This effective thriller was later remade as LEFT TURN (2001) by Sean Ellis
James Dearden, the Oscar-nominated writer for FATAL ATTRACTION and son of directing legend Basil Dearden, crafted this very effective and slick short thriller - his second after 1977's CONTRAPTION.
The film is drenched in atmosphere due to the splashes of saturated, vibrant colors Dearden lights upon the screen, the rainy streets which reflect these vivid and lush illuminations, and the eerie music that is unsettling without being overpowering.
The plot is short and to the point with small twists and turns to keep you interested from beginning to end... it's not a plot that is startling original - it's all based on the fear of hitch-hikers that seems to plague many horror and suspense films - but it's told with style and gusto.
However, the most interesting aspect is that this short film would later be re-made in 2001 as LEFT TURN by Sean Ellis, the Oscar-nominated writer-director of the short film CASHBACK (2004).
The similarities are startlingly - not only is the plot meticulously reconstructed in LEFT TURN scene for scene, but the atmosphere of the film itself is reconstructed - the Mario Bava-inspired lighting, the rainy atmosphere, the British locale, the yellow rain coat of the hitchhiker, and so on.
Which one is better? The remake is certainly more stylish and more horrific - simply because it went more shock and terror - but the original is more restrained and disquieting. It most likely will come down to the taste of the individual viewer.
It would be nice, however, if Sean Ellis gave at least *some* credit (he gave none) to this film for which his remake is based upon...
The film is drenched in atmosphere due to the splashes of saturated, vibrant colors Dearden lights upon the screen, the rainy streets which reflect these vivid and lush illuminations, and the eerie music that is unsettling without being overpowering.
The plot is short and to the point with small twists and turns to keep you interested from beginning to end... it's not a plot that is startling original - it's all based on the fear of hitch-hikers that seems to plague many horror and suspense films - but it's told with style and gusto.
However, the most interesting aspect is that this short film would later be re-made in 2001 as LEFT TURN by Sean Ellis, the Oscar-nominated writer-director of the short film CASHBACK (2004).
The similarities are startlingly - not only is the plot meticulously reconstructed in LEFT TURN scene for scene, but the atmosphere of the film itself is reconstructed - the Mario Bava-inspired lighting, the rainy atmosphere, the British locale, the yellow rain coat of the hitchhiker, and so on.
Which one is better? The remake is certainly more stylish and more horrific - simply because it went more shock and terror - but the original is more restrained and disquieting. It most likely will come down to the taste of the individual viewer.
It would be nice, however, if Sean Ellis gave at least *some* credit (he gave none) to this film for which his remake is based upon...
- Schwenkstar
- May 13, 2009