The Hitcher

Hitcher (2007) [Blu-ray]
$26.95
Warning: This Blu-Ray version of The Hitcher is presented not in English using PAL, not NTSC in the US. There is no Blu-Ray version for the US version.

The Hitcher [Blu-ray]
$33.98

Duel (Collector's Edition)
$14.98
It's interesting to think how "Duel" is the film that broke Steven Spielberg through and helped make him the household name he is today. "Duel" is a highly entertaining and suspenseful movie, and one thing that makes this movie so great is how minimalistic the whole thing is! Think about it; how many movies can you name where the whole film is basically one giant chase scene? Any movie that can pull such a feat off and be interesting all the way through is a surefire winner in my book, and "Duel", being such a movie, earns a spot amongst other classic horror/suspense movie that I've seen.

With so little to work with, it makes it that much easier to add detail to everything. Details that were worked to perfect include that of the truck: If you look, it has a railroad track with a bunch of license plates on it...hhmm, a giant truck with the license plates of other cars on its front. Yep, we have a serial killer on the loose! Speaking of which, I also find it curiously interesting that they never show the face of the truck driver, which highlights that the scariest thing about evil is the unknown factor behind it.

Overall, "Duel" is a feat that probably couldn't be pulled off by just any writer and still be as good as it is. "Duel" is a movie that will have you on the edge of your seat almost from the start, and all the way through to its heart-pumping, and satisfying, conclusion! Thanks for the time, and peace.

The Hitcher
$5.98
I saw this movie years ago, about the time it was released, while I was still in high school, and it has stuck with me these years later.
My only real complaints are that the picture quality is only a little better than VHS, and the case actually has a glaring spoiler printed clearly right on the back!
What is wrong with these idiot DVD publishers that they would do THAT?!
My advice, for anyone thinking about buying this or watching it for the first time, is do NOT read the case back, unless you like to know how your movies are going to end before you even watch them.
Sheesh!

Also, Amazon was consistent by getting it to me within a week, and that was via the slower Parcel Post.
Okay, with that said, this really is a terrific scary movie (hard to call it either horror or thriller), and you will probably be sitting in stunned silence after you see it for the first time.
Yes, Roger Ebert panned this when it first came out in 1986, but I have to disagree with his sentiments.
This is hardly in the league of those idiotic and sadistic "Saw" movies, which do little more than give the viewers prurient pleasure by watching what at least looks to me like celebrating the violence depicted therein.
This movie does not provide any real answers, for those of you out there searching for a meaning all nicely wrapped up with a bow at the end.
Also, while the movie has an "R" rating, the violence occurs largely off screen, which to me makes it far scarier than the graphic "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" type of footage.

The supporting actors, C. Thomas Howell (Jim Halsey), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Nash), and Jeffrey DeMunn (Captain Estridge), all turn in decent performances, especially DeMunn, but make no mistake, Rutger Hauer (John Ryder, the Hitcher) dominates the screen.
Each twitch of his face will make you jump, and his sardonic stare will make your blood run cold.
He really gives a glimpse at what it would be like to see a psychopath in real life, yet he does it with an almost gentle quality, which makes it all the more disturbing.
Think about how disturbingly calm, polite, and coldly intelligent Anthony Hopkins was as Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," and you will get a pretty close idea.

It was also interesting to watch Howell as Jim Halsey, steadily change from a terrified boy unable to even run, into someone who is willing to do what it takes to survive.
Jennifer Jason Leigh does a good performance as a Texan local girl who helps Halsey, and I really am glad that (for once!) there was no romance as such for the story, even though any man would have been more than a little interested in her because of her looks.
I have seen Jeffrey DeMunn in several other movies, and he really is convincing as Captain Estridge, going from sympathetic to tough, as any experienced cop should be.

One word of advice to those of you with kids.
As I said, the violence, including the climactic scene near the end, is largely off screen.
However, if you have very young kids who get nightmares easily, you might be better served by waiting until they are a bit older and more mature.
With all that said, very good movie, despite what the critics may have said.
Check it out.