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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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The Hitcher (2007)

Rating: 1/2 Star (out of 4)

Highway to Smell

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy The Hitcher on DVD

The original The Hitcher (1986) stumbled into cult status after Siskel & Ebert reviewed it on their TV show, expressing their physical repulsion and moral outrage. The new remake probably won't offend anyone, except with its drooling, numbing stupidity. Two college students (Sophia Bush and Zachary Knighton) hit the road during spring break and encounter a creepy hitchhiker (Sean Bean). The baddie kills everyone around except, inexplicably, our heroes, and they in turn fail at every conceivable opportunity to capture their foe or get away. Director Dave Meyers (from music videos) is so inept he even fumbles the rudimentary "jump/shock" scenes. The general idea can be traced back to Steven Spielberg's tense, cunning 1971 movie Duel, a far better way to spend your time. (Note: Please read my full-length review at Cinematical.com.)

DVD Details: Universal's DVD comes with deleted scenes (23 minutes!), something called "Dead End" that appears to be about building accident victims, a featurette on car crashes, a making-of featurette and "Chronicles of a Killer," and "news reports." There are optional subtitles. The disc includes trailers for Hot Fuzz, Smokin' Aces and Alpha Dog at startup.

Starring: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Neal McDonough, Kyle Davis
Written by: Jake Wade Wall, Eric Bernt, based on a screenplay by Eric Red
Directed by: Dave Meyers
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, terror and language
Running Time: 83 minutes
Date: January 19, 2007