The Car (1977)

A small desert town is terrorized by a powerful, seemingly possessed car, and the local sheriff may be the only one who can stop it.

Director:

Elliot Silverstein

Writers:

Dennis Shryack (screenplay), Michael Butler (screenplay)

Stars:

James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Brolin	...	Wade Parent
Kathleen Lloyd	...	Lauren
John Marley	...	Everett
R.G. Armstrong	...	Amos
John Rubinstein	...	John Morris
Elizabeth Thompson	...	Margie
Roy Jenson	...	Ray Mott
Kim Richards	...	Lynn Marie
Kyle Richards	...	Debbie
Kate Murtagh	...	Miss McDonald
Robert Phillips	...	Metcalf
Doris Dowling	...	Bertha
Henry O'Brien	...	Chas
Eddie Little Sky	...	Denson
Lee McLaughlin	...	Marvin Fats

Storyline

A small desert town is terrorized by a powerful, seemingly possessed car, and the local sheriff may be the only one who can stop it.

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Plot Keywords:

killer car | car | sheriff | cemetery | desert | 

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Taglines:

Is it a phantom, a demon, or the Devil himself?

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song Wade is singing before brushing his teeth is "Muleskinner Blues" by Jimmie Rodgers and George Vaughn.

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Goofs

When The Car begins to chase Wade through town from his garage, the vehicles parked on the side of the road change from one shot to the next.

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Quotes

Lauren: [taunting the car's unseen driver] Hey, you! Why don't you get outta your big ugly car, huh? We'd like to see what you look like. I'd like to see what a creep like you looks like!
[the car angrily drives around in circles and then stops]
Lauren: Well, come on, come on, get outta your car, huh? Let us all see what a lunatic son of a bitch you are! Come on, crawl out! I'll let you crawl out! Oh, I got your story now! I see! As long as you're in your car, you're big, and you're bad! Come on, let me tell you ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The Car's horn blows at the beginning and the end of the ending credits.

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Alternate Versions

The NBC edited for TV version of this film includes some additional scenes to pad out the movie due to needed commercial breaks. The aforementioned additional scenes were during the cemetery standoff between the school band and the Car. The part where Lauren is insulting and taunting the Car is longer and there is a short dialog between her and her friend Margie planning on how one of them will run out and escape to call for help. These are not on the official 1999 DVD/VHS release.

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Connections

Featured in Trailer Trauma Part 4: Television Trauma (2017)

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Soundtracks

Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46: I. 'Morning'
(uncredited)
Music by Edvard Grieg

User Reviews

They Saved Hitler's Car!

Lemme say this about "The Car" - the horror movie genre received a monumental boost in credibility with the release of this proud and noble pic. Gathering together some key horror movie elements (small desert town, scrappy desert folk, demonic Lincoln), the makers of "The Car" must've felt they were on top of a goldmine. They had an A-list cast led by the future Mr. Barbra Streisand and the awesome Ronny Cox. After a decade of love, peace and grooviness, America was once again ready for killer car movies. So what went so terribly wrong? Two words: Star Wars.

It's true. If it weren't for George Lucas, "The Car" would've been the surefire hit of 1977 and we'd all be reminiscing about the classic "Car Wars" trilogy and remembering how incredible James Brolin was as Indiana Jones.

Sadly, "The Car" disappeared into the night, never to receive the credit it deserved as a true horror breakthrough as a classic portrayal of man versus machine. Pitting a mysterious chopped-down souped-up Lincoln with a cruise-ship horn against a motley crew of never-say-die townsfolk, "The Car" follows the bloodthirsty path of a supercharged, soulless sedan as it brutally chews up scenery, cyclists, and one memorable french-horn-toting hitchhiker. It is indeed a chilling movie that eerily foretold future trends such as road rage and godawful James Brolin films, with an ending for the ages.

Bearing in mind, a great deal of this is sarcasm. But truthfully, "The Car" is highly recommended for the good-bad-movie lover - it is an excellent film to make fun of.

Details

Official Sites:

-The official trailer

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wheels

Filming Locations:

Snow Canyon, Utah, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1