The description in Sci Fi's July 2008 press release was very short: "Greg Evigan hits the road again in this movie about a racecar driver from beyond the grave."
Does anyone know a little bit more about PR's premise, plot and characters?
Here's a slightly different premise:
The vengeful spirit of a racecar driver haunts his old car.
Movie summary
When former friends and rival Nascar racers JJ Sawyer and Cutter McConaughey collide in a fiery accident on the track, only JJ survives. Sixteen years later, he is a guilt-ridden "truckie" transporting race cars from track to track without a life.
Unexpectedly stopping in his home town, JJ discovers that Cutter’s race car has been completely restored and now, because of JJ’s presence, it comes alive, haunted by its old driver. The car wants revenge. It wants JJ. Unfortunately, innocent people get in its way before anyone realizes what’s happening and soon the local Sheriff, faced with a mysterious murder spree, makes JJ the prime suspect.
By now JJ knows all too well that the car is out for bloody revenge and is locked in a frantic death race with the seemingly unstoppable car, trying to save not just himself, but his old girlfriend and her daughter.
Mile after brutal mile, the highway becomes a battleground as these two rivals once again speed toward the final confrontation that will finally bring and end to the frightening rampage of the Phantom Racer... (source: Insight Films)
the plot sounds like The Wraith, here is the plot by memory, Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes) and his gang steal the cars of people they threaten into intimidation races. As a result, the entire town is scared of him, except for his 'proclaimed' girlfriend Keri Johnson (Sherilyn Fenn), who, in reality, wants nothing to do with Packard.
Packard's control of the highways is suddenly targeted by the driver of a black high powered vehicle known only as the Wraith. The unknown racer arrives in town, just as a new guy named Jake Kesey (Charlie Sheen) does. Jake's first move is on Keri, and he also befriends Billy Hankins (Matthew Barry), who was the younger brother of her ex-boyfriend. Jake asks Billy about Keri's intentions with Packard, and Billy reveals to him that Keri was dating his brother Jamie before he was killed.
While Jake and Keri become closer, Packard's gang gets smaller and smaller as they each take on the unknown car in one on one races and end up dead at the end of them. Sheriff Loomis (Randy Quaid) begins tracking down the car in an attempt to find out what's going on, but the unknown driver is unstoppable.
After finally spending time with Jake during which they make love, Keri notices the similarities between Jake and her ex-boyfriend, Jamie. Packard decides to confront Keri after the last of his gang is killed by the Wraith, except for Rughead (Clint Howard) who quits the gang upon realizing who was after them and why, and he beats Billy in front of everyone at the fast food spot that he works at along with Keri. When Keri questions Packard, he reveals to her that he had Jamie killed because he felt he should have her instead of Jamie. Just as he pulls his switchblade, the Wraith appears and challenges him to one last race, which results in Packard being killed. With no gang left, Sheriff Loomis ends the investigation and the pursuit of the Wraith.
That night, Keri is arriving at her home just as the driver of the Wraith pulls up to the curb and reveals himself as Jake. Keri can't believe her eyes- but Jake tells her that his new body was the closest he could get to being Jamie again, and tells her that they were "destined" to be together. He then asks her to wait for him because he has one last thing to take care of.
Jake finds Billy cleaning up at the fast food kitchen, and gives him the keys to the Interceptor, the only one of its kind. Billy asks "Who are you, bro?", to which Jake replies, "You said it, brother." Just before he rides off on his dirt bike, Jake shouts that the instruction manual is in the glove box compartment of the car. Billy runs after him, but Jake is already gone. As Billy shouts after Jake, he realizes that Jake is in fact his murdered brother Jamie (shouting first "Jake" and then "Jamie"). Jake picks up Keri who was being watched by Sheriff Loomis, and they ride off into the night.
i got a good memory seen this youtube a couple of weeks ago!
The wraith was actually watchable and had a budget.X
shareAnyone else notice that the car changed from a chevy monte carlo, to at the very end after it's crushed, it becomes a chevy cavalier. rofl!
definately fit the build of a low budget "Syfy" movie.. lol.. hilariously aweful special effects, acting was surprisingly not sucky... but come on.. a race car with headlights, tail lights, tinted power windows, and a stereo with removable faceplace? not somethin you'll find in even the lowest of stock car racing circuits :)
ROFl..
Cheesy yes.. but good for a few laughs.
Don't forget the ginzu knife windshield wipers option...I about fell outta my chair at that one
shareNow, now..the guy did say he made some changes to make OK for the street. Why that included a wood chipper in the trunk is beyond me but...
Another good question is why a 17 year old race car looks suspiciously like the "modern" race car that B.J., er I mean J.J. was hauling?
Anyone else catch the nice reference to Evigans past show?
"You killed 'My Two Dads'." LOL THAT was funny
The "hits the road again" is a reference to Evigan's late 70's TV series 'BJ & The Bear' about a truck driver (that's the connection to this movie) and his chimpanzee companion.
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