Death Valley - Una vacanza nell'estremo terrore

If you'd heard nothing about 'Death Valley' and never seen the poster, you'd get about a quarter through the film still thinking it was an overly angsty kid's movie about dealing with divorce. To your surprise, you'd find that the film is one of the most gussied-up, glitzy actor'd, low-brow slasher flicks every made.

Despite an impressive cast, it's really no surprise if you haven't heard of this one – I hadn't and I'm a child of the 80's. In 1982, with slasher films reaching their apex of interest, and audiences demanding more and more outlandish scenarios, director Dick Richards (better known for westerns and noir) set out to make a serious suspense thriller told from a young boy's perspective. Fortunately (or otherwise), he succeeded only in finding a bizarre new genre-limbo somewhere between 'Kramer vs. Kramer' and 'Slumber Party Massacre'; 'Death Valley' is a bit of an awkward fit.

Billy, played by Peter Billingsley ('A Christmas Story'), is as sublime a 'natural' as ever there was in the role of the young boy in question. He lives in Manhattan with his father, a rather sophisticated businessman played by Edward Herrmann ('The Lost Boys') and is about to take a vacation out west with his mother (Catherine Hicks – 'Child's Play') and her corn-fed boyfriend (Paul Le Mat – 'American Graffiti'). There's no question that Billy is none too pleased at the prospect but he's immediately shown to be both mature and intelligent enough to cope.

Aside from Billy's misplaced distrust of his mother's new beau, the newly-formed family unit begins a trek across the deserts of Arizona with only the mildest of dysfunction in tow. Our first hint that the story will dive into dread comes when Billy notices an ominous old Cadillac passing on the highway; the scene recalls Spielberg's 'Duel' or Carpenter's 'Christine'. From here the film spirals down into a bloody-red murder mystery with Billingsley as the hunted witness and Wilford Brimley ('The Thing') as the bumbling highway cop without any hope of protecting this unsuspecting family from a mysterious killer.

There really is a punch about a third of the way into the film (around the time we see a completely obligatory topless vixen and tomato-soup-red blood pouring from the neck of a victim – whose killing has no motivation by the way) that the whole tone turns on its head. 'Death Valley' feels a bit like 2 movies with 2 different directors - who have vastly different goals - just collaged together without much care or purpose. It's no wonder that Universal didn't really know what to do with this one; it sat in a can for over a year before it was released. Purpose aside, I sat down and tried to figure out why this film doesn't work and, in doing so, I found myself with a list of all the reasons it does: big names, epic cinematography (filmed almost entirely on location), Wilford Brimley, 1980's nostalgia (see 'SIMON'), unapologetic child-in-peril scenario, and neon-orange blood splattered across half of the movie. What's not to like?

I really don't think it's as bad as the review in the Leonard Maltin paperback would indicate; it's just not particularly distinguished. It places a child front and centre and in a considerable amount of jeopardy as he runs afoul of a sadistic serial killer in Death Valley. This kid is Billy (Peter Billingsley of "A Christmas Story" fame), an NYC native devoted to his loving dad (Edward Herrmann) who visits his mom (Catherine Hicks) and her new boyfriend (Paul Le Mat) in Arizona. While visiting the site of an abandoned gold mine, he enters an RV and pilfers a necklace that he finds, not knowing that he's obtained valuable evidence that links the killer to the scene of a crime. From then it's sort of a cat and mouse game as the killer sets out to keep Billy quiet. Dick Richards ("Farewell, My Lovely", "March or Die") directs from Richard Rothstein's script, which starts out as if it's going to be told entirely from the childs' perspective as he tries to come to terms with his parents' divorce and with the new man in his moms' life. Soon enough, it edges into slasher film territory, as our killer chops up unfortunate victims. It also attempts to make a substantial character out of our villains' car, which features a vanity plate with the word "hex" on it. The actors do a creditable job; Herrmann shines in what is really a very brief part, and Hicks and Le Mat are likewise very likable. (Le Mat has one standout scene where he's trying to make a connection with Billingsley.) And speaking of Billingsley, he also creates an endearing character and doesn't fall into the trap of being too cute. Good ol' Wilford Brimley is engaging as the local sheriff. But the show is stolen by Stephen McHattie who's as intense as he's ever been, and in fact he has one amusingly off kilter scene where he's intimidating our heroes as he stalks across the roof of his house. Another scene that the viewer will vividly remember is the scene with a corpulent babysitter who does little else besides stuff her face and then pay a big price at the hands of the killer. The thundering music by Dana Kaproff does its best to manipulate us, but what is far and away the biggest asset to the film is the on location shooting. The twist ending just comes off as a little silly. Overall, this is a passable time killer but no more. Six out of 10.

A divorced mother, Sally (Catherine Hicks), her young son Billy (Peter Billingsley), and her new boyfriend Mike (Paul Le Mat) take a road trip through Arizona, stopping off at various tourist traps. While at a disused gold mine, Billy discovers an abandoned R.V., which he explores, unaware that the owners have been murdered by a serial killer who has been slashing travellers' throats for the past five years (and apparently cleaning up behind himself: he leaves the R.V. spotless). Inside the vehicle, Billy finds a frog-shaped medallion, which he pockets, unaware that it is a clue to the identity of the killer.

Directed by Dick Richards (producer of Tootsie), Death Valley is, for the most part, a forgettable horror/thriller that delivers very little in the way of suspense or genuine chills, Billy's perpetual peril failing to generate the intended tension. I found the kid thoroughly obnoxious and was longing for him to be bumped off; sadly, this doesn't happen. The early R.V. murders show some promise, Richards ticking both the gore and nudity boxes (a gashed throat and a smashing pair of breasts), and the later brutal slaying of a local sheriff (Wilford Brimley) with a pickaxe is both shocking and bloody, but the bulk of the film is extremely lacklustre, the biggest letdown being the death of Billy's gluttonous babysitter (Mary Steelsmith): she has her throat unconvincingly slashed with a joke shop knife (squeeze the handle to squirt fake blood) - I was at least hoping for her to be choked to death on that banana split!

The revelation that the antagonist has an equally psychotic twin is treated as a surprise, although it is clearly stated that murderous waiter Hal (Stephen McHattie) has a brother named Stu, so it's a given that he'll make an appearance at the end, just as Billy, Sally and Mike think that the horror is over. It's that predictable!

Yep - I like this film. I am also happy to finally see a promotional photo for this film , thank you a lot IMDb! I have a copy of this film. I find this film a one-of-a-kind. I like it cause it's early 80s. And I LOVE what happens to the eat-too-much babysitter! LOL I never see this for rental at the video store - I had actually seen it on TV.... Not that this is a marvelous film , but I have definitely sat through more boring , supposed-to-scare-me films. Not exactly gore , not exactly a slasher - Hard to pinpoint this one exactly , but I'll call this a thriller - with a touch of mystery....with a completely 80s-style view. PEACE

In DEATH VALLEY, Sally (Catherine Hicks) takes her son, Billy (Peter Billingsley) to Arizona to meet her new boyfriend, Mike (Paul Le Mat). Things get off to an awkward start, since Billy is having a hard time getting used to the idea of his parents' divorce. Of course, this is the least of their worries, due to a certain string of murders in the area, and the fact that Billy just happens to stumble upon one of the crime scenes.

Let the vacation from hell begin.

This is a solid entry from the golden age of slasher films. As such, it builds rather slowly, with more emphasis on the family troubles. This helps to make it more suspenseful when it really gets going. Plus, character development is an important ingredient, making us care more about these people.

Mr. Le Mat and Ms. Hicks have good chemistry together, and young Mr. Billingsley is one of the least annoying kids to ever appear in one of these movies. Also, Wilford Brimley is great as the Sheriff.

A mostly-forgotten gem that needs to be rediscovered...