WHEELS OF TERROR

US, 1990, 86 minutes, Colour.
Joanna Cassidy, Marci Leeds, Arlen Dean Snyder.
Directed by Christopher Cain.

Wheels of Terror is a made-for-cable television movie which reminds audiences of Duel, in which Dennis Weaver as David Mann in his car, faced the challenge of the petrol tanker pursuing him on the highways and driving him to all kinds of desperate means for survival and confrontation of his pursuer.

This time Joanna Cassidy is a mother and a driver of the school bus which is menaced by an anonymous car. The unseen driver of the car abducts schoolgirls, pursues the bus - leading to a dramatic confrontation on the road which, of course, Joanna Cassidy wins.

However, the experience of the confrontation and the chase, the fight for survival and the dangers is what matters.

The film was shot in desert locations, giving an eerie strong yellow and orange and brown tone to the whole film, which enhances the atmosphere. The action sequences are well done, stunt work and editing effective. Direction is by Christopher Cain, whose credits range from The Stone Boy to Young Guns.

1.Entertaining thriller, road menace and danger? Survival and confrontation?

2.The American town locations, the desert, the colouring of the film and its atmosphere? Stunts and editing? Musical score?

3.The title, indication of action and theme? Echoes of such films as Duel?

4.The human interest with Joanna Cassidy as the mother, her daughter? Life in the town? The abductions, her going to the police, the police lack of action? Her role as the bus driver, mechanical knowledge, skills at driving? Her picking up the children and letting them off? The build-up to the confrontation with the anonymous car, the chase, her tactics, the tactics of the car? Dangers, on the highway, off the highway, cliffs? Her shrewdness and her final defeat of the anonymous enemy? Achievement?

5.The children, at school, at home? Friendships, disappearances, abductions in the street? Desperation and fear? Mothers and parents and their concern? Interactions with the children? The children on the bus, the dangers of the pursuit?

6.The police, scepticism, going into action?

7.The menacing car, its anonymity, black with dark windows? The diabolical overtones? The menace to the children, the abduction of the girls, their being taken away? The atmosphere of threat? Sudden appearances, disappearances? Pursuit? The final chase - and the ultimate confrontation and the destruction of the car?

8.The popularity of this kind of thriller, audiences identifying with the human characters, audience knowledge of cars and driving skills needed for this kind of pursuit and evasion?