The Hearse
Encyclopedia
The Hearse is a 1980 horror movie starring Trish Van Devere
and Joseph Cotten
.
In life, Jane's aunt had been a devil worshiper
, and upon her death, the hearse carrying her body crashed, but no sign of the driver or of the coffin were ever found. Since then, the house inherited by Jane has been haunted by evil spirits and the rural road out of Blackford has been haunted by the hearse that crashed.
As these stories come to light, Jane attempts to leave Blackford to avoid being drawn in by her aunt's spirit, but finds herself pursued by the ghostly hearse and held prisoner inside Blackford by spirits.
of The Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "The Hearse qualifies as this summer's garage sale of horror movies. It contains all the best clichés from recent, more successful horror movies (especially [The] Amityville [Horror
] and even The Changeling
, which came out last April and starred Van Devere, her husband George C. Scott
and, of course, the obligatory self-banging doors and self-playing musical instruments)."
Janet Maslin
of The New York Times
said, "The Hearse was directed by George Bowers, and shot either in a very stylized fashion or without benefit of a light meter
- many of the film's outdoor scenes feature brilliant blue skies and actors with dim, shadowy faces. As far as the horror goes, Mr. Bowers makes his film moderately scary and pretty unpleasant, too. No one gets a hatchet in the forehead, though, the way one of the actors does in Friday the 13th. Isn't that nice to know?"
J.C. Maçek III of WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "Many horror fans might call it "boring", but the right people will watch The Hearse and appreciate it for the surprises, the fun and...Trish Van Devere in her running shorts. Yeah, it could use an overhaul and yeah, the occasional moments let the air out of The Hearses tires. For those who thought that lame-ass remakes like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
and Friday the 13th
were quality pictures or thought that anything from Slob Zombie
constitutes the future of Horror, The Hearse is not for you."
Trish Van Devere
Trish Van Devere is an American actress.-Early life:Van Devere was born as Patricia Louise Dressel in Tenafly, New Jersey. She was married to the actor George C...
and Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
.
Plot
Jane Hardy (Trish Van Devere) arrives in the town of Blackford to stay in an old house left to her by a late aunt. As time passes, Jane learns secrets her aunt kept from her in life, but that were well-known by the townspeople.In life, Jane's aunt had been a devil worshiper
Demonology
Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. It is the branch of theology relating to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent...
, and upon her death, the hearse carrying her body crashed, but no sign of the driver or of the coffin were ever found. Since then, the house inherited by Jane has been haunted by evil spirits and the rural road out of Blackford has been haunted by the hearse that crashed.
As these stories come to light, Jane attempts to leave Blackford to avoid being drawn in by her aunt's spirit, but finds herself pursued by the ghostly hearse and held prisoner inside Blackford by spirits.
Full Cast
- Trish Van DevereTrish Van DevereTrish Van Devere is an American actress.-Early life:Van Devere was born as Patricia Louise Dressel in Tenafly, New Jersey. She was married to the actor George C...
- Jane Hardy - Joseph CottenJoseph CottenJoseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
- Walter Pritchard - David Gautreaux - Tom Sullivan
- Donald Hotton - Reverend Winston
- Med Flory - Sheriff Denton
- Donald PetrieDonald PetrieDonald Mark Petrie is an American film director.Petrie was born in New York City, New York, the son of Dorothea , a television producer, actor, and novelist, and Daniel Petrie, a director. Petrie has acted and guest-starred on television programs. His first directorial job was on the set of The...
- Luke - Christopher McDonaldChristopher McDonaldChristopher McDonald is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, Tappy Tibbons in Requiem for a Dream, and Mel Allen in the HBO film 61*.-Personal life:...
- Pete - Perry LangPerry LangPerry Lang is an American director, writer and actor.He has directed episodes of television series such as Arli$$, ER, Millennium, Dawson's Creek, NYPD Blue, Nash Bridges, Fantasy Island, Weeds, Gilmore Girls, Army Wives, The Twilight Zone, Alias, Las Vegas, Jack & Bobby and...
- Paul Gordon - Fred Franklyn - Mr. Gordon
- Al HansenAl HansenAlfred Earl "Al" Hansen was an American artist considered as one of the most important Fluxus figures. He was a Norwegian American....
- Bo Rehnquist - Dominic Barto - The Driver
- Nicholas Shields - Dr. Greenwalt
- Chuck MitchellChuck MitchellChuck Mitchell was an American actor, known for his role as "Porky" in the raunchy 1982 cult classic movie Porky's...
- Counterman - Allison BalsonAllison BalsonAllison Balson is an American actress, who is also a published singer and songwriter. Her best known role was Nancy Oleson on the Little House on the Prairie series which she held between 1981 and 1983...
- Alice - Jim Gatherum - Boy #1
- Victoria Eubank - Lois
- Tanya Bowers - Schoolgirl
Critical reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of The Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "The Hearse qualifies as this summer's garage sale of horror movies. It contains all the best clichés from recent, more successful horror movies (especially [The] Amityville [Horror
The Amityville Horror (1979 film)
The Amityville Horror is a 1979 American horror film based on the bestselling 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson. It is the first movie in the Amityville Horror franchise....
] and even The Changeling
The Changeling (film)
The Changeling is a 1980 horror film directed by Peter Medak and starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere . The story is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter said he experienced while he was living in the Henry Treat Rogers Mansion of Denver, Colorado.-Plot:Scott stars as Dr...
, which came out last April and starred Van Devere, her husband George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
and, of course, the obligatory self-banging doors and self-playing musical instruments)."
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "The Hearse was directed by George Bowers, and shot either in a very stylized fashion or without benefit of a light meter
Light meter
A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph...
- many of the film's outdoor scenes feature brilliant blue skies and actors with dim, shadowy faces. As far as the horror goes, Mr. Bowers makes his film moderately scary and pretty unpleasant, too. No one gets a hatchet in the forehead, though, the way one of the actors does in Friday the 13th. Isn't that nice to know?"
J.C. Maçek III of WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "Many horror fans might call it "boring", but the right people will watch The Hearse and appreciate it for the surprises, the fun and...Trish Van Devere in her running shorts. Yeah, it could use an overhaul and yeah, the occasional moments let the air out of The Hearses tires. For those who thought that lame-ass remakes like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. The 2003 film was directed by Marcus Nispel and produced by Michael Bay...
and Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th (2009 film)
Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, which began in 1980 and the twelfth Friday the 13th film in total...
were quality pictures or thought that anything from Slob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
constitutes the future of Horror, The Hearse is not for you."