It’s good thing he doesn’t have to see the state of the world these days. Yes, very missed. When great man like him goes, it’s like a better, smarter part of the world goes too. Like Robin Williams, man.
This is one of the most perfect films I have witnessed. Not scary, yet there's something dream like about it. It's unfathomable. RIP Rutger - this and Blade Runner are the remembered ones.
I worked in a video shop in the late 80’s and The Hitcher was the most booked and rented film we had for a solid year. Customers used to bring it back and say “Bloody hell, that was one hell of a film!”
The Hitcher is a prime example of filmmaking perfection. Eric Reds screenplay, yet simplistic on its surface goes sideways in an operatic style, similar to the respected film "Duel." I do however believe that The Hitcher has a huge advantage. The cinematography is Oscar worthy and had this film been made twenty years later, I believe John Seale would have received far greater praise. One of my favorite films, No Country for Old Men, photographed by Roger Deakins comes to mind when seeing these rich widescreen shots of the California and Nevada desert that Mr. Seale memorialized in The Hitcher. Every shot in this film feels like I'm watching a portrait being painted with nature being its canvas. First-time viewers are fortunate here as this film was shot way before CGI found its place in cinema, corrupting the art of "waiting for the shot." The direction of this film by Robert Harmon was flawless in so many ways, which I'm understating here, but I highly suggest everyone watch this informative retrospective on The Hitcher. The performances of C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Billy Green Bush, Henry Darrow AND the late and great Rutger Hauer were the attention grabber for me as a teenager. HBO had The Hitcher playing several times a week...and 34 years later it still is playing! I had the chance to Meet C.T. Howell about seven years back and it was surreal to hear him marvel at the memories of a film that I admired to such a high degree. I could go on about this film, but for the sake of keeping my thoughts at a minimum, I'll end here. Do yourself a favor and watch The Hitcher, with the lights off, and most importantly... listen to your mom and never pick up a hitchhiker.
They are downplaying Rutger's performance. I doubt this movie would be remembered by half as many people if it had virtually any other actor playing the villain.
Correct. It's a massive factor. It's one of the first film performances I vividly remember watching for the first time and being like "this actor is amazing, I need to see more"
This movie is extraordinary. No other movie is similar to this one. Very realistic, and yet strange, weird, takes breath away, you can't blink once from the beginning to the end of the movie and even after it is over you still look at the empty screen for a couple of minutes in silence. This movie deserves Oscar for everything. The actors are perfect, all of them. Scenery, camera, soundtrack...everything
Its a culmination of artists that are aligned to create the perfect film. I know thee word is thrown about very carelessly nowadays but It is a masterpiece in my humble opinion.
@@pixelbasedlifeforms I wanted to say the feeling was like I were there. Of course all the movies are always exaggerated reality, who would otherwise watch them.
Rutger Hauer is brilliant in this film. The cinematography is stunning. The most underrated aspect of the film is the action sequences. So many great things about it. This look behind the scenes is a treasure.
Rutger Hauer was a fenomenal actor. No one can ever do this role, this character, this personality even close to what he did there. And he did the same in Bladerunner. A person who struggling with violence and willing to die, but he doesn't let to kill him by someone who doesn't strong enough. Rider wanted to die cause he had no will to live, so he found someone who had a strong will to live. He pushed the kid to the limits so he had to kill to survive.
I didn't notice at first, but he has a lot of Scandinavian DNA. One of my neighbours is married to a Swedish woman and she has a similar look. blonder hair and mysterious blue eyes. His character in the film is a horrific psycho and he plays it so well, yet comes across as a nice quiet thoughtful man in reality!
at 8:15...brilliant answer from rutger hauer....for me I always thought that john ryder was some sort of a supernatural being...like a demon was let out of hell for a few days on a type of vacation and takes physical form of "john ryder"..and it haunts that particular stretch of road or area as a hitchhiker that loves to murder..I mean the police even says that he has no birth certificate..no id...no driver's license...and even though Jim does defeat him john ryder just returns to wherever it came from...I've always loved that thought and I honestly don't know why... but this truly is a fantastic film in every point from direction..story...cinematography..music..and of course the cast. only rutger hauer(R.I.P) could take a tear from Jim halsey's cheek with a knife blade...brilliant film.
I love this movie! Excellent, haunting, troubling, an almost perfect horror movie, like Jaws because the violence and gore is mostly inferred. Absolutely excellent filming and script. I wish there were more like it.
80s people talking about their baby. But they hit on all the elements of a lasting gem. It's not a movie, it's cinema. It's the Dirty Harry Charm School, with the car delivery kid as its first graduate and Ryder as the teacher.
Saw this when it came out and my buddy told me he was compelled to see a second time that very same week. We were discussing at length back then as to what or who was Rutger Hauer's character, more so what kind of entity he was & the relationship/connection between himself & Howell . So glad this movie has stood the test of time and prevailed over many of the top shelf critics who loathed it. I will probably never watch the remake even though I love Sean Bean.
Few films, have such a high moody factor, as well as tension and mystery, as the Hitcher. An astonishing, and very unique film. From my teens to my late Forties (now), it has captured and excited me, like few others.
Its a culmination of artists that are aligned to create the perfect film. I know thee word is thrown about very carelessly nowadays but It is a masterpiece in my humble opinion.
One Of My Favorite Movies Ever ... Can't Remember How Many Times i've Seen iT & iT's a Delight Every Single Time ... Both Characters Were Just Excellent in The Movie ... Especially Rutger Hauer ... Exceptional Actor ❤🌹
Loved this interview. Miss Rutger Hauer!😕I’ve seen the movie many times and see something new every time. C. Thomas Howell was great for an 18 yr old inexperienced actor.
everything. everything about this movie and fictional story makes it an unforgettable masterpiece. rip rutger hauer this is just an irreplaceable experience.
I remember seeing this when it came out, Hauer played the part so well that I never again ever stopped to help a hitcher or stranded driver. I have always loathed how people want to analyze the hell out of a movie, see it for what it is and enjoy it, if you can do better make your own.
This haunts me, this Hitcher movie every time I watch it, I have bad dreams and rotten luck. No word of a lie. I simply can't watch it ever again as much as I'd love to, it just gives me the worst luck...
Excellent film. At first I was disappointed to an extent and then it grew on me, and thats because they were breaking the rules to storytelling. The blend of action and horror made this interesting. The key to this movie was its mysticism. It had a certain aura that I didn’t see in another film and just when you think it’s done, it delivers an encore. Extremely underrated and from my circles of interacting with people, forgotten. A great gem of a film.
I don't know what kind of drugs the previous commenter is on...But yeah, you nailed it, man. The Hitcher is more deep and interesting than people give it credit for. I had vaguely known about it through the late 80s and 90s, but in 2002, I was on a road trip with a buddy and we randomly caught it on cable while staying in a Motel 6 in Colorado, just a couple of days after driving through the desert from California...and for whatever reason, we were absolutely hooked in, and the film became part of the larger memory of that road trip. When we headed out again three years later along the same route, I had brought my (new) DVD of it and we recreated the moment again. Since that time, I always revisit the film and its soundtrack when going on a drive out of state, whether to Nevada, Utah, or Arizona. There is something almost primordial and mythic about the story of John Ryder. My longtime theory is that Jim Halsey died while asleep at the wheel...and that the rest of the film is his Limbo or version of Hell, with Ryder stalking him like Death, about to guide him to whatever afterlife remains. The pennies-on-the-eyes scene seems to infer the metaphor of this later on. (Although, of course the sequel cancels out all of this.) Also...I've had the same situation where nobody seems to know of or talk about The Hitcher these days. For me, it is Hauer's shining moment.
Sturm Antilles Sturm Antilles Your opening comment made me crack up. That’s a great story! I never thought of that theory! That’s actually an interesting one. I was wondering myself what the coins on the eyes mean. What does that mean exactly? And Rutger Hauer is one of the best actors I’ve seen on the screen.
I noticed this time around watching the dust storm happens after it’s been raining, down-pouring. And equally as eerie is the switching from dawn to dark during said rainstorm. Very disorienting.
this is one of the best movies ever made i don't give a fuck if you don't like it i love it am still waiting for a bluray of it i watch this movie all the time thank you for doing how do these movies get made i want to know as much as i can about any movie i love the Hitcher is a masterpeace thank you
Rutger Hauer and C. Thomas Howell did great in this movie especially the latter as the protagonist, it's such a shame for what they did in the sequel, he would be a great scream king of the franchise and in the future legacy film like they .
HBO Max is showing a standard def pan and scan version of the film for some reason, even though they produced the film. I watched a high def rip of the Blu ray instead
I’ve watched this movie about five times because of Rutger Hauer. But one thing I’ve never ever figure out the answer to is why the Hitcher is wearing a wedding ring. I knew in real life. He adjust married his wife, but I don’t think that was the reason he wore a ring in the movie. I wish somebody could answer that question for me. That really knows maybe it was an error and he wasn’t supposed to be wearing a ring in the moving. It was just forgotten.
Agreed. The one shot that always stuck with me, was when the Jim pushes Ryder out of the car. Then the camera is low and comes in on Ryder standing up, and we're looking up at him. Beautiful cinematography.
@@derekschoenike5685Beautifully shot scene that you mentioned. The cinematography throughout coupled with the score made this film so memorable. Actors thrive in real atmosphere and there is so much of it here.
Ebert said ‘this movie is diseased and corrupt’. I rarely agreed with his reviews. I met Rutger Hauer, and I’ve been to Roy’s cafe on a number of occasions (I hope it’s improved since the last time I was there!). There are so many scenes in this movie that remind me of my life (fortunately I haven’t been chased by an unstoppable hitch hiking murderer), mostly the scenery and locations and the occasional Texan policeman with a serious attitude problem.
Well I’m surprised that they didn’t mention the archetypical father son instinctual relationship where the father „grooms” the son takes the animal kingdoms role to rebel against the father and take the rite of passage
Joe Lewis Henry Maybe coz I don’t want it to be unlucky lol. But this comment was just listing films off the top of my head; on my ACTUAL ranking that I made today, it sits at 39th. It was hard to rank my favourites, but I got through it, thankfully. I still reckon it’s the best of its kind, though
12:45 I feel you bro... Like, there was some kind of strange bond between Jim and John. John never killed him although he had multiple chances and so Jim. And the scene in the commissary is brilliant, John extends his hand to Jim and Jim hold it for a hald second and then splits on John and John, as crazy maniac as he is, feels the split between his fingertips. There was a weird connection... nothing gay i don't think that but I'm sure there was some strange "thing"
The title seems a play on words. Alfred Hitchcock made psycho thrillers like this, where you left the theater sure you had seen the woman in the shower knifed or the woman between the trucks pulled apart (but had not) and "Hitcher" certainly calls to mind his name. Perhaps we failed the film industry by not naming an entire genre like this.
About the sex scene, it was a good thing to skip it. One could think that since it works in The Terminator, it could have worked in this movie, but the mood is different.
There’s a sort of sex scene in the remake.. and the Ryder character attempts to rape the girl which I find pretty bloody distasteful. This needed none of that shit.
I don't like horror either, but it's more than that. If it was a straight up slasher film I would not want to watch it. I had turned it off as a teenager catching it late night one time it was a bit much back then. Now I just look the other way if anything I don't like happens. I am glad I stuck with it (just finished watching). Very good film with suspense and mystery right to the end! Also the guy who plays the young charge hasn't aged a bit!
I kinda looked at John riders back story like maby his reason of being crazy many he had a daughter are son who died as a result nobody's would help him get to them in time and made it a reason to kill to make a point of a constant revenge and after Jim defeats him he is compailed and obsessed over Jim almost on a bizarre sexual level cause at this point in riders life he lost all reguard for human life and just was far to gone into madness who knows how long it had been going on lol my look on the film
He was the best for the part. They should have used him again. Nobody will compare the new one sucks. Originally the story line was in donley Texas and error on the film makers for using el paso dps radio traffic when donley is in the panhandle. Still good movie though. The new one is based off new Mexico plot. The 86 version is the best one.
I think it should now be properly remade as in the OLD Hitcher 1986, set in 1986, starring Mads Mikkelsen. Only he has what it takes to be ALMOST as good as Rutger!
@@desertrose1226 ya NO one can replace Rutger but I agree a close second would be Mads or even Javier Bardem. This movie for some reason has a resemblance to No country for old men.
Does anyone know what is in the handkerchief with the 6 bullets that John Ryder gives to Jim Halsey in the café?? You can clearly see the 6 bullets, but there’s something else with them. I have wondered this forever.
I love it, have seen it many times, since it came out, excellent acting performances, the score of Isham is both excellent, haunting and beautiful...without it distracting from the movie as the actors mentioned, cinematography great...it is a kind of bare, simplistic, barren canvas but that makes the art of it more subtle and clever. It is horrific and disturbing but not a gore fest and gore would have detracted from its sophistication... Yes there are quite a few things that seem impossible to highly improbable, but Hauer's character and aura seem to kind of make it acceptable. The decision to avoid any carnal intimacy between Halsey and the girl was correct as well. It is a rich yet simple movie that impacts the viewer psychologically and emotionally. The remake was a terrible woke disaster.
I have to say i love the movie it is a classic but "Jim Halsey" is worned out in the interview nothing to do with the movie but i guess was on something
Why did that family (that is later slaughtered) just pick up an adult male hitchiker and allow him to sit in their back seat, cuddling their young daughter? Who just lets a strange man around their children?
bc he is probably supernatural on some level and can charm himself into people trusting him if he wants to. Thats why I dont really question things like that. He is above a normal person.
Loved the movie, but I got to tell ya, for awhile there I thought I was watching a gay movie (not that there's anything wrong with that). Also, why was the director, etc. scared of Rutger, a journeyman actor, certainly not a star, as indicated by Howell?
Lol really? xD that wasnt the truth of the film. If you just want to see gayness in everything when there is not that speak more about you then the thing you are trying to inject it into. Why sexualize everything? And why sexualize a psycho-horror-action movie? There is no gay here. What is with you women that want everything to be about gay sex? If you arent getting any in real life than try harder.