The Hitcher | | Cast : | C. Thomas Howell, Rutger Hauer | | Director : | Robert Harmon | | Studio : | Hbo Studios | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | February 21, 1986 | | DVD Released Date : | April 05, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 20, 2005 | | Summary | This is not a horror movie !!!! | Content
 | How this movie gets 4 and 5 stars, I have no clue. This is an action thriller by no means a horror. I bought this flick becuase some guy gave me a heads up on how great it was considering he was looking at movies like Creepshow 1&2 and a couple of other classic horrors I took his word.
Let me begin with saying I thought this kid would be getting harrased by this guy through out the movie in some what of a sense he does and what happens is for some reason this killer or hitcher is following him around setting him up/framing him.And this kid is accused of all these murders till the end when suddenly out of knowwhere he is presumed innocent . And needed to help convince the killer not to kill a new friend ( Jennifer Jason Leigh ). Thats an idea of what the movie is about I thought it was different from reqding the back cover.
The first 20 minutes of the film is good and wierd pretty creepy and goes down hill from there. The acting is very good just the plot actually kind of sucks. This movie is nothing more than a rental IMO so rent first b4 you buy ,wish I did.
Some of the things going on are stupid like a a family of a mother , father and 2 little kids picking up a hitcher, who the hell in there right minds would do that with kids in the car. The second thing, this guy shoots down a hellicopter with a regular 6 shooter which is also quit stupid. the third thing the hitcher kills a bunch of guys well 4 cops in a station where the kid is locked up and he wakes up to an open jail cell not heraing a thing. Your saying 4 cops cant stop one guy. This guy in the movie is almost unkillable like a Michaeel Myers. the endingdoesnt make sense either.
the only couple good things about the movie is the hitcher plays his role excellent alog with all the other acting and the other good thing is the car chases/action sequences are very good and well done and enjoyed them . Otherwords this movie does not offer mjuch leaves alot of things unexplained and tries to make up for it with some good chase scenes.
This movie is not horrible its good it just doesnt all fall together the way it should. Rent first b4 you buy so you are not misunderstanding off all these reviews plus the review given on the back of the DVD. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 06, 2005 | | Summary | THRILLING! | Content
| I bought this movie years ago. It is one of the best thrillers, period. Not just from the 80s. You may have noticed a lot of the 'scary movies' today suck. This one does not fit into that category. Frightening in parts. I will never forget the Finger!! That's all I will say, though. I DO NOT want to spoil the movie, though I don't think I could. It's so creepy you will be absorbed by the film and won't be thinking of any "spoilers' you may have read. ENJOY! |
| Rating | | | Date | May 16, 2005 | | Summary | SUSPENSEFULL, DELIGHTFUL, and downright CRAZY! | Content
| Pretty boy actor C. Thomas Howell stars in this dark, violent suspense film about the strange psychological bond between a traveling serial killer and one of his intended victims. Driving cross-country from Chicago to San Diego, Jim (Howell) narrowly avoids an accident when he falls asleep at the wheel.
He picks up a hitchhiker to help stay awake, but within five minutes, the erratic John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) has threatened not only Jim's life, but also his manhood, brandishing a switchblade to the boy's crotch and ordering him to keep driving. Jim manages to escape, but soon Ryder begins a game of cat-and-mouse across the Texas highways, taunting the lad from the windows of passing cars, then leaving the corpses of his victims in their vehicles by the side of the road for Jim to discover.
A sympathetic face arrives in the form of Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the waitress at an otherwise deserted truck stop in this bleak, abandoned landscape, but the local police soon arrive, intent on hanging Jim out to dry for the string of grisly murders. The stakes continue to mount in Ryder's little game until Jim finds himself embroiled in a statewide manhunt with Nash at his side. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 13, 2005 | | Summary | Extremely creepy | Content
| THis movie is one of the best thrillers i have ever seen. Rutger Hauer gives a phenominal performance. One of the best in the history o psychos. THis movie is full of classic scenes such as the scene in the truck near the end. Overall one of the scariest movies i have ever seen without gore. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 24, 2005 | | Summary | Road Kill | Content
| The first time I watched The Hitcher, it reminded me of The Twilight Zone, that is if creator Rod Serling didn't have to worry about the network censors. It's a thriller with plenty of uneasy moments, that takes the viewer on a frightful trip, boasting one of the best villians the cinema has ever seen.
When Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) stops to pick up a hitcher (Rutger Hauer) one rainy night as he travels down a dark stretch of highway, he soon wishes he never did the seemingly good deed in the first place. The man called Ryder, puts a knife to Jim's throat, telling him to pull past a stranded car on the side of the road. Its occupants have already been brutally slaughtered by the ominous stranger. Now a twisted game of cat-and-mouse is about to be played out, and every car that passes, and every poor person who rides that road, is going to take part whether they want to or not. Not even the local Sherrif (Jeffrey DeMumm) believes Jim is telling the truth about what has happened. The only ally Jim has is Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh) but even her help may not be enough.
Director Robert Harmon does a fine job creating tension from the first frame to the last. Howell does his best work, as he is no doubt elevated by Hauer, who is just unrelenting as Ryder. He just oozes creppy playing a sadistic man showing no remorse. Eric Red's screenplay is filled with memorable moments, brought to life by Harmon and his cast.
Heaping all this praise on this film cannot excuse its poor presentation on DVD. The film deserves better than just static cast and crew bios as its only extra. Special edition anyone? The Hitcher's status as a cult classic is assured nonetheless. Make sure you are watching the original and not its dopey sequel. |
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