Thirty-One Days O’Horror: The Car (1977)

Let’s Ride #22!

After yesterday’s post, I decided to blog about one of the better killer car flicks out there, 1977’s The Car! So what’s The Car all about and why is it so awesome? Basically, a demonic car arrives in a sleepy Utah town and begins killing people. The local sheriff’s department, which is losing officers at a quick rate, attempts to destroy the vehicle and may or may not fail. In order to find out, you’ll have to watch The Car for yourself.

The film stars James Brolin as Wade, who quickly goes from chief deputy to sheriff, Ronny Cox as Deputy Luke Johnson, a struggling alcoholic who has a relapse when the body count starts to rise, Kathleen Lloyd as Lauren, a brave woman and Wade’s girlfriend, R.G. Armstrong as Amos, a local jerk who beats his wife and loves to cause trouble, and Kim and Kyle Richards as Lynn Marie and Debbie, Wade’s daughters. The film also features a number of Native American actors. Henry O’Brien features prominently as Chas, one of Wade’s most trusted deputies, Geraldine Kearns as Donna, the sheriff’s switchboard operator and dispatcher, and Eddie Little Sky as Denson, one of the deputies. Fans of The Young And The Restless may recognize Suzie, an ill-fated bicycle rider, as Melody Thomas Scott.

Despite the fact that this film is regularly panned by “professional” critics, myself and many, many more people love it. Its plot has no real point to it other than the fact that an evil car decided to go on a killing spree in a small town. That is reason enough to enjoy this movie. It’s loaded with action, ridiculous moments, and unexpected moments of bravery such as the moment when some locals put their lives on the line in order to save school children from the car. Even the ending is a beautiful blend of ridiculous and awesome. It’s one of those bad movies that you just have to love.

For an insanely fun time, watch The Car. It’s available to rent or buy, but there are a few streamers out there that have the film to watch for free. Of all of the films I’ve reviewed this October, it’s one of the few that I consider a “must see” film. Give it a look!

As always, thanks for checking out my review.