bayardhiler
When I checked "Black Cadillac" out at our local library, I didn't know what to expect. The film was not one I had ever heard of and by the looks of the cover, it might have been made-for-TV or direct-to-video. However, the story of a group of guys being stalked by a mysterious Cadillac on a deserted road at night sounded intriguing and so with nothing to lose, I decided what the hell, lets give it a look. And fortunately folks, I'm happy to say it turned out to be a good choice.The tale begins with a group of young guys - Scott, his brother Robby, and their friend CJ - visiting a rough and tumble road bar across the state line in Wisconsin. It isn't long, though, before trouble finds them in the form of a barroom fight partly instigated by the rumbustious CJ (Josh Hammond). So, gathering up all his friends, Scott (Shane Johnson) and his crew make a break for it into the safety of the open road on a cold winter night towards their home state of Minnesota, or so they think. Soon enough, they notice the headlights of mysterious (you guessed it) black Cadillac behind them, a 1957 El Dorado to be exact . At first, it just seems to speed up and back off behind them and eventually disappearing for a time. Putting it out of their minds, they stop to pick up stranded police officer Charlie (the one and only Randy Quaid) whose cruiser has broken down. Instead of feeling safer, they find themselves concerned, at first because Charlie's a cop and they're underage, but then because they see the headlights of the same car that was following them earlier. Needless to say, the mysterious Cadillac isn't there to just drag race and what follows is a classic game of cat and mouse. Who is driving the black menace? What does it want? Does it have something to do with what happened back at the bar and is Charlie really as innocent as he seems? The road thriller is a genre that seems to be a delicate art. How do you make the story interesting, compelling, and yet believable while taking place on the open road? It's definitely a challenge and as proof of that, the club of good road thrillers is a small one. With that said, I can most certainly say "Black Cadillac" is a worthy addition to it. One reason is the film's ability to keep you interested even when their is no danger, by having well written dialogue between the characters and excellent character development, which in turn causes us to get to know our heroes and care about their plight. Scott is the leader, driven to succeed in everything in does by his demanding father while his younger brother, Robby (Jason Dohring) largely lives in his shadow. CJ, on the other hand, with his huge scar on his face and take it as it comes attitude, seems to be content with skipping college and going to work on the giant freighters on the Great Lakes. But behind that, is it possible there might be a little jealously there? Then there's good natured off duty Officer Charlie, who's come along for the ride, seemingly by chance. Or has he? With his humor, laid back attitude, and desire to just get to a phone, we instantly like him, which also might make him dangerous.As the movie progresses, all of this will be explored to your hearts content with the danger of the black Cadillac never too far away. Then there's the level of acting. Randy Quaid is a joy to watch, as usual, but the three young men are able to hold their own in their scenes with the legend, each one doing a worthy job of bringing their character to life. And of course, what good would all this be if it weren't for a director who knows how to shoot a movie like this. John Murlowski - who based this off of an encounter he and his friends reportedly had with a mysterious car at night years ago - proves adept at making effective road chase shots while presenting us with a tight plot and an compelling story. All in all, what I thought might be a typical low budget film turned out to be something a little more. I can honestly say I didn't check the clock once with this on and chances are if you're one to appreciate good story-telling, you won't either. So watch and enjoy one of the best road thrillers in a while and while you're at it, keep one eye behind you when driving on a desolate road at night, just in case.
atinder
I find DVD for very cheap, it was so cheap, I not even going to tell you the price.I thought this would be really bad, it wasn't at all, it was decent movie. First twenty minutes of the movie was really entertaining and there few fights scenes in this movie, which I thought was really good. As the rest of the movie kind of dragged on little, there Friends are on a road trip.Who end up getting chased by some other person in the car, which make them fall out with each other.The rest of the movie is very predicable and the ending was so bad it was actually very funnyI thought acting was really good from the whole cast
Anthony Pittore III (Shattered_Wake)
Think. . . 'Dead End' (2003) + 'Joy Ride' (2001) Plot: After starting a pretty heavy fight at a Wisconsin bar, three Minnesotans (who are there to drink underage. . . for some reason) fight for their life against an unknown vengeful figure driving an amazing '57 Caddy Eldorado.Cast rundown: Randy Quaid as Sheriff Charlie is good as usual, but he's really let himself go over the years. The main cast of guys (Jason Dohring, Josh Hammond, Shane Johnson) are also pretty good, and a surprisingly well shaped group of characters. Kiersten Warren (that annoying chick that dated Slater in Saved by the Bell: The College Years) was actually not as annoying as she was on Saved by the Bell. . . but that could be due to her 15 minutes of total screen time and like four lines.Review: The plot is obviously nothing new. We've seen it tons of times. . . but that doesn't mean we can't always enjoy it. The fact that it takes place in the dead of winter on rural roads makes it even cooler. Icy car chases always add some necessary thrills. Solid acting and directing, and mostly solid writing, make it a more-than-adequate film if you're watching for the technical stuff. My only real problem with it was the predictable ending, which I called about 15 minutes in. But, overall, it's a very cool, and often exciting, little unknown horror flick.Final Verdict: 6.5/10. Definitely worth a watch.-AP3-
hereatgraceland
I purchased this DVD for $ 5.99 at our local video store thinking it would be a great filler for a rainy night. My curiosity got the better of me so I stuck the DVD into the machine. Five minutes into the movie I soon realized it was going to be good one. Even the three new actors caught my immediate attention and they kept the movie rolling very well. An interesting note about Black Cadillac is.. "It's totally believable ! " Guys can relate to our days of youth trying to get into bars underage looking for booze and ladies. And some of us can remember some of the many brawls that end-up out in the back of parking lots. Once the suspense started; it never let-up until the last 10 minutes when we finally realized who owned the Caddy and why they were stalking the boys. Once again, it brought back memories of a few old classics " DUEL " and "THE CAR." Both of which had top run actors and I seriously believe Black Cadillac was better then both. If you love old cars and you feel like watching a movie with a lot of suspense, then add Black Cadillac to your collection. You will not be disappointed !
