Buckle up for a ride with a violent vehicle that leaves no one any defense against its fenders- when citizens of a small desert town are plagued by the deadly and devilish driverless destruction of- "The Car"!
In 1977, "roadkill" movies seemed to be in vogue, with "Christine" and "Maximum Overdrive" in theatres- and they were joined by this film (which opens with a quote from the late leader of "the Church of Satan"!? ) – which starts out serenely enough with two bicyclists cruising through a canyon-when a mysterious black car seems to decide that the road isn’t big enough for all of them! Soon after, a French horn-playing hitchhiker finds out he can’t compete with the strange car’s horn- in the worst way!
Police deputy Wade Parent, single father of two girls and boyfriend to a local school teacher, is called upon to investigate- with little help from a wife-abusing citizen who witnessed what happened to the horn player. The situation becomes more tense when another killing hits close to home for the local police force- and more events all seem connected- the victims were done in by a large black car with no license plate - and an unseen driver.
Deputy Wade becomes concerned and decides on cancelling any public events- but his girlfriend, school teacher Lauren, needs to hold outdoor practices with her school marching band. Reluctantly, Wade finally has a compromise- there will be a rehearsal, but with a police guard!
During rehearsal, an eerie wind blows up- and, once again, the mysterious car attacks! The students and faculty still can't see any driver (keep in mind- an earlier witness to one of the deadly events says there WAS no driver!) and, as the car speeds away into the desert, the police give chase- with more tragic results. Wade has his own run-in with the "angry auto"- and it seems that even bullets have no effect on it!
With the car still on the loose, Wade is worried about protecting not just the citizens, but also Lauren - and his two daughters! More lives are lost, with the Satanic automobile seeming to be choosing its victims. In desperation, Wade must create a dangerous plan to stop the motorized menace. This leads to a final showdown between man and a maniacal machine that appears to be driven by supernatural powers! (Plus- power steering, power brakes...)
This film has many nail-biting moments, and some have said it actually is a bit more logical than the Dennis Weaver film “Duel”- to some extent. We'll run down (oops- poor choice of words) the cast, including James Brolin, Ronny Cox, "The Godfather" alumnus John Marley, and even some future "Real Housewives"-plus, the car itself, created by the late George Barris! We’ll also get a lot of milage from the usual Sven fun- with a parody of a certain cartoon seen on “Tune In With Me”- a chat with one of the talented artists who has contributed to the upcoming Svengoolie comic book, as well a few moments with a terrific actor who had plagued Clark Kent on TV. We also bring back our version of a commercial we once took Liberty with-and more!
"The Car" roars into view on MeTV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, or -check local listings or at www.metv.com for time and channel in your area. We appreciate all the viewers who were live-Tweeting during the show on Twitter last week, keeping us right at the top of most posted-about topics national; and invite you all to do it again tonight! Our Chicago area audience can get a second look at the frightening “Fiend Without a Face” at 11 am on CW26.
Have you taken a look at the first new t-shirt in the latest 2023 series of the Sven artist collection? The terrific colorful artwork by Mark Spears is getting rave reviews- check it out and get yours today!
Big news about the early August Sven appearance at Flashback Weekend in Rosemont, IL will be coming soon- but first,the Svengoolie comic book – available at comic book shops starting July 12! Check under our “appearances” tab here for details on a special Friday the 14th signing event.
But tonight- keep your eyes on the road- uh, the movie- and fasten your seat belts for a scary ride with "the Car"!
3527 Comments
I would like to know what the demonic speed limit.
Please refresh me. There was a time where the freeway speed limit was reduced from 70 mph to 55 mph. I believe that it was connected to an Arab oil embargo… faded memories of my youth.
The autobahn has NO speed limit!
Today when you watch programs on Netflix etc, the language used makes the language in 70s and 80s ( the enlightened decades) seem so tame.
Another subject. I thought Jackie Gleason was a very talented man.
Just try getting away with that on a prime time network sitcom today!
I was watching Perry Mason last night. There were two little old ladies in the episode. One looked so familiar to me. I then realized that she was one of the aliens in the Star Trek pilot called the Cage. I recognized her as her eyes 👀 were so distinct.
Carroll O’Connor guests in today’s BONANZA episode (1963)
🎩Love Yinz ♥️🖤
