Friday, April 2, 2010

Our Newest Cin-Ob Supreme, The Vegetable Assassin, Hearts the 70s!


The Vegetable Assassin writes:

Since I have a weird fascination with the 1970s and I've always had fantasies of driving through the desert or travelling around North America in a camper van, it's really no surprise that two of my favourite movies of all time are oldies - Steven Spielberg's 1971 movie Duel (1971), starring Dennis Weaver, and the rather cheestastic, yet still quite thrilling, 1975 film, Race With The Devil, starring Peter Fonda.

Yes, it seems all my fantasies involve living in the seventies and being pursued by murderous psychotics. Maybe I should talk to a professional about this?

Duel is the creepy story of a man driving to a job interview, through the desert, when he is pursued aggressively by a psycho truck driver, whose face you never get to see. The concept's been used a lot in horror movies since, but this one is still the best for me. It doesn't stoop to any gory horror or slasher tactics, just pure building tension throughout. There are some really anxious moments and they're aided by the beautiful isolated desert setting. Spooky and pretty to look at! As a little kid this would come on TV a lot and I'd hide behind the couch.

Here's the cheesiest trailer you'll ever see for Duel which doesn't at all do it justice.



Race With The Devil is about two couples on vacation in an RV and who witness a Satanic ritual of human sacrifice, get spotted by the cult and spend the rest of the movie pursued by them. Cheesy for sure and involves a few unlikely scenarios but still good, creepy, tense fun. It even has comedy, in Peter Fonda's shirt.

I hear they're remaking this one which makes me sad as I'm sure the new version will be yet another movie about pretty teenagers being chased by blood-letting slashers. Yawn.

This is Race With the Devil. I should point out that I don't actually approve of this trailer as it contains spoilers that are best left as surprises.



See? The seventies are cheesy and awesome. Who wouldn't want to live there? Check these two movie gems out if you ever get a chance!

7 comments:

aladdinsane12 said...

stopping over from the vegetable assassin's page- i love me a good cheesy 70's suspense movie, but i've never actually seen either of these. i have always wanted to see "duel," though. everyone i know says it's great.

Anonymous said...

Were there any OTHER KINDS of movies in the 70s BESIDES cheesy and suspenseful? Oh, right, musicals. But they were STILL cheesy!!!!

Man, I miss the 70s.

Richard said...

Duel! Classic, awesome film!

And no, it shouldn't be remade. They remade the classic Rutger Hauer movie The Hitcher recently, didn't they? They ripped the soul out and turned it into a bland suspense/horror movie. I'm sure the same'll happen to Duel.

Momma Fargo said...

Over here from Vegetable Assassin. Great blog!

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

Vegetable Assassin sent me over too... is this how the Race With the Devil begins? Better go make some popcorn and put some Dr Pepper on ice.

Simon Butler said...

Funnily enough, I was watching Vacancy last night, which may not have been made in the 70s, but certainly looks as if it was. It has all the clichés – all of them. Car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. Couple forced to put up at a dodgy-looking motel run by someone who bears a shocking resemblance to Ned Flanders. It’s actually quite fun, and as a nice change it concentrates more on suspense than gore. And it has Kate Beckinsale in too.

dogimo said...

I can't stand the suspense in those trailers. I'm feeling traumatized by the suspense alone. The suspense, and maybe some of the hairstyles, but mostly the suspense.