbachow	....	sound effects editor (4 episodes)
Eric Lambi	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
James Cummins	....	special effects

Stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunt coordinator
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto W. Contreras D.	....	second assistant camera (1983-1984)
Duane Gullison	....	generator operator
Michael McLellan	....	dolly grip
David Perkins	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Gérard Moulévrier	....	casting: Paris

Editorial Department
Bernard Giglio	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michel Rubini	....	composer: title music

Transportation Department
Don Poole	....	driver
Steven Sacrob	....	driver
Joe Sanchez	....	transportation coordinator
Bruce Scott	....	set driver

Other crew
Clifford De Spenser	....	dialogue coach (as Clifford De Spencer)
Christine Haebler	....	location manager
Dov Schwarz	....	assistant to producer (1991)

Production Companies

• Markowitz/Chesler Producing
• Quintina Productions

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (1986) (USA) (TV)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2005) (USA) (DVD) (on "The Hitchhiker, Volume 2")

Runtime:

30 min

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Markowitz/Chesler Producing

Engrossing episode

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Lonely and stressed-out bank employee Jill (a sound and sympathetic performance by the attractive Marilyn Hassett) has troubling psychic premonitions about a vicious serial killer who preys on women. Said killer could be any one of the men in Jill's life. Director Phillip Noyce relates the gripping story at a constant swift pace, stages Jill's fantasy set pieces with real skill and style (a sensuous opening bathtub dream manages to be genuinely erotic without being too explicit), and does a fine job of creating and maintaining a delicately spooky and paranoid atmosphere. Gary Ross' absorbing script offers a good array of creepy and menacing secondary male characters who all might possibly be the maniac. But it's Hassett's sterling acting in the lead that really carries the day here; she manages to catch Jill's deep repression and severe frustration with striking conviction and surprising poignancy. Hassett receives sturdy support from Antony Hamilton as the suave Jim Buckley and Robin Ward as crude macho jerk cop Tony. Moreover, there's a thoughtful quality to this episode which gives it an extra emotional depth and sensitivity that's most unusual for this often grim and brutal series. Reginald H. Morris' sharp cinematography provides a nice polished look and makes neat use of a smoothly gliding mobile camera. Michel Rubini's quivery'n'shivery score likewise does the shuddery trick. An atypically moving and effective change of pace episode.