Black Cadillac (film)
Encyclopedia
Black Cadillac is a 2003 American
thriller/horror
film
, directed by John Murlowski and written by Murlowski and Will Aldis. The film stars Shane Johnson, Josh Hammond
, Jason Dohring
, and Randy Quaid
.
Within a few minutes, a large, menacing black car begins stalking them, repeatedly creeping up close and backing off again. Several minutes later, they pick up Deputy Sheriff Charlie Harman, whose '86 Chevrolet police cruiser has frozen to death at the side of the road. After picking up the friendly and talkative Charlie, the 1957 Cadillac sedan de ville, begins to get more and more aggressive, and for unknown reasons challenges Scott's SAAB to a drag race in which it tries repeatedly to wreck the SAAB.
Suspicion over why the car is after them and who its occupants are after begins to rise within the SAAB, and Scott decides to kick Charlie out of the car and leave him, believing he is the reason they are being chased. The Cadillac then reappears, and Charlie is apparently killed by a gunman in the Cadillac. After a long while is spent by the three attempting to escape and outwit the Cadillac, the SAAB overheats and stops, and a fight breaks out between the three young men. CJ intervenes and stops the fight, and the three push the SAAB down the road to a repair garage. CJ is soon kidnapped by the Cadillac's occupants while outside, and a chase between both cars across the nearby frozen lake ensues, in which Scott's car is finally destroyed by its overheating problems.
CJ is then found tied to a tree, and the reason for the entire set of events is revealed. Charlie, who is in truth a cruel and vindictive man whose death was faked by his brother, Luther, the Cadillac's driver, has been attempting to identify the man his wife had been seeing at a roadhouse, and learned that it was Scott. As he prepares to kill Scott with a hunting knife, his wife Jeanine taunts and distracts him, allowing Scott, Robbie and CJ to break free and run. An insanely enraged Charlie, now personally driving the Cadillac, chases after them. When he corners Scott at the edge of a cliff, he waits a moment, then charges. His wife appears at the last moment in front of Scott, causing Charlie to veer away, sending the black Cadillac crashing down the cliff and into the lake. The destroyed, burning car sinks into the lake while Scott, CJ, Robbie, and Jeanine look on. The next morning, the group finally makes it across the state line into Minnesota.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
thriller/horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, directed by John Murlowski and written by Murlowski and Will Aldis. The film stars Shane Johnson, Josh Hammond
Josh Hammond
-Filmography:* The Tripper * Over Your Head TV series* Scrubs TV Series* 7eventy 5ive * Living with Fran TV Series* Las Vegas TV Series* Blue Demon * CSI: NY TV Series...
, Jason Dohring
Jason Dohring
Jason William Dohring is an American actor who is best known for his role as Logan Echolls on the 2004 television show Veronica Mars and for his role as Josef Kostan on the 2007 series Moonlight.-Personal life:...
, and Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
.
Plot
Three young men, Scott, Robbie, and CJ, stop at a roadhouse in Wisconsin in search of a good time, as Robbie is looking to make whoopie for the first time. Soon, CJ gets into a fight in the bar and Scott is forced to come inside and bail him and Robbie out. Leaving the roadhouse and their new enemies at the bar behind, the three set off for Minnesota, their home state.Within a few minutes, a large, menacing black car begins stalking them, repeatedly creeping up close and backing off again. Several minutes later, they pick up Deputy Sheriff Charlie Harman, whose '86 Chevrolet police cruiser has frozen to death at the side of the road. After picking up the friendly and talkative Charlie, the 1957 Cadillac sedan de ville, begins to get more and more aggressive, and for unknown reasons challenges Scott's SAAB to a drag race in which it tries repeatedly to wreck the SAAB.
Suspicion over why the car is after them and who its occupants are after begins to rise within the SAAB, and Scott decides to kick Charlie out of the car and leave him, believing he is the reason they are being chased. The Cadillac then reappears, and Charlie is apparently killed by a gunman in the Cadillac. After a long while is spent by the three attempting to escape and outwit the Cadillac, the SAAB overheats and stops, and a fight breaks out between the three young men. CJ intervenes and stops the fight, and the three push the SAAB down the road to a repair garage. CJ is soon kidnapped by the Cadillac's occupants while outside, and a chase between both cars across the nearby frozen lake ensues, in which Scott's car is finally destroyed by its overheating problems.
CJ is then found tied to a tree, and the reason for the entire set of events is revealed. Charlie, who is in truth a cruel and vindictive man whose death was faked by his brother, Luther, the Cadillac's driver, has been attempting to identify the man his wife had been seeing at a roadhouse, and learned that it was Scott. As he prepares to kill Scott with a hunting knife, his wife Jeanine taunts and distracts him, allowing Scott, Robbie and CJ to break free and run. An insanely enraged Charlie, now personally driving the Cadillac, chases after them. When he corners Scott at the edge of a cliff, he waits a moment, then charges. His wife appears at the last moment in front of Scott, causing Charlie to veer away, sending the black Cadillac crashing down the cliff and into the lake. The destroyed, burning car sinks into the lake while Scott, CJ, Robbie, and Jeanine look on. The next morning, the group finally makes it across the state line into Minnesota.
Cast
- Randy QuaidRandy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
as Charlie - Shane Johnson as Scott
- Josh HammondJosh Hammond-Filmography:* The Tripper * Over Your Head TV series* Scrubs TV Series* 7eventy 5ive * Living with Fran TV Series* Las Vegas TV Series* Blue Demon * CSI: NY TV Series...
as C.J. LongHammer - Jason DohringJason DohringJason William Dohring is an American actor who is best known for his role as Logan Echolls on the 2004 television show Veronica Mars and for his role as Josef Kostan on the 2007 series Moonlight.-Personal life:...
as Robby - Adam Vernier as Beefy
- Kiersten Warren-AcevedoKiersten WarrenKiersten Nicolla Dale Warren is an American actress, best known for her role as Alex Tabor on Saved by the Bell: The College Years and as Nora Huntington on season 3 of Desperate Housewives.-Life and career:...
as Jeannine - Robert Clunis as Luther
- Taylor Stanley as Denise
Development
- Scott's red car is a Saab 900Saab 900The Saab 900 was a car produced by Saab Automobile from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic"; the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation" ....
, while the black car stalking them is a 1957 Cadillac FleetwoodCadillac FleetwoodLawrence P. Fisher was the Fisher brother most closely involved with Cadillac in its early years. In 1916 he joined the Fisher Body Company which had been formed by two of his brothers in 1908. Larry was one of four of the seven Fisher brothers who brought Fisher Body Corporation under the General...
. - In several scenes, a black '57 Series 62 Sedan is substituted for the Series 75 limousine. Since the roof and rear window is completely different on the two cars, a fake roof extension had to be created for the Series 62 model. It was this car and not the limousine that drove off the cliff into the frozen lake at the end of the film.
- The film is based loosely on an experience from the director's past. In the early eighties, while he and a few friends were driving home, they were chased by a car, for several hours, through backwoods roads.