“The Car” movie has the scariest trailer I’ve ever seen

Movie poster from Universal Pictures.
Scroll down to watch the trailer.

“Evil has many forms, now it returns as, The Car.

A car possessed. Who knows what it wants? They all know nothing can stop… The Car.

There’s nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide. No way to stop, The Car.

What evil force drives, The Car?”

Happy Friday everyone! It’s good to be back in the swing of things after the holiday. I hope your new year is living up to the hype so far.

Before we part for the weekend, I want to share an amazing relic of our car-centric culture with you: The trailer for a 1977 movie called, The Car. I had never heard of this film until my brother sent me a link to the trailer (below). It’s an extraordinary relic of American car culture…

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Isn’t that amazing? Meant as a cheesy horror film, this thing gives me all sorts of chills — especially in today’s world of zombie-like distracted drivers and AVs.

I didn’t watch the entire film, but the Wikipedia page says one scene depicts the demonic Lincoln Continental Mark III taking out two innocent bicycle riders trying to pedal across a high bridge.

And yes, I’ve already sent it to our friends at The War On Cars Podcast.

Try not to have nightmares!

See you back here Monday morning.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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bikeninja
bikeninja
5 years ago

Whoa, I spaced out and for a minute I thought the trailer was the local evening news here in Portland. Car smashing in to house (check), Car running cyclist off road (check), Car running in to parked cap cars ( check).

Pete
Pete
5 years ago
Reply to  bikeninja

Storefronts… don’t forget the innocent storefronts minding their own businesses!
http://www.storefrontsafety.org

hotrodder
hotrodder
5 years ago

“Christine” “Death Race 2000” “Duel””The Wraith” and especially the Walt Disney short where Goofy changes from mild mannered citizen into a firebreathing maniac the instant he steps behind the wheel of his car are suggested (with no editorial comment)

Heidi
Heidi
5 years ago
Reply to  hotrodder

Don’t forget Maximum Overdrive! I still think of it often.

Ian Sterry
Ian Sterry
5 years ago

There is an episode of Futurama that rings very similar to this. Called the Honking, Bender the robot gets turned into a wercar, cursed to transform into a car upon the full moon and go on murderous rampages. Its a good one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Honking

Middle of The Road Guy
Middle of The Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  Ian Sterry

Bite my shiny metal…bumper.

Al
Al
5 years ago

It’s just one of many. The movie Christine came to mind reading this and it tops this list:
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls054473727/

Keviniano
Keviniano
5 years ago
Reply to  Al
bikeninja
bikeninja
5 years ago

One of the reasons its a relic is because in the day this was scary to most people, now it looks like one of the “truck” commercials they show during football games on TV.

Hello, Kitty
5 years ago
Reply to  bikeninja

Heaven forbid a product should accurately depict its use. When was the last time you saw an overweight model in a soda ad, for example?

Middle of The Road Guy
Middle of The Road Guy
5 years ago
Reply to  Hello, Kitty

I would love to see an accurate composite of the typical F-150 or Ram driver.

bikeninja
bikeninja
5 years ago

Back in the 70’s we thought it was shows like Star trek and Battlestar Galactica that best predicted what the future would look like. But it turns out that this movie was the nostradamus of its time.

Toby Keith
Toby Keith
5 years ago

Sorry, but this just reeks of a slow news day. : (

Toby Keith
Toby Keith
5 years ago

Sorry Jonathan, I don’t mean to discredit the other work you do! Have a good one too.

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
5 years ago

Jonathan – actually the trailer does include short portion of the car murdering the two cyclists…you can see it run up onto their rear wheels before they are flung over the bridge side int the gorge.

Sending chills down my spine…so much like the Tempe incident.

jagur
jagur
5 years ago

I LOVE THAT MOVIE! only bested by Christine and if you like trucks, check out DUEL! i own them all and will buy this on Blu-Ray asap.

9watts
5 years ago
Reply to  jagur

Tell us more.

Or, on second thought, maybe don’t tell us more.

pdx2wheeler
pdx2wheeler
5 years ago

I want that car’s horn installed on my bike!

he won a Glennie
he won a Glennie
5 years ago

Off topic: As something of a connoisseur (or at least a recognizer-and-looker-upper) of random character actors, I give you, Ronny Cox.

In this ‘The Car’ trailer (1977): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6-yVoJTCo8&t=00m47s

Big break – Deliverance (1972): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsC4kf6x_Q0

In the 80s he started to specialize in jerkish authority figures:

Beverly Hills Cop (1984): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-dwgPmevis
(the most nuanced of the bunch, maybe because this character isn’t outright evil, just a tight-ass)

Robocop (1987): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvmFhcGCRzA&t=01m00s

Total Recall (1990): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBYwCoCLj7g (Michael Ironside tangent)

Star Trek TNG (1992): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePTiYrARlsc

Pete
Pete
5 years ago

She totally reminds me of my crazy ex-girlfriend… except she knows what a turn signal is.

Pete
Pete
5 years ago
Reply to  Pete

Ugh… nesting… the Isuzi “stay inside the lines” commercial JL posted.

Joe
Joe
5 years ago

whoa kinda like downtown during rush hr. The Car

Mike
Mike
5 years ago

Scariest trailer because the movie looks so bad, or because you haven’t seen a scary movie trailer before?

OldRider
OldRider
5 years ago

Think i saw that car on 122nd yesterday

Jim Labbe
5 years ago

This reminded me of the evil SUV in episodes of the internet “TV” series “The Bicyclist” filmed in Portland over a decade ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aqxhORRGOU

http://thebicyclist.tv

CE
CE
5 years ago

I love this movie. In so many ways. I find it terrifying. Even before I was a cyclist. I saw this as a kid on NBC TV in the early 80s. I have seen it probably a dozen times since!