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“If you’re going to race with the devil, you’ve got to be as fast as Hell!” An RV might not be the best way to go “fast as hell,” but hey, it is the 70s. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they “speed” across Texas in an RV with Loretta Swit, Lara Parker, Warren Oates, and Peter Fonda in a desperate attempt to escape a Satanic cult in Race with the Devil.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 97 – Race with the Devil (1975)
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
IMDb
- Director: Jack Starrett
- Writers: Lee Frost, Wes Bishop
- Featured Cast:
- Peter Fonda as Roger Marsh
- Warren Oates as Frank Stewart
- Loretta Swit as Alice
- Lara Parker as Kelly
- R.G. Armstrong as Sheriff Taylor
- Jack Starrett as Gas station attendant
- Wes Bishop as Deputy Dave
Race with the Devil is a paranoia-drenched race through Texas in a quintessential 70s RV complete with an explosion; two rattlesnakes; a gun battle; devil worshippers; a nekkid sacrifice; and some 4-vehicle smash-and-crash action between an RV, a straight truck, a wrecker, and a pickup! Bill is lukewarm about the film but has high praise for Peter Fonda’s acting ability, just not necessarily in this film. Bleak endings are one of Chad’s things and Race with the Devil’s conclusion measures right up there with the bleakest of the bleak. He also points out how Kelly’s importance grows as the story progresses, giving Lara Parker a role into which to sink her teeth. Doc has a love of movies that include a figurative race, ala Vanishing Point (1971), and considers Race with the Devil to be a classic. Considering his love of The Car (1977), he is also very happy to see R. G. Armstrong in this film. The cast members are all it took to get Jeff on board but he also discovered some information of interest to him about the director, Jack Starrett.
So if you feel the need to experience an RV drive across Texas with some classic 70s actors experiencing significant Satanic panic, Ride with the Devil is just the ticket. And if you’re really psyched about catching this film, you can even find it on a double feature Blu-ray from Shout Factory paired with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974).
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at docrotten@decadesofhorror.com.
