the audience applauded

It is a performances centric movie

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Starring Peter Fonda and Warren Oates as the likeable leads, 'Race with the Devil' is about two vacationing couples who find themselves pursued by a satanic cult after witnessing a ritualistic murder. With a strong beginning, the film unfortunately never quite capitalises on its spine-tingling premise, and true sequences of horror and terrorisation you may expect from the plot description never quite come to fruition. The plot meanders at a stately pace after the sacrifice and escape, trying to envelope proceedings with paranoia and fear at every opportunity. Every local seems to be part of the creepy cult, and yet they seem intent on playing games with their victims rather than outright laying on scares or kills. But 'Race with the Devil' makes up for any flaws and narrative shortcomings with a tensely staged car chase in the finale. Vehicular destruction and admirable stunts present themselves in the final scenes, and its pleasing to see the cultists finally shift into their endgame and come at the protagonists with aggressive determination. There are deaths, explosions, and barrel rolls to keep up the tension, and just when it seems the main cast has escaped the clutches of evil, a surprising and clever twist makes us realise the true horror the film alluded to earlier: everyone in the vicinity including police is seemingly ensnared in devil worship. The final image is a creepy downer reminiscent of The Wicker Man, and makes 'Race with the Devil' a low-key recommendation. 7/10

RACE WITH THE DEVIL is a solid horror action movie that takes place entirely on the road. This film preceded MAD MAX and ROAD WARRIOR by at least 5 years. I bet the final chase scene in ROAD WARRIOR was inspired by this film's chase scene.It was a pleasure to watch it on blu ray - those beautiful American landscapes, gas stations, electric poles etc.The film has stood up pretty well even though it was made 40 years ago. The hands on action scenes are excellent. Though the people in the satanic cult are portrayed as rather dumb. But even then, great idea and execution.PETER FONDA is dull as usual. And WARREN OATES doesn't have much to do. For people who were into motorcycle racing, the two couples were pretty dour. The female characters were particularly common place.Tarantino might have been inspired by this film when he made the snake bite scene in KILL BILL 2.

Never mind the nasty dismissal in the annual paperback guide to movies by critic Leonard Maltin and cronies. This is classic, exhilarating *and* suspenseful drive-in entertainment, man!Real-life good friends Peter Fonda and Warren Oates play buddies Roger and Frank, who embark on a vacation with wives Kelly (Lara Parker) and Alice (Loretta Swit) that includes, or will include, activities such as camping, motorcycle racing, and, hopefully, skiing. Frank has even procured a state-of-the-art RV for the occasion. Unfortunately for this quartet, Roger and Frank end up witnessing a Satanic ritual & sacrifice taking place across a river. The Satanists (supposedly played by actual Satanists) realize they've been witnessed and thereafter relentlessly pursue the heroes.Actor / director Jack Starrett ("Slaughter", "Cleopatra Jones") stepped in on short notice to replace original director Lee Frost (Frost and co-writer / producer / actor Wes Bishop being familiar names to exploitation aficionados) as 20th Century Fox was dissatisfied with what Frost was turning out. And the results make for a fine viewing experience. The tension just builds and builds throughout the whole thing. Just get a load of the sequence where the nervous Kelly sees, or seems to see, menace in every strange face around her. This will have the audience thinking, "Just how many people are in on, or could be in on, this whole damn thing?" You'll wonder, too, if there's *anybody* trustworthy in the cast of characters.Particularly exciting scenes are those where Roger and Frank have to rush to get their vehicle going again before the villains can catch up, and where they and their wives must deal with an attack by a pair of rattlers. But best of all is the invigorating, breathless climactic action featuring some extremely impressive human and vehicle stunts. Leonard Rosenman's music score is ominous through and through, and there's one Hell of a distinctive looking tree to serve as an enduring image. Fonda, Oates, Swit, and Parker are immensely likable, and the supporting cast includes old pro R.G. Armstrong as the sheriff, Bishop as Deputy Dave, Phil Hoover as the creepy looking mechanic, and Paul A. Partain (Franklin in the original "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre") in a bit part. The movie features one of the most priceless of the downbeat endings common to 1970's cinema, ending this on a perfect note."Race with the Devil" is must viewing for anybody looking to discover the drive-in favourites of decades past.Nine out of 10.

The premise here is pure grindhouse. Two couples on a vacation take the wrong turn of the road and see something they weren't supposed to see, the cops are not too quick to assist them, the locals are suspect, and before they know it devilworshippers are on their path. Reason I came to Race with the Devil is that inveterate badass, Warren Oates, thinking I may find another little gritnik gem in the raw. This is no Hired Hand Oates did again with Peter Fonda, it's certainly no Monte Hellman although it tries to resemble a road movie, and it's generally forgettable to the point that even Oates and Fonda seem to be generally nonplussed by the material. Some may find it entertaining as a satanic cult paranoia b-movie or an action road flick where beatup vehicles speed up in empty roads and slam at each other. Me, I came looking for something this movie is not, no harm done though. I don't exactly lament my wasted time because sometimes you take chances and not all of them will pay off.