DETOUR TO TERROR

US, 1980, 90 minutes, Colour.
O.J. Simpson, Arte Johnson, Anne Francis, Lorenzo Lamas.
Directed by Michael O' Herlihy.

Detour To Terror is an interesting, average disaster telemovie. It was produced by O.J. Simpson who has the leading role as a bus driver of a tourist bus which is kidnapped. The atmosphere is that of middle America - groups going
to Las Vegas and hijacked into the desert. The story is a kidnap plot which backfires. There is the usual assortment of characters on the bus and the usual heroics. Arte Johnson has a good role as a timid tour manager and host who is asked to be heroic. Not new material but competently done.

1. The popularity of disaster films in the '70s and '80s? The disaster telemovie - for the home audience? The range of characters? Quick delineation? Situations - and audiences identifying with them? Dangers, death, heroism? Vicarious participation in the disaster?

2. The conventions of the genre: transport and mix-ups, criminals, the range of characters on board, interactions and clashes, the wise guide and rescuer? People being transformed by disaster situations?

3. Colour photography, atmosphere of New Mexico? The desert? The special effects - especially for the bus-driving and the chases? Musical score?

4. The screenplay making the situation plausible: the bus itself, the people on tour, the company personnel, the photographer? The using of the computer to cover to cover the disappearance of the bus? The kidnap scheme and its backfiring? The man with the valuable stamp? The criminals and their tactics? The young man running for help? The rescue? Sufficient for telemovie purposes and interest and excitement?

5. The bus-driver as hero - his work for the firm, personality, relationship with the host, clash with the photographer? His dealing with the passengers? The kidnap situation and his handling the difficulties? His decisions as regards what the people should do - the host and his criticism, the men and the clashes? The support of the women? The decisions that he made? The final drive and rescue? Conventional American hero - played by the executive producer?

6. The basic kidnap situation: the wealthy man and his farewell to his wife, the mistress taken under the wife's name, the kidnappers thinking they had the wife? Their taking her? The reaction of the man? Her being held prisoner, tormented, finally being let go in order to die? Her survival? The reaction of the passengers to the man and their being placed in the situation? The discovery of the valuable stamp through its receipt? The kidnappers making good their taking of the bus? Their personalities, age, callousness? Shooting and the dying man? The chase of the man with the motor bike? Poetic justice and their destruction?

7. The range of passengers on the bus and the way these were presented: the wealthy man taking his mistress on a bus holiday and people's attacks on him? The ordinary citizens and their reactions? The man with the stamp - his gun, self protection, the pathos of his dying? The photographer and her ambitions, her looking after the dying man? The host and his fussiness, friendliness with everybody, his being confided in about the stamp, his heroism? The woman with the therapy and her wig, self-esteem, honesty? The old ladies and their gambling? The young couple -the heroes, the cowards? The young man running for help and his encounter with the cyclist, the disaster of the cyclist's death?

8. The painting of people as good and evil? A difficult situation bringing out the heroism in people - their surviving in the desert, water, helping lift the bus etc.? The mean-mindedness that emerged, rivalries and jealousy?
9. The satisfying ending and the rescue? What had the people gained by the experience of the kidnap? How would it affect their lives? This kind of disaster story as an entertaining moral fable about human nature?