Cadillac Preto

It's solid, well put together, decently acted and hits all its necessary marks. Yet it's lacking that something that makes it memorable, its an enjoyable watch but it won't last long in the memory. It could have probably done with a bit more suspense and menace and the lead characters could have been more likeable.

In a rural area of the upper Midwest three youthful dudes leave a rowdy bar on a cold, snowy night. Soon, they notice a car following them. It turns out to be a big, black Cadillac that just will not leave them alone.

Huge amounts of dialogue, annoyingly shallow characters, and manipulative music characterize this low-budget horror flick from writer/director John Murlowski. Aside from the characters, another and even more serious problem with the film is the plot. Whoever is driving that Cadillac could take action against the kids at any time. Instead, the driver teases, torments, provokes, harasses the three kids, and in general prolongs the ordeal. Why? Because without the teasing and the harassment, you don't have a full-length feature film. The film's plot is thus ... contrived.

Further, this is another one of those films wherein automobiles undergo horrendous physical torture, like in one scene of this film where the car careens off a high embankment. But then the car still runs. Wish I could find a car that durable.

The film's cinematography is acceptable, if not exceptional. The visuals are dark. Some of the scenes involve rear screen projection, and a "camera shaker" for effect.

To its credit, the film does have a Twilight Zone feel to it. The story takes place entirely at night, and with a general absence of other people, once we leave the bar sequence. Hence, the darkness and the sense of aloneness out on the open road does indeed foster some tension and suspense. But the story's resolution is ultimately disappointing.

"Black Cadillac" probably will appeal to younger audiences who may see in it some element of horror. But aside from the suspense derived from the dark and eerie atmosphere, I found the story to be hokey, the characters irritating, and the dialogue too talky, for the film to be satisfying.

Enjoyed this movie .It is one of those movie's that flies below the radar and pops up now and again. Well worth a watch.

After getting in a violent bar fight, three friends take off across a huge expanse of wilderness, only to be terrorized by a hulking black Cadillac. A friend of mine rented this and insisted I watch it with them. I was expecting a supernatural "Christine"-style thriller and with a title like "Black Cadillac", a goofy one at that. As it turns out, this film has no supernatural elements, nor was it very goofy. The film succeeding is being entertaining, well done, and at times even vaguely creepy.

The entire cast does a fine job here, especially Randy "Where the hell did my career go?" Quaid playing the police officer, who succeeds in making his character both funny and creepy at the same time.

The screenplay offer more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, most of which were genuinely surprising. The tension between the characters was also very effective. The characters are mostly well-developed, there were even one or two I actually (gasp!) cared for. Director John Murlowski has done a fine job handling the suspense, and the chase scenes were often exciting.

If you're a fan of the "road terror" sub-genre, you'll probably like this movie. It kept me engaged and entertained for 90+ minutes, and that's pretty much all I asked for. Give it a try.

6/10.

There are some things that naturally are cinematic. Among these are car chases, smoke and snow. Similarly on the story side, people cast together in a small space with an outside threat and unrevealed past relationships.

It terms of flow, the most reliable device is a character who is not what he seems.

On these safe poles is strung the structure of this movie. Overall, it isn't any worse than other fare that doesn't matter. Some of the photography — especially of the menacing Caddy — is good.

But someone smart enough to use these devices should also have know the dangers. They are so familiar that in order to be effective they have to be exaggerated beyond themselves.

To have exaggerated chases these days requires CGI and some recourse to the supernatural. To have the historical revelation matter it has to be extreme, completely strange. When the twist comes and you learn which things are not as you suspected, these days that has to be at least two major twists. Big ones that involve the skin of the thing.

You'll find the same pattern in romance where too much thrill eats the center and two little prevents it from slaking onto the blade.

Maybe its impossible to be delicate and surgically sharp these days, which is why genre films are already bankrupt, reduced to selfparody.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.