An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.An unknown, psychotic driver uses his van to kill unsuspecting female drivers on the freeway.
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Did you know
- TriviaShelley Hack's TV debut.
- GoofsThe hubcaps on Jan's Datsun disappear and reappear at random times throughout the movie, sometimes this happens within the same scene.
- Quotes
Jan: Who is the Freeway Fiddler? Well of course, no one knows yet, but tonight we at least have an educated guess on that answer from Dr. Rita Glass, chief of psychiatric services at Los Angeles General Hospital, and a frequent consultant in police matters. Thank you for being with us tonight, Doctor, what can you tell us about the Fiddler?
Dr. Rita Glass: Well Jan, of course I don't know anymore about what the Fiddler looks like than anyone else, but what I can offer tonight is a sort of psychological profile based on what we already know about the killer. Let's take the attacks themselves. We already know that the victims are all women traveling the freeway alone. We also know that they were all reasonably attractive, and there is strong evidence to suggest that in each case the driver of the car performed some sort of maneuver which was perceived by the killer as an act of aggression, causing the killer to say in effect 'Hey, you women are just getting too big for your britches'.
Jan: Judging from what you just said then, what can we theorize about the Fiddler's psychological profile?
Dr. Rita Glass: He is a severely repressed personality, easily threatened, unsure of his masculinity. That he may have been dominated as a child by his mother or some other female authority figures. That he is emotionally stunted, and in a very deep sense, feels like a child. I would also have to guess that he has a strong death wish, a need to be hurt, or killed, perhaps as a punishment for being such a bad boy. After all, he cannot attack these women in such a way without placing himself in extreme danger.
Jan: Thank you, Doctor. Drawing on the doctor's profile then, we can make the following suggestions to women: Don't travel the freeway unless absolutely necessary, and don't travel alone. And if you do find yourself on the freeway, drive defensively, particularly if there is a van in the area. Remember, the Freeway Fiddler has already killed 9 women, and will almost surely, kill again.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Penny Dreadful (2005)
The film is low budget, sure, but it's a lot of fun and it contains all the right elements for a good thriller. The murderer is a spooky, Michael Myers-alike who we never really get to know or understand, which makes his actions all the creepier. The sound of a fiddle has never been so sinister as it is here.
The film was directed by Hal Needham, a noted stuntman, so needless to say the car chase scenes are exemplary, with some pyrotechnic effects that beat the hell out of modern-day CGI ones. The intriguing cast list incorporates George Hamilton, Peter Graves, and Frank Gorshin, and there's a neat cameo from Sid Haig too. Shelley Hack is a likable heroine, fighting sexism in the workplace while tracking down the maniac. No, there's nothing to dislike about this film whatsoever...
- Leofwine_draca
- Mar 8, 2015
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- Todesfalle auf dem Highway
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