Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov is the person behind this 1990 film. L’autostop was meant to be a short promotional video for Fiat, but it sort of blew out of proportion and became a lovely short film. The story here is that of an Italian racer who needs to drive a car to Russia from Italy.
During his road trip, the racer, who apparently has no real family, ventures into the Russian forests and creates himself a fully fictional family. What starts out as a road trip movie ends up being a cautionary tale about the choices we make in life.
The Car
Not a very original name for a car film, 'The Car' was released in 1977. The plot of the film, however, is anything but seen before. In this deranged motion picture, a black car, that may or may not have been forged in the bowels of hell, wreaks havoc on a small town. James Brolin plays the lawman who tries to stop it.
The oddity of this film is also its best forte. After all, you rarely know what to expect from a possessed car. Elliot Silverstein, the director of this unusual horror film, chose a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark III for the evil car, but it had to be heavily customized before it could terrorize people on screen.
Mercedes, Mon Amour
This Turkish film is not half as recognized as it should be. It has elements reminiscing of both 'The Old Man and the Sea' and 'The Bicycle Thieves'. It tells the story of a Turkish villager who finds a job in Germany and saves every penny in order to buy a yellow Mercedes, his dream car.
When trying to drive his Mercedes back to his village, he encounters numerous obstacles along the way. One such obstacle, for example, is other Turkish drivers. This story manages to deliver strong messages about human nature as well as a great sense of humor.
The Driver
Ryan O'Neal plays a tough stuntman in Walter Hill's film, 'The Driver'. The stuntman in the film also has a side hustle as a getaway driver. The film has also inspired the later feature, 'Drive'. O'Neal's stuntman makes sure not to get emotionally involved in his less-than-legal activities, but that proves to be easier said than done.
The stuntman/getaway driver, who never lets anyone into his head or heart, forms a special relationship with another person. The emotional cocoon he lives in slowly starts to crack. His relationship with his car is a beautiful analogy to that inner process.
Joy Ride
This underrated film was released in 2001 and never got the praise that it is really due. Paul Walker and Steve Zahn play two brothers. Walker plays Lewis, the romantic, doing-the-right-thing kind of guy, while Zahn plays Fuller, the more dangerous type who plays a practical joke that goes a little too far.
Fuller's dangerous practical joke was done over CB radio and played on a mysterious trucker known as Rusty Nail. Rusty Nail himself turns out to be a psycho killer intent on getting his revenge on the man who pranked him. The film is worth watching even if you aren't fans of the genre, thanks to the wonderful chemistry between Walker and Zahn.