From “Duel”
What is your favorite horror movie vehicle? Is it the demonic ’58 Plymouth Fury named Christine in the movie adapted from the Stephen King novel, or the Peterbuilt truck that chases Dennis Weaver’s Plymouth Valiant down the highway in Steven Spielberg’s “Duel”?
Some of the coolest scary cars come from the B movie files. What’s not to love about “Blood Car,” whose owner finds a way to make his wheels run on human blood to avoid paying for gasoline? When prices at the pump approach five bucks per gallon, haven’t we all had the same evil thoughts?
And who can resist Peter Weir’s classic, “The Cars That Ate Paris?” Why blame drivers for causing car accidents when we all know it’s the malicious intentions of the town itself?
Lobby stills from “The Cars That Ate Paris,” also known as “The Cars That Ate People.”
If you’ve ever had the urge to get behind the wheel of a Komatsu Superdozer and mow down a few tract houses, then “Killdozer” is the movie for you. Prefer something smaller? Check out “Death Car on the Freeway,” in which a psychotic killer uses a van to run women off the freeway and kill them. Warning: You might never look at Bluegrass music the same way again.
Personally, I’ve always had a thing for “The Hearse,” simply because cars built to carry coffins are creepy, no matter who’s driving them.
Detail from movie poster for “The Hearse.”
Add “Maximum Overdrive” to the list as well. The movie directed by Stephen King and based on his short story, “Trucks,” is about a world full of machines gone mad after the earth passes through the tail of a comet, making inanimate objects come to life. Although the movie stars Emilio Estevez, its most unforgettable character is a black semi with a Green Goblin mask on its grille that runs down two pedestrians and traps a bunch more in a truck stop diner. The film won King a Golden Raspberry award for worst director.
Grille gore from movie poster for “Maximum Overdrive.”
If you like movies in which bullies pay the ultimate price, watch “The Wraith,” starring Charlie Sheen (Estevez’s real-life brother) as an Arizona teen who returns from the dead as a drag racing wraith to get revenge on the gang of car thieves that murdered him. If you’re a Mopar fan, the dragster might look familiar: based on the Dodge MS4 turbo concept.
Finally, no scary car movie list would be complete without “The Car,” a 1977 flick about a mysterious black car that goes on a killing streak in Utah. Customizer George Barris created the horror car using a 1971 Lincoln as the running chassis. Barris used 20-gauge steel to shape fenders over the original body and created the grille from steel tubing. The car had a full roll cage under its chopped top to protect the stunt driver. No demonic custom ride would be complete without blacked out windows, this one included.
So if you decide to be a couch potato rather than a party animal this Halloween, check out some of our favorite car movies. We guarantee you’ll have the ride of your life.
