Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21452 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-14
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dolby, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed in: German, Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Made in 1984, The Hitcher is an update--in spirit at least--of Steven Spielberg's first feature film, 1971's Duel. Here C Thomas Howell plays a guy taking a drive-away car from Chicago to San Diego. On a whim, in the rain, and against his better judgment, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). The hitcher quickly admits to being a murdering psychopath and once Howell finally gets him out of his car, he is pursued with all the vengeance of the ancient furies. We're never sure if the hitcher is a figment of his imagination, making Howell a schizophrenic killer, or if he's real and Howell is the random victim of a wandering madman, which is how his potential new girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks of him. Either way, The Hitcher is great fun, kinda scary and teetering on the brink of "must see". --Andy Spletzer

DVD Description
Beautifully shot against the backdrop of Nevada’s eerily quiet valleys and long desert roads, The Hitcher is as acclaimed for its stunning cinematography and masterful direction as for its nail-biting and intriguing tale of terror and paranoia.

C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, Soul Man) stars as the unassuming Jim Halsey who decides to pick up hitchhiker Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) on a rainy road in the middle of nowhere. Learning only that the name of his chillingly silent passenger is John Ryder, Halsey soon regrets his decision to stop as the hitcher pulls a knife on him and nearly forces the car off the road. Narrowly escaping and leaving the hitcher behind, Halsey’s nightmare has only just begun as a terrifying and psychotic game of cat and mouse ensues with all who pass on the road becoming unwitting victims of the hitcher’s intent. In a race against time, Halsey tries to raise the alarm but becomes a suspect himself when Ryder reappears and annihilates everyone in the small town police station. Believed only by a waitress, Nash (played by eXistenZ and Road to Perdition star Jennifer Jason Leigh), the stakes are raised again as Nash becomes the victim of one of the most extreme and unforgettable killings in film history. Challenged by Ryder to "stop me", only Halsey can end this waking nightmare.

Special Features
Disc 1 - Feature (Running Time: 93 minutes approx.)
DVD Technical Information

• Picture: 16/9
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1:2.35
  
• Format: Widescreen
  
• Languages: English (5.1 DTS), German (Mono), Italian (Dolby Stereo), Spanish (Mono)
  
• Subtitles (Unlocked): English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• DVD 9

• Scene selections
  
• Audio Commentary 1 (by Robert Harmon and Eric Red)
  
• Scene-Specific Audio Commentaries 2-7 (by Robert Harmon/C. Thomas Howell, Edward S. Feldman, Eric Red, Rutger Hauer, Mark Isham and John Seale)

Disc 2 – Bonus Material
DVD Technical Information

• Languages: English
  
• Subtitles: None
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• DVD 5

• Teaser
  
• Trailer
  
• Filmographies – Robert Harmon, C. Thomas Howell, Edward S. Feldman, Eric Red, Rutger Hauer, Mark Isham and John Seale
  
• 7 Screenplay Samples (including 2 deleted scenes)
  
• Exclusive Documentary - The Hitcher: How do These Movies Get Made? (approx. 39 mins/1:1.78 anamorphic)
  
• 2 Short Movies:
  China Lake by Robert Harmon (approx. 34 mins/1:2.35 letterbox) + a written introduction by Robert Harmon
  The Room by Rutger Hauer (approx. 11 mins/1:2.35 letterbox) + an audio commentary by Rutger Hauer

Customer Reviews

it's actually a bit rubbish
seems there are lots of 5 star reviews for this film and whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion I just don't get it. It's a film from the 80s, not much happens, no one talks very much and then it ends.
A young man is framed by a psychotic hauer for some murders he is pursued by comical, Texas cop stereotypes whilst jumping round all the holes in the plot. That's about it. 'tense, gripping thrill ride'? I've had more excitement driving to work.

Very good B movie
Rutger Hauer dominates this classy thriller, with a performance that matches his role in Bladerunner. Every twitch he makes is scary and from the start of the film you are left in no doubt that this guy is seriously deranged. Occasionally some of the other actors wern't quite up to the same standard, but in general this is a well acted film.

Forget about plot and any sense that this could really happen. Think more of Halloween and translate Michael Myers as the Hitcher and you'll be closer. Its well photographed with some images that have almost become iconic.

What surprised me about this film was the way characters that you might normally expect to survive (in a Hollywood film) did not in The Hitcher. So credit where credit is due, not only is this a short and punchy thriller, but it does the unexpected on more than one occasion.

The extras on the 2 disc edition make this up to 4 stars for me. The commentaries in particular I found very interesting.

Unmissable
The Hitcher is one of the best films ever made and ultimately one of most overlooked as well. The premise of the film is very simple: Jim Halsey is driving a car cross country with plans of dropping it off at his destination when he comes across hitchhiker John Ryder, who seems suspicious from the start. It is incredibly tense and atmospheric and centres around a terrifying performance from Rutger Hauer as John Ryder, a mysterious drifter intent on following C. Thomas Howell's Jim Halsey and making his road trip one that he'll never forget. Most of the film's atmosphere radiates from Hauer as he scares both Howell and the audience with a simple glance which could mean anything and everything. Jennifer Jason Leigh makes an early appearance as a waitress dragged along for the ride after Howell stumbles upon the diner she works at. The performances of the three main actors are involving and it is very easy to feel sympathy for Howell, who has done nothing to deserve the torture he receives at the hands of Hauer, who makes for a terrific villain. A hidden gem and a great cult film, The Hitcher is fantastic.