Black Cadillac
(2002)
review by Head Cheeze

I rarely find anything remotely interesting on latenight television. I usually end up nodding off to infomercials, ESPN news, or a softcore gyration fest on Cinemax. Recently, though, I stumbled across a film that, by the sound of it's vague TV Guide description, seemed like a Duel ripoff that would lull me to sleep. About thirty minutes later, I realised I was not only awake and alertly watching Black Cadillac; I was totally hooked.

Three young men make the trek from Minnesota to Wisconsin for a night of drink and debauchery at a notoriously age-lenient roadhouse. When C.J. (Hammond) runs afoul of some locals, Scott (Johnson) and his little brother Robby (Dohring) join him in a brawl that ends with Scott furiously beating the resident musclehead to a pulp, and the trio make a quick exit. Scott, who had been romancing a young woman in his Saab just as the brawl broke out, isn't thrilled to have had his night come to such an abrupt end, but, lucky for him, the real fun's just about to begin.

As the boys make their way home through a snowstorm along the desolate mountain highway, a black Cadillac begins tailing them, and then disappears into the night. When the trio happen upon Charlie (Quaid), a police officer whose car has broken down in the snow, he forces the boys to give him a ride to the nearest phone. Once Charlie's on board, the mysterious Cadillac returns, but now it begins playing dangerous road games with Scott. After his Saab is run off the road, Scott begins to think that the driver of the Cadillac is after Charlie, and decides to leave him for dead in the woods. While C.J. and Robby try to change his mind, the Cadillac returns, Charlie is shot dead, and the three boys are now not only witnesses to a murder- they are targets themselves.

Black Cadillac is a real pleasant surprise that sports great dialogue, really strong performances from the three young leads, and a taut level of suspense. Director John Murlowski's filmography reads more like a rap sheet of cinematic crimes against humanity (including such gems as Amityville: A New Generation and Richie Rich's Christmas Wish) but here he shows a great afinity for the genre, and delivers a few solid shocks, as well as some harrowing chase scenes. Will Aldis' screenplay, and a terrific performance from Shane Johnson as Scott, a "perfect" jock with an enormous skeleton in his closet, really help to elevate Black Cadillac well above midnite movie standards. Sadly, it's woefully obvious conclusion and a tacked-on sappy denouement drag the proceedings kicking and screaming back into B-movie territory.

If Murlowski did a better job of camoflaging the ending, Black Cadillac would have easily been a four skull flick, but even with the telegraphed finale it's still better than a lot of the bigger budget drek that fills the airwaves on an average night.