DEATH CAR ON THE FREEWAY

US, 1979, 91 minutes, Colour.
Shelley Hack, Barbara Rush, Dinah Shore, Peter Graves, George Hamilton, Frank Gorshin.
Directed by Hal Needham.

Death Car on the Freeway is a popular piece of telemovie entertainment. Its story is routine. Glamorous Shelley Hack is a television reporter who investigates a killer on the freeway - an anonymous driver of an anonymous van who chases and torments women drivers. Needless to say, there is a final dramatic confrontation.

As with so many disaster movies, the film is peopled with veteran stars in guest roles including Harriet Nelson, Barbara Rush and Dinah Shore. This helps the film to be acceptable to older audiences.

However, the main focus of the film is on the stunt work - and the film is interesting for those who enjoy action-filled stunts. The director and the supervisor of the stunt work is Hal Needham. Needham, a former stunt man, began directing with Smokey and the Bandit. He has made several films with Burt Reynolds including the sequel to Smokey, the two Cannonball Run films and Hooper. He has also directed Cactus Jack and Megaforce. His films tend to be weak on characterisation and, motivation -but very strong on spectacular stunt work.