A young man, Jim Holsey (C Thomas Howell), on a long distance journey, picks up a troublesome Hitcher (John Ryder - Rutger Hauer) who he cannot get rid of...

Jim manages to shove Ryder out of the car, but he gets another lift and looks set to frame Jim by committing a number of murders which everyone seems to believe Jim has done.

Ryder sets light to a seemingly deserted garage. Jim manages to escape this. He goes on to another garage where he meets up with a girl (Nash - Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Nash continues on the journey with Jim, but is captured by Ryder, who after tying her behind a truck pulls her in half when he accelerates away. But the police had already been called and see everything. Ryder is arrested after this.

As Ryder is taken away in a prison truck, he manages to get hold of a gun. Jim goes after him (after telling the officer in the vehicle he is traveling in to get out)...

"Mr Hauer! Now I know why you pissed Harrison Ford off so much in Blade Runner. You really are a nasty piece of work, my dear. I would ask for my money back but something tells me it will be worth me running as fast as my aging legs can go rather than provoke your grumpy ass!"

"Did you go to acting school to learn how to be such a crazy boy, Mr Hauer? or does it come naturally?"

"Mr Hauer, who does your hair?"

"I live in Hollywood and, ironically, I saw Rutger hitch hiking the other day. I know what you are thinking... would I give him a lift after watching this movie? Well, I know him quite well so did, but I can tell you now there were a large number of screams as I did so, and had he told me he wasn't getting out of my car at the end I would have shat myself."

"Why wouldn't the police help Jim untie the ropes holding Nash while she was hung between the trucks, just before she was ripped in the middle in exactly the way sawing a woman in half works in real life?"

"Here's another lesson, young man. Don't just go up to the enemy and prod him with something to see if he is dead, always shoot them again!"

"Bottom line is Ryder wanted to die at the end or he could have got Jim (or at least he could have waited for him to leave). What's with throwing the hand cuff's and all? Did they run out of time for the filming? Hmmm?"

As Jim approaches the back of the prison truck, John starts firing at him.

John jumps out of the truck and in through the front windscreen of Jim's car. Jim slams on the brakes and John goes back out of the windscreen. John is weakened but gets up. The gun is between Jim and John.

John takes the gun, he fires into the auto. Jim eventually starts the car and drives fast into John.

John plays dead. Jim turns his back. John gets up, throws his manacles at Jim's feet. Jim turns and shoots him.

John Ryder dies.

A veritable nightmare following a nice-but-stupid gesture of helping ones fellow man out in the rainy elements. Bad luck, young man, for your life is about to become a nightmare of murder, cop killing and girlfriend stretching that only a truly deranged blonde could have thought of.

This movie is dangerous for another reason, however. In ones hitch hiking youth one made avail of kindly souls to whisk me from A to B (generally via C, D and E by the way - but that is for another moment of rant) but since this movie was released, getting someone to stop has diminished perceptibly.

And who can blame them, after this tautly woven nightmare of 'look behind you young man or you're gonna-get-it' ness?

This movie swiftly carried one from moment to moment for one is never sure when that beastly blonde will jump back at you in his fiendish attempt to make mustard of your sinews. Wonderful and original if not a little grisly.

Any hot drinks in a straight-from-garage paper cup (with lid) and chocolate bar.

Mike Tyson as John Ryder. Adam Sanders as Jim Holsey.

This is a definitive drive-in movie. There is no weather condition that should deter you, although if someone asks to sit with you in your car while you watch it do not let them lest you be mashed.

Make sure your back is against a wall (to stop attack from behind) DO NOT LET ANYONE SIT TO YOUR RIGHT as that would be very bad.

It has been. This movie is basically a live action Roadrunner. Hauer is Willie Coyote without the Acme cement.

A moment of in-bed togetherness involving Jim and Nash, and then John and Nash and then the stretching/splitting starts.

One moment of lip-on-cheek man on man action early on in the piece (this may be censored for a TV audience).

An absolute classic, but few belly laughs. You cannot help but laugh out loud at times when our hero escapes, this is mostly a nervous reaction.

Dogs will like the movie as Willie Coyote is one of their heroes. They are liable to get disappointed at the end so make sure your dog antidepressant tablets are on hand.

Cats will like this movie too - although be prepared for them to shriek out when they get annoyed by Hauer's unlikely recovery at times.

Emu's or any animals closely linked to the type of bird in the Roadrunner cartoon will love this movie. They may even scream "Me! Me!" at times, beware.

A voucher for a free days car rental.

Can't actually remember if we heard the word. We were too busy screaming it ourselves during the movie. A triumph!

No motor mechanics mentioned at all, excellent.

No blue prints being considered before attack, fantastic.

No computer graphics (thankfully: this movie was made at the time of the original Atari games console), top marks.

A great road movie and a car chase movie combined.

Even though it is highly unlikely, it is darkly believable - it's all of your worst across-country driving nightmares all rolled into one. Compulsive.