This week’s Moviedrome Monday double-bill consists of two road movies involving dangerous situations
Race with the Devil (1975)
I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s intro to director Jack Starrett’s 1975 action-horror road movie Race with the Devil. Readers can also read Cox’s intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 31, 1994 (read here). Not much for me to add here about this marginally good/marginally mediocre flick except that I do agree with Cox about the title sequence and the ending serving as the real reason to check it out.
Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to Race with the Devil
Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer
Detour (1945)
I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Alex Cox’s intro to legendary B filmmaker Edgar G. Ulmer’s low-budget 1945 cult film noir classic Detour. Readers can also read Cox’s intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 31, 1994 (read here). Cox’s statements are eloquent as always, though I get the feeling that I am a bigger fan of the film than he is. If any of you readers are interested, here is a link to my favorite Edgar G. Ulmer films (read here).
Here is a youtube video link to Alex Cox’s Moviedrome intro to Detour
Aside from a revival trailer on youtube, I do not think (at least based on my knowledge) that Detour ever had an original theatrical trailer – taking into account that I could not find one.
cinematiccoffee 
I have seen both of these films, and enjoyed each one for different reasons. Of the two, I much prefer ‘Detour’.
Best wishes, Pete.
I’ve never seen Detour, I do have a soft spot for Race with the Devil, mainly for the presence of Warren Oates, the stunt work is amazing too.
Oh yeah, make no mistake I am a huge Warren Oates fan, but in the end, I still think that Detour is the superior film on this double-bill 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Detour is the only Ulmer film I know and I love it. I just watched it again recently. It’s a fabulous piece of cinematic history and a “go-to” example of the noir genre. There are better noir’s, but few are more famous or a better template for the genre. BTW, I like the new website design. It’s very early 60s noir. Cool vibe.
I too prefer Detour Pete 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Why thank you for the kind words Pam 🙂 I too love Detour for all the reasons you so eloquently stated 🙂 A true cult classic indeed 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
I haven’t heard of either of these but am intrigued by the conversation, especially about Detour, for sure. 🙂
I think you will love Detour 🙂 Sorry for the late response 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
I love Race With The Devil. I throughly enjoy it. I think it’s a hugely enjoyable film. It’s a great mix of horror and action. It has a great atmosphere of creepiness, paranoia, unease and distrust and a spectacular action finale. It’s quite a quirky and offbeat film too making it perfect for Moviedrome. I think being set largely in an R.V. on the road means it’s a unique and different film. Great use of locations too. The big action chase scene near the end is fantastic and brilliantly done. It had to have influenced The Road Warrior. I think the direction and script are good. The ending is also creepy and a real shock. Very effective and well done.
It’s part of a subgenre of trip-gone-wrong / wilderness survival films which also include Deliverance and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I would also categorize it with two other great chase movies of the early seventies – Vanishing Point and Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, the latter of which also starred Peter Fonda.
Warren Oates was a brilliant actor and he always excelled. He’s excellent in this film. Warren Oates is one of my favourite actors. He was a legend. Peter Fonda is also good in this film.
Fonda and Oates are a great team and I really like their collaboration on this film.
They were in two other films together. Fonda’s directorial debut The Hired Hand (shown on the first season of Moviedrome) and 92 In The Shade directed by Thomas McGuane and based on his novel. Both of which are good films.
All in all, I think Race With The Devil is fantastic and I love it. I also love Alex’s intro. It’s a fantastic intro and one of my favourite intros of his.
The second film in this double bill Detour is also great. It’s an outstanding film noir. One of the greatest film noirs. It truly is a classic film noir and it’s also a road movie as well as a noir. It proves that you don’t need a big budget to produce a great film. It’s very cheaply produced by a Poverty Row studio and only lasts little over an hour yet it works thanks to great and effective direction and an excellent and well written script with great dialogue.
The direction is taut and suspenseful and the performances are great. Tom Neal is very good as Al and Ann Savage is superb as one of the greatest noir fatales/ice queens Vera.
It’s interesting how the voiceover narration is the film’s protagonist Al telling his own story. His word could be completely unreliable. It’s likely that he really did intentionally kill Haskell and Vera. His version of events are unlikely and he was sufficiently desperate to kill the two people.
Tom Neal’s life story is like a film noir plot and his life had parallels to Detour. He looked a bit like both Kurt Russell and Brad Davis too.
All in all Detour is a great film. Alex’s intro is great too.
Make no mistake Steve, Race With the Devil does have it’s highlights – Warren Oates is always great to watch and that chase scene is spectacular – I too think it may have served as one of the many influences behind The Road Warrior, but who knows 🙂 I know the 1970’s was a big decade for survival type films like these 🙂 I agree that Alex’s intro was eloquent as usual 🙂
I totally agree with you on Detour – it is a low-budget film-noir masterpiece. I lavish lots of praise on the direction, screenplay and of course the acting – with Ann Savage serving as the standout 🙂 I agree with you too that she is one of the screen’s greatest femme fatales 🙂
I am in complete agreement with you on you theory that Tom Neal’s character intended to kill Haskell and Vera (Savage) 🙂 I too read about Tom Neal and you are right that it had a film-noir quality to it.
Once again, I loved Cox’s intro to Detour – a great film indeed 🙂