Race With the Devil
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Movie Reviews of Race With the Devil
Movie Review: "Race with the Devil" Lives Up with the Name
Summary: 4 Stars
The story of "Race with the Devil" is simple. Two business partners running a motorcycle factory in San Antonio, Roger (Peter Fonda) and Frank (Warren Oates), go on a vacation with their wives Kelly (Lara Parker) and Alice (Loretta Swit). Their trip to a Colorado skiing resort should be a nice one with their brand new RV. On the way, however, they witness a cult ritual murder, which turn their holidays into nightmares.
The most impressive thing about the Jack Starrett thriller is its great car actions that live up with the name of "Race with the Devil." There are lots of amazing stunts and they did them without using digital effects. You watch vehicles overturn and tumble off the road, and they are actually driving them. It's 1970s, time of "Bullitt," "French Connection, " and "Gone in 60 Seconds" (no, not the remake).
Like Steven Spielberg-directed "Duel" made four years before, paranoia also plays an important role in the story. You are not quite sure what should be trusted, or what should not. The concept is not particularly original now, but in "Race with the Devil" it is still effective.
"Race with the Devil" is a kind of film you stumble upon TV, and without knowing much about the cast or the director you keep watching it because of the strength of the story. It is a well-made low-budget occult thriller, of which scenes (especially the ending) will be imprinted in your mind long after you have seen it. Well, this is what happened to me when I was a kid more than thirty years ago. I have seen the film again, and I'm surprised to find the film has not lost its power. Enjoy the ride.
Movie Review: Hell on wheels!
Summary: 4 Stars
"When you Race With the Devil, you better be faster than Hell!" screams the trailer for one of the all-time great irresistible chase movie premises: vacationers Warren Oates and Peter Fonda inadvertently witness a ritual killing and find themselves and their wives pursued in their RV by a bunch of unrelenting Satanists. And these aren't any old Satanists - these are Texan Satanists, and darn well connected ones too. Pretty soon it's looking like the whole of the Lone Star State is part of a Satanic conspiracy, and thankfully it's one that involves lots of car crashes. While it doesn't make quite as much of the idea as it perhaps could and the great ending completely defies logic, it's still as much fun as it sounds. It's not a great movie by any means, but as Peter Fonda says on the DVD it was never meant to be: it was just about having a good time with it (though I'm guessing that original director Lee Frost didn't have such a great time since he got replaced by Jack Starrett). Unfortunately, but perhaps predictably, there is a remake in the works.
Anchor Bay's DVD is a good package, featuring a good 1.85:1 widescreen transfer with decent extras - a 17-minute featurette including an interview with Peter Fonda, audio commentary by producer Paul Maslansky and actress Lara Parker, stills and poster gallery, 3 radio spots, original theatrical trailer and trailers for The Entity, Quicksilver Highway and Ghost in the Machine.
Movie Review: They Witnessed A Satanic Act- It May Cost Them Their Lives!
Summary: 4 Stars
As low budget horror movies go, "Race With The Devil" has aged well. The plot is simple--two couples en route to Aspen for a long overdue skiing vacation, end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and witness a human sacrifice. The rest of the film deals with their attempts to escape their pursuers, who happen to be modern day witches! Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker are the couples in question, and R.G. Armstrong is the local sheriff they enlist to help them. All the performances are fine, especially the vastly underrated Oates, who is only now receiving the acclaim long due him, (he has since passed away) and his acting is as compelling as ever. The just-released DVD includes a commentary from producer Paul Maslansky and Lara Parker, a retrospective documentary with Peter Fonda, trailer, still and poster galleries and radio spots. Enhanced for widescreen TVs the film looks great, and is a great one to watch late at night (if not alone) when you feel the need for a few genuine scares. [phillindholm]Movie Review: RACE WITH THIS DEVIL
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember watching this on a Sat afternoon.Channel 9 always played this one.This movie freaked me out{i was only 10} when I first saw it.Frank and Roger{Warren Oates,Peter Fonda} take their wives{Laura Parker,Loretta Swift}on a vacation to Colorado.During a rest the two men witness a Satanic Ritual across the water.They are spotted and the chase is on!The thing that made this movie was as a viewer pointed out was that these people are normal looking.This added much to the creepiness.I always loved the pool scene.Its funny how Laura Parker always gets the stares and not Loretta Swift.The director Jack Starrett has a small role as a gas station attendant. Its filled with car chases which was popular back then and not so much today.I have to keep in mind too that this was 1975 and low budget.Its still is a great movie!Movie Review: A little gem, but the ending was atrocious... (spoilers below)
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie had me scared when I watched it back in the seventies or even in reprisals in the eighties...
The chemistry between Oates and Fonda was something great, above average for this kind of movie. The actions scene were well staged, the sense of claustrophobic doom is all over the film. We can always talk about plot holes, and there are a few of them in the movie, but they did not compromise the overall joy of watching it.
The only thing was wrong was the ending. Ok, it added to the notion of sheer terror, but I think they cheated the audience just for the sake of a twisting end. Why? We were led to care about the four main characters, all of them likeable people (and with good job done by the actors), only for them to die without even a glimpse of hope to escape... That was not fair.