![]() ![]() There’s indeed a certain verve and sense of fun about the film, and a reverence to Hitchcock and Spielberg (among others) that scream Abrams (who by this point was well into his screenwriting career, but not quite up to his launch as all round auteur).įor me, films like this have to embrace the trashy elements and make something rollicking. The film is also notable for one of its screenwriters, a certain J.J. It backfires of course and then the rising stakes begin and get progressively sillier. Fuller persuades his reluctant younger brother to pose as a woman with the handle Candy Cane, and so Fuller’s prank is pulled. As the brothers travel to meet Zenner, they begin toying with their CB radio, picking up a line with a trucker known only as Rusty Nail. Lewis (Walker) hides feelings for his female friend, whilst Fuller (Zahn) is in constant need to be mischievous. Here, Paul Walker and Steve Zahn play brothers making their way across country to meet Zenna (Leelee Sobieski). The nature of the sparse settings, perpetual motion and inescapable foe provide a great B movie blueprint to follow. The road movie thriller/horror is fun when it’s pulled off successfully. ![]() Who needs logic though, in this kind of film? It would prove popular on the home market, and gain enough cult fandom to warrant a couple of sequels (albeit coming some time after the first). To critics it was largely taken in good spirits as a pleasing slice of B movie hokum, elevated by its cast, direction and a fun, if often illogical, script. Whilst it wouldn’t make the same waves as Walker’s car film, it would still prove popular. Being kind of pigeonholed in the thriller genre, with pinches of horror, it was certainly lower budget, requiring less of a box office impact to prove profitable. Later in the year saw the release of Joy Ride (or Road Kill in the UK). ![]() The Fast and Furious would become a huge hit, spawning a franchise that still goes today. In 2001, Paul Walker had suddenly found himself launched as something of an in demand lead in genre cinema. Memorable examples include The Hitcher or Breakdown. It’s a starting point that has worked many times since, as these cross country journeys turn into a nightmare. It worked in Duel when Steven Spielberg announced himself as a film-maker who might just be something special. A cat and mouse chase as unsuspecting folk wending their merry way across the long American highways, get targeted by a mysterious stalker. Tom Jolliffe takes a look back at 2001’s Joy Ride… ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |