After a bus breaks down, the occupants end up being caught in a blood war between two serial killers -- Walker, who hitchhikes and kills his victims, and Wheeler (Michael Moriarty), who drives a truck and picks up his victims. The stakes get higher when when one of the passengers turns out to be Fairuza Balk, a tough-as-nails divorcée with a switchblade.
Maybe I just didn't get it, but when I first saw this film, I thought it was really stupid. Two goofball serial killers, admiring each other's work. But no real plot, just one against another. The film doesn't move from A to B, it just sits in one place like a painting. And this has to be a Picasso, because halfway through I still had no idea what I was looking at.
Now, there are some nice touches. The gore is decent, especially one woman who is skinned and cut piece by piece apart. One of the more grisly scenes in a horror movie as far as it being realistic. I mean, what I saw could have actually happened and probably has. And Fairuza Balk is a great casting choice for a darker film. I mean, "The Craft"? "Return to Oz"? She's got the skills. I am not a big fan or anything, but she has a natural goth appeal (although Christina Ricci would be better if you ignore "Cursed".)
But the film has a streak of stupid, beginning to end. The first twenty minutes are wasted with a story that goes nowhere. The end is silly (but fitting for such a silly story). And it's Larry Cohen, so I expected some lack of seriousness... but come on. I really enjoyed Michael Moriarty in Cohen's "Q" and the "It's Alive" movie, but how did the two of them come together to make this? It confounds me!
When my friend Jason and I went to pick it up, we were wondering why it had to be a two-pack with Joe Dante's "Homecoming" when pretty much all the episodes got their own special DVD. Perhaps because this film could never make its money back on DVD sales? Although I did later find and purchase it on its own disc, which I found to be a great deal (for $2.99).
And, in all fairness, the second viewing was better received. I watched it with director's commentary on, and Cohen was able to point out lots of style shots I had missed, and changes he made from the original script. With this in mind, I think the directing was great. The story still has some weaknesses, but the way it was presented deserves some respect. If you saw this and didn't much care for it, I urge you to give it a second chance and pay attention to the camera angles and imagery.
Maybe I just didn't get it, but when I first saw this film, I thought it was really stupid. Two goofball serial killers, admiring each other's work. But no real plot, just one against another. The film doesn't move from A to B, it just sits in one place like a painting. And this has to be a Picasso, because halfway through I still had no idea what I was looking at.
Now, there are some nice touches. The gore is decent, especially one woman who is skinned and cut piece by piece apart. One of the more grisly scenes in a horror movie as far as it being realistic. I mean, what I saw could have actually happened and probably has. And Fairuza Balk is a great casting choice for a darker film. I mean, "The Craft"? "Return to Oz"? She's got the skills. I am not a big fan or anything, but she has a natural goth appeal (although Christina Ricci would be better if you ignore "Cursed".)
But the film has a streak of stupid, beginning to end. The first twenty minutes are wasted with a story that goes nowhere. The end is silly (but fitting for such a silly story). And it's Larry Cohen, so I expected some lack of seriousness... but come on. I really enjoyed Michael Moriarty in Cohen's "Q" and the "It's Alive" movie, but how did the two of them come together to make this? It confounds me!
When my friend Jason and I went to pick it up, we were wondering why it had to be a two-pack with Joe Dante's "Homecoming" when pretty much all the episodes got their own special DVD. Perhaps because this film could never make its money back on DVD sales? Although I did later find and purchase it on its own disc, which I found to be a great deal (for $2.99).
And, in all fairness, the second viewing was better received. I watched it with director's commentary on, and Cohen was able to point out lots of style shots I had missed, and changes he made from the original script. With this in mind, I think the directing was great. The story still has some weaknesses, but the way it was presented deserves some respect. If you saw this and didn't much care for it, I urge you to give it a second chance and pay attention to the camera angles and imagery.