RACEHORSE SCREENING ROOM

"Fear is the Key"

(1972)

Director: Michael Tuchner

Director of Photography: Alex Thomson

Based on a novel by famed adventure writer Alistair MacLean, "Fear is the Key" initially starts off as a low key "Smokey and the Bandit" action piece layered with '70s cinema bonafides, but levels off into a smarter, complex character-driven revenge yarn with a swampy backwater Louisiana setting. The opening 20 minute car chase is a lot of fun and builds nicely and features a bright red Ford Torino that gets nice and trashed. Full of several other fabulously ugly early '70s automobile embarrassments. Barry Newman is cool in full "Vanishing Point" mode. Ben Kingsley is unrecognizable in his first role. Also featuring Suzy Kendall, John Vernon, and Dolph Sweet. Our first watch and another great discovery. Bought at Videomatica.