The Wraith (1986)

Great action, good characterisation, superb soundtrack. Cult 80s classic flick

Packard Walsh and his motorized gang control and terrorize an Arizona desert town where they force drivers to drag-race so they can ‘win’ their vehicles. After Walsh stabs the decent teenager Jamie Hankins to death for being intimate with a girl whom Walsh wants for himself, the mysterious Jake Kesey arrives, an extremely cool motor-biker with an invincible car. Jake befriends Jamie’s girlfriend Keri Johnson, takes Jamie’s sweet brother Billy under his wing and manages what Sheriff Loomis can not – the methodical and otherworldly elimination of Packard’s criminal gang

>One of my all-time favourites. A nice idea in the spirit of “The Car” or “Christine” with great action (mostly of well-show car chases in Tucson, Arizona). The characters were well constructed and (on the whole) well implemented by the actors, with Nick Cassavetes stealing the show as nutter, Packard Walsh. It also launched the careers of Charlie Sheen and Sherilyn Fenn (Fenn’s fans will be happy to see “more” of her in this one). For a night in with a pizza and a few mates round, this is a great film.

Trivia: The black car featured in the movie was a real-life technological wonder, the Dodge M4S. A joint effort of the Dodge Division of Chrysler Motors and PPG Industries, one of the highly sophisticated PPG Pace Cars for the PPG-CART Indy Car World Series. The M4S was designed and constructed at an estimated cost of $1.1 million, and featured performance and technology to match that lofty figure.

Trivia: Johnny Depp, who was then dating Sherilyn Fenn, was present during filming and was living in the film crew’s hotel with Fenn.

Written and Directed by Mike Marvin
Starring Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Fenn