The weather has kept me from the movie theatres the past couple of weeks, so I've been digging through my library of 3,000 plus films and re-visiting them! One of them was the 1986 cult classic, Robert Harmon's "The Hitcher"! The film premiered in January of 1986 (major release came in February) and was a box office disappointment to say the least. The film's incredible cinematography, music score and the unforgettable performance from the legendary and iconic, Rutger Hauer are what help give this film it's timeless appeal!

The creepiness of Hitchhiker's is definitely not something new. "The Vanishing Hitchhiker" is an old folk tale, urban legend that may have roots in the medieval Europe or Roman times often appearing in tales of saints, and adapting from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles as transportation changed, becoming a widespread modern urban legend about ghostly figures who vanish after getting a ride, often revealing they died long ago.  The tales would often serves as a caution against picking up strangers and driving at night, sometimes reflecting on purity or "bad" behavior. There's countless stories out there for sure and this cult classic film combines many of the American Hitchhiker urban legend tales and most definitely inspired by film noir classics: notably 1945's "Detour" & "The Hitch-Hiker" from 1953. Interestingly enough, Eric Red, the screenwriter was inspired to write the screenplay after driving cross country and hearing The Doors classic, "Riders On The Storm". The lyrics, " there's a killer on the road" in particular struck him.

If you want to hear my in-depth analysis of the film, click on the link below!