Cheap The Hitcher (DVD) (C. Thomas Howell, Rutger Hauer) (Robert Harmon) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Hitcher

Essential Horror Movie
One of the greatest and most misunderstood horror movies ever, The Hitcher represents a high point in the careers of the majority of the cast and crew--Robert Harmon never directed this well again, Eric Red never wrote a better screenplay, the score by Mark Isham is superb. Most people seem to think that the killer, played by Rutger Hauer, has no motive, even the people who LIKE the movie. Those who don't like the movie frequently harp on it's lack of realism. To really appreciate The Hitcher, you have to realize that it's a coming of age FABLE disguised as a psycho killer movie. You heard me right--a COMING OF AGE FABLE. When Rutger Hauer gets shoved out of the car at the beginning of the story, he recognizes potential in C. Thomas Howell (note the loving and amused glint in Rutger's eye) and becomes his self-appointed mentor, spending the rest of the movie educating him, passing the psycho torch as it were. This idea is consistently and brilliantly developed, climaxing (pun fully intended) in Rutger Hauer's sacrifice at the end of the movie, followed by C. Thomas Howell's obligatory "post-coital" cigarette. Frankly, it amazes me that so many so-called critics, who are paid good money to deliver a cogent and intelligent analysis, could have so completely missed the point of this movie.

---

Listen to your mother.....
If you have ever been tempted to pick up a stranger, this movie should cure you for good. Forgive me for probably repeating some things. This movie stars C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy in The Outsiders), Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), & Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times At Ridgemont High). This was the extent of my knowledge when I first saw this movie at the age of 15 with my best friend (our theater more or less did not believe in carding). This movie looked cool but we had no major expectations.

WOW! This was one of those movies where you had no idea how much time had passed when it was over. Howell is convincing enough as your basic 80's midwestern dirty white boy. I could relate. He was the main draw at the time for moviegoers. But Hauer is positively bone-chilling in his role as an aimless drifter who has decided, after Howell initially gets the better of him, to focus all of his deranged energy & attention squarely upon the shoulders of Howell's character by alternately terrorizing him & oddly assisting him - while offering no explanation for either (well, near the end we learn a little). Leigh plays the innocent bystander who becomes caught in the middle. Anyone looking for or suspecting the standard romance angle will not find it in this movie; the only developing relationship that develops here is between the kid & the hitcher. Normally, at this time in my life, I went to rated R movies looking for some T&A (didn't we all...), but this is a movie where there is none - and is not missed one bit. The only other rated R flick from this period for which I would say the same was Runaway Train. What I am saying is that the plot is engrossing (as long as you believe most anything could happen out in the lonely Texas badlands - esp. when you don't order from the menu!). The ending is not altogether brilliant but for sure is not any sugarcoated giftwrap Hollywood triumph of good over evil or anything like that. The movie will make you wonder: what good could anyone have made of such a situation? I kind of like that.

To touch on some other aspects: the soundtrack done by Mark Isham is awesome for this movie. It is very unnerving and tense. And it is perfect in a lonely, desolate, Texas high plains sort of way. Movie stunt buffs take note: this movie features the very first filmed scene of two motor vehicles executing a simultaneous barrel roll onscreen. No multiple angles or tricks. One straight-on camera shot of the two vehicles tumbling just inches apart, side by side, toward you at full speed. That is pretty cool. The overall cinematography is excellent as well, taking full advantage of the wide open spaces & dark, dusty corners. I would probably agree with many that the visual quality of the film (I am thinking more for DVDers) is not the best. Also there are no artificial special effects or tricks that I am aware of, which is fine in this case.

Basically, a weird offbeat script with a small but well chosen cast & crew which resulted in this singularly terrifying gem. Even the dogs did their parts well. You will be disturbed!

---

Where should I begin?!
Ok, one of my favourite movies ever, this is. I know it seems strange now, it isn't an epic with outstanding performances and great set pieces and all that, it's just a plain old, fun 80s horror road movie, but I just love it all the same.

Rutger Hauer is imensely scary as a (not so freaky killer like Jason or Michael, nor a gruesome killer) but a sharp, haunting character with an icy personality. C Thomas Howell is very good as a young teenager. He starts off in the film to be a bit geeky, but once he meets Hauer he starts to get a little freaky himself. They are basically the two main characters in this.

The film -- as you probably know -- is about C Thomas Howell delivering a drive-away car (let me just say I don't like the review from Digibiong! because he says there is a mistake on the license plate of the car, but it's a drive-away car so it doesn't matter) and he has to deliver it to San Dieago, on the way he picks up a stranger on the road, he seems like a nice guy, but he turns out to be quite psychotic. Howell is able to push the stranger out of the car and carry on down the road, but the hitcher isn't done yet, he starts to play a deadly game with Howell, like getting the police onto him, framing him, killing people in front of his eyes and all stuff like that. The film doesn't drag at the start, it starts off straight away with Howell picking the stranger up and it gets darker and darker every time.

The gore in this film isn't that bad, we do HEAR a woman get pulled apart, but we don't SEE it. We never really do see a lot of deaths happen in the film, but I think that's what makes the film scary. It can be very atmospheric at times, but a lot of the scary parts happen in the day-time. When we come to the conclusion it gets a little dissapointing since it doesn't go on for long and I was expecting a great confrontation.

So, that's "the hitcher", one of my favourite movies. Road movies are my favourite genre of movies and here are a couple more good ones:

Breakdown
Convoy
Duel
Hitcher 2: I've been waiting