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Late to the Party – The Hitcher (1986)

Published

6 years ago

March 7, 2018

It’s Wednesday! Which means it’s time for another edition of Late to the Party, the article series in which our iHorror writers pass our much delayed reactions to classic horror movies on to you, the reader. We have opinions! This week, I watched the 1986 Rutger Hauer-led classic, The Hitcher.

The Hitcher was remade in 2007 starring Sean Bean, because all classics must suffer a modern remake (I guess). But really, as much as I love Sean Bean and his inability to survive basically every movie he’s in, I can’t deny the appeal of Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Hobo With a Shotgun). The man is hypnotically terrifying and he controls the scene every moment he’s on screen.

via IMDb

In the opening scene – and our introduction to Hauer’s character, John Ryder – he hitches a ride from young Jim (C. Thomas Howell, The Outsiders) in the pouring rain. As they drive off to begin their adventure, John’s unnerving nature and sinister intentions unfold.

As an aside: while I understand that this is a completely different film, a part of me was really hoping it would incorporate the “tears in the rain” monologue from Blade Runner, because it seemed perfectly fitting.

via IMDb

The Hitcher wastes no time in getting to the action – we’re running right out the gate with an increasingly threatening (yet nuanced) performance from Hauer, and young Jim quickly learns the error of his philanthropic ways. Shit gets real at an efficient 8 minutes in.

The film burns with a sun-scorched intensity. John’s obsession with Jim sizzles with every passing scene. I appreciate the fact that this mad focus is entirely out-of-the-blue; he completely dedicates his time to tracking down and killing The One Who Got Away.

via Giphy

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention young Jennifer Jason Leigh (who actually looks a lot like young Jessica Lange). Her character, Nash, is unfortunately swept up in the sordid love affair cat-and-mouse obsession.

One particularly climactic scene places her in an incredibly dangerous position, in which the ineffective police officers are of absolutely no help whatsoever – – honestly, who sends the stalking victim in to do hostage negotiations?? These cops are trigger-happy and terrible.

via IMDb

On a technical note, I was highly impressed with John Seale’s cinematography in The Hitcher. There’s a fantastic 360-degree long take during an early interrogation scene that was a wonderful surprise, and the ending long-shot is actually stunning.

If you watch the film (and you should), I implore you to consciously pay attention to how the scenes are framed and shot. Oscar winning cinematographer John Seale has a seriously impressive resume (which includes Mad Max: Fury Road) – the man knows what he’s doing and it elevates the film in a marvelous way.

via IMDb

For such an intense film, there’s actually very little on-screen gore. Most of the violence is off-screen, so we just see the aftermath with Jim’s reactions – which actually might be more brutal. Your imagination is an intensely creative thing, and the pure horror and raw emotion that we get from Howell’s performance is enough to fill in the horrible blanks.

Jim provides us with the very first line in the film: “My mother told me never to do this”. It’s a line that’s initially flippant and charming, but by the end of it all we’re left with a poignant moral to this whole incredible story. He should have listened to his mother.

For more Late to the Party reviews, check out the archives!

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News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

10 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

15 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

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A post shared by NEON (@neonrated)

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

16 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube