Blu-ray Review: Rutger Hauer Is On The Road To Hell In THE HITCHER
A staple of video shops when it hit VHS in the 1980s (the artwork is forever seared into my brain), The Hitcher didn’t exactly set the box office alight on its cinematic release – but its reputation grew over time and it eventually became a cult classic.
The Robert Harmon directed thriller sees Jim (C. Thomas Howell), a young motorist on a cross country car trip, get more than he bargained for when he picks up Rutger Hauer’s deadly hitch-hiker. Terrorised across the West Texas plains, The Hitcher leaves a trail of death and destruction as he pursues Jim in his twisted game of cat and mouse.
The kind of well-made B-movie that you just don’t get any more, The Hitcher is a tightly constructed thriller that not only features good performances – but also looks great (thanks to Mad Max: Fury Road cinematographer John Seale).
Hauer was always a unique screen presence – an actor who could get across an icy cool as well as a level of intelligence and sophistication. He’s at the peak of his power here, delivering a chilly turn as the titular character – a true demon in human form. C. Thomas Howell plays well opposite him as the wide-eyed youth and he shows real character progression as he goes from innocent to battle-worn survivor. Jennifer Jason Leigh also does good work as the young diner worker who befriends Jim, helping him escape not only The Hitcher – but also the cops who think he is responsible for the mystery man’s killings.
it might have been over-looked on its cinematic release, but The Hitcher holds up incredibly well 40 years on. There’s a simplicity to it, but also a level of skill and precision that you rarely find in films this kind.
Special Features
Second Sight has remastered The Hitcher for this new release – and it looks glorious. As always – they’ve loaded this release with a king’s ransom of special features.
You get a trio of commentaries – one from director Robert Harmon and writer Eric Red, another from film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and a third is scene-specific with input from (deep breath, now) Robert Harmon, Eric Red, Executive Producer Edward S Feldman, Composer Mark Isham, Director of Photography John Seale and Actors Rutger Hauer and C Thomas Howell.
There’s a tonne of interviews – Harmon, Red , C. Thomas Howell, John Seale , composer Mark Isham, an episode of The Projection Booth Podcast featuring Robert Harmon and Rutger Hauer and short films with Robert Harmon and Eric Red.
Essentially, this Second Sight release of The Hitcher has a good weekend’s worth of viewing for you.
