THE WRAITH

US, 1987, 92 minutes, Colour.
Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid.
Directed by Mike Marvin.

The Wraith is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter, where a man who has been killed by the townspeople, returns and wreaks vengeance. This is a mixture of the brrm-brrm car movie with the ghost seeking vengeance.

Charlie Sheen is the hero who comes back from the dead, remembers the brutality against him, challenges his murderers to drag races in his ghostly car - and they die. Nick Cassavetes is a sneering villain. Sherrilyn Finn is the heroine. There is plenty of stunt work. The movie is geared for the youth audience.

1.Ghost story? Car story? Combination?

2.Location photography, the town, the open roads? Special effects and stunts, especially for explosions and crashes? Musical score?

3.The title, expectations, Jake as a ghost, the ghostly car? The ghost and his wrathful vengeance?

4.The opening, the suggestion of the stars and lights, the ghost? Jake and his appearance, in the town, meeting Keri, the clash with Packard, friendliness with Billy? The stranger in town, ordinary life, befriending the good people? Interactions with the police? The clashes with Packard and the baddies?

5.The races, Packard trying to win others' cars, his friends and their engineering? The races, the deaths? The effect on the group?

6.Billy and his friendship with Jake, memories of his brother, the final realisation, the gift of the car? Being picked on by Packard?

7.Packard as villain, sneering, ruthless, brutal, his wanting to rule over everyone, clashes with the police? Relationship with Keri and her rejection of him? The final clash with Jake?

8.Keri as heroine, the girl in the street, friendship with Jake, in love, realising that he was Jamie? Rejection of Packard, going off with him at the end?

9.Loomis, the police in the town, the gangs, the investigations? Loomis and his finally looking at Jake and Keri leaving?

10.The picture of the small town, the gangs terrorising the people, the pressure on youth? Love of cars? Drag racing?

11.The blend of the ingredients? Designed for young audiences? A mixture of brutality? Vengeance? Heroism?