Four wheels (in most cases) designed to do nothing but obliterate mankind. It’s a petrifying thought when you consider all the deranged drivers behind the wheel these days. Really, how many fatal road rage incidents occur on an annual basis?
And that’s precisely the reason that killer car movies are infinitely more frightening than any other pic focused in on insensible, pulseless antagonists. We know that cars, trucks and motorcycles (this one doesn’t earn mention in this particular article, but look into Rage, a really entertaining indie moto-flick) can lead to instantaneous expiration. We understand that, be it a legitimate malfunction, a drunken fool or a crazed driver behind the wheel, there is very tangible danger that looms about automobiles. That’s real life. That’s an extremely plausible hazard. People die every day die in auto collisions.
Dig on the five greatest killer car flicks below. And please, I implore you to spill your (damn near) guaranteed disagreements, stubborn insistences, and hopefully, other recommendations. I’m a lunatic for this subgenre, and if you’ve got a recommendation to share, I’ll be more than grateful to welcome your thoughts.
Number 4 – Jeepers Creepers: Jeepers Creepers isn’t an outright killer car flick. It just so happens to prominently boast a kick-ass theme in the form of a menace of a machine (be-eating-u?) that guides one of the coolest movie monsters we’ve seen birthed in a few decades in his quest to devour human body parts. The modified ’41 Chevy COE just so happens to fully enhance the fear induced by the film as it is, in a sense, a piece of the Creeper. Just contemplating the film in general, truly examining its content, it becomes difficult to not consider this an intentionally hybrid-villain of a film. That rusted POS is damn near as frightening as the movie’s monster itself, and it earns more than enough screen time to hammer home the idea that it is no doubt just as much a danger as the Creeper is himself. Whether you’re a fan of Victor Salva or not, he deserves major credit for creating a jarring monster/car movie.
Number 3 – Joy Ride: God bless Paul Walker. That dude was a solid performer who had a sadly obvious obsession with automobiles and high speed travel. More specifically, joy rides. I mean no offense by that, whatsoever, and I make no attempt at toying with puns. As a fan I found it quite disheartening to know that he’d gone in such fashion. That, and I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Pleasantville – but if you repeat that, I’ll be forced to track you down and inflict bodily damage. The fact of the matter is this: Joy Ride was an awesome movie that actually sports replay value. The slow climb to the picture’s summit is loaded with disconcerting sequences, and our faceless killer is just the kind of nuisance that’s insane enough to really scare the shit out of viewers. That’s a special thing; it just doesn’t happen on film all that frequently. Throw in great synergy among Walker, Steve Zahn and Leelee Sobieski, and you’re left with a piece of celluloid that’s going to be remembered decades from now. I should know… I own it and throw it in the DVD player every few years; it never disappoints.
Number 2 – Death Proof: I’m likely to catch some hell for this, but that’s a-okay in my book. (You know how people say, ‘YOU’RE OKAY IN MY BOOK’ or ‘AND IN MY BOOK THAT’S NO GOOD’? Well, I actually have… a book.) In my opinion, Death Proof offers forth some of the greatest dialogue I’ve ever heard (you’ve seen me harping on this one in the past). But that’s only the beginning. The array of lust-worthy classic cars (an amazing Dodge Challenger, a ’71 Nova and my personal favorite of the lot, Mike’s ’69 Charger, to name a few) on display is more than enough to get just about any man riled up, but the roles these vehicles play in the film are what really sets the entire piece over the edge. Stuntman Mike may be a villain, but it’s that fuckin’ car that really sends chills down the spine. And the moment in which Mike’s Charger and the “borrowed” Challenger go head to head… well, that’s not only homage to past great features, it’s a contemporary, brilliant juxtaposition of man and machine. Who woulda thunk it? Metal, so paralyzing!
Number 1 – Christine: In this subgenre it doesn’t get any better. John Carpenter, the absolute perfect trio of performers and a stunning 1958 Plymouth Fury that wants nothing more than true love, and loads of homicide all come together to create cinematic magic. Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s amazing novel is one of the greatest films of the 1980s. Damn near everything is right about Christine, and it’s surprisingly faithful to King’s work. John invested extra care in this production – perhaps out of respect for King, perhaps because he was in the absolute prime of his career and could seemingly do no wrong – and it shows. The lighting, the vengeance of Christine and the downward spiral into madness that Arnie Cunningham experiences… it all feels so astoundingly organic. This could be your best friend, sucked into some strange paranormal Hell where nothing but fixation and vengeance matter. Again, technically, Christine is a superb piece of art that rapidly builds into a gut-wrenching conclusion that now (and then, I suppose) feels all but unavoidable.