Review by Peter Syslo
KILLING CAR (France 1993) is a recent DVD release from the erotic/exotic horror professionals at Redemption USA/Salvation Films (www.salvation-films.com). If you are looking for horror that is a little bit different then you should definitely check out what Salvation Films has to offer – the selections are always interesting and the DVDs are always top quality, in regards to transfer, sound, etc. Regarding this DVD, KILLING CAR is basically a revenge story with a slight supernatural twist to it. It is not a typical, straightforward horror film; rather, it is a cross between an action-thriller and a slasher. While the film tends to favor action over story, until the very end, there was something that I liked about it and it was easy to watch – more of a gentle horror film than a nerve-wra cking, uncomfortable experience (sometimes you want to relax with a horror film and not be “on edge” the whole time).
KILLING CAR is directed by Jean Rollin, who is mainly famous for creating films with an erotic vampire theme. The film stars Tiki Tsang (the “femme fatale”), Frederique Hayman, Jean Jacques Lefeuvre, Karine Swenson, & Jean-Rene Gossard.
The movie is basically about a striking Asian woman (Tsang) who steals a car and hunts down various people and kills them, apparently for some sort of revenge. She carefully chooses her victims, who really don’t seem to have any connection, and she leaves a toy car at her murder scenes – like a signature or calling card. There is a team of two detectives (one who is retiring) who piece together her confusing crime scenes and try to figure out what is actually happening. All is learned in the end as the true story comes to light and you finally see the method to her madness.
KILLING CAR was enjoyable, overall, but I do have to admit that some of the action, which consists of the femme stalking and killing her victims with a pistol, does tend to get a little repetitive because you don’t know her true motive until the very end. I know that it is the “twist” of the film but maybe it could have been introduced a little earlier, in order to give some of the action more structure and meaning. Also, I had a misconception about the whole car idea – I thought that she would be killing people with her car, like something out of DEATH RACE 2000. The car theme actually does relate, with her signature style of leaving a toy car with her victims, etc., but this fact may be a little misleading for some viewers (don’t expect a story like CHRISTINE).
As far as the acting goes, I thought that Tsang played a great “femme fatale”; she did not have much dialog, but she had a silent presence about her – almost in a Michael Myers sort of way. She was patient with her victims and she seemed to like stalking and toying with them. The rest of the cast did a fine job, as well, and all created a believable atmosphere. Yes, there is also a strong erotic element to the film and the nudity is pervasive throughout – almost to the point of being exploitative at times (not that I’m complaining). For example, more than one female victim starts getting undressed and it just so happens that the murderer shows up at that exact moment. Some other “nude” instances include: a topless victim fleeing from certain doom, a full frontal photo shoot, and a chase scene with a group of falling-out-of their-clothes prostitutes. It is humorous how some of the scenes tie-in with the premise of th e film but I assure you that they do tie-in. On the other hand, even if the nude scenes were completely gratuitous, it’s actually just the right amount of “sleaze” and it adds to the overall flavor of the picture.
Cutting to the chase: KILLING CAR was a fairly good film. It is like an American action/revenge movie with a female lead and predominantly female cast. It does have the feel of an exploitation film, at times, but this is one of the things that does make it enjoyable and splashes some color into the sometimes “gray” action scenes. I do wish that some of her story was accessible earlier on but it did make for a nice ending to it all. It is not “go-for-the-jugular” horror but it is a different take on the revenge theme, with nice camerawork, dream-like images of the “femme fatale”, and the overall atmosphere of a slasher film. In short, if you like 1970s crime-drama with a supernatural/horror component, Rollin’s style (even though content is different), foreign horror, or exploitation films, then KILLING CAR may satisfy you needs. I give it a 6 out of 10.