The Wraith (1986)
Directed by Mike Marvin
My family got HBO in '84, this was back when there was only one version of the channel, not the twelve available today. Back then there was not a large selection of movies on this channel. The Wraith, and a lot of other movies that will be on this site, were shown more times than anyone could believe. The film holds a special place in my heart as I'm sure in Mr. Sheen's heart as well.
The plot is a timeless tale: Boy gets killed by insane car gang and comes back to life to seek revenge.
The Wraith was directed by Mike Marvin, from such classics as Hamburger: The Movie and Wishman. So by the start of this masterpiece you know you are in capable hands. It stars, a very young into drugs Charlie Sheen and a very young into the end of her career Sherilyn Fynn. The costars include, future director of The Notebook, Nick Cassavetes and Uncle Eddie himself, Randy Quaid.
From the start we learn a few things: The town is ruled by a street race team of teenagers, I think they are teenagers. This same street race team has killed Sherilyn Fynn's boyfriend Jamie. Everyone knows they did it just no one says anything in fear of the fast furious team of racers.
The Wraith opens with the local Sharks intimidating people into racing for their pink slips. Because of this the entire town is scared of them except for Fynn's character Keri. The leader of this group is Cassavetes, in a great role, as Packard Walsh. Before I move on, why didn't Cassavetes do more films and why did Sherilyn Fynn?
Everything is all well and good in crazy land till a racer known only as Turbo Interceptor shows up and destroys Packard world by racing his team and killing them in the process. Around the same time a new boy shows up by the name of Jake played by the award watching thespian Charlie Sheen. I wonder if they are connected some how? Quaid's character Sheriff Loomis begins to look into the death of Walsh's boys. Which is funny because for some reason he doesn't care what happens in his town till someone starts to kill off the local latchkey kids that everyone despises.
While all of this is happening, new pretty boy Jake forms relationships with Keri and Jamie's dead brother Billy, played by Matthew Barry. It wouldn't be an '80's movie without a sex scene, and of course Keri and Jake take full advantage of this rule. In bed Keri notices some similarities between Jake and poor dead Jamie. That is a bit strange if you ask me.
The whole movie head towards the show down between Packard and The Wraith. I won't spoil the film for anyone so I will leave the rest of the movie up to you to see.
The movie is a little dated because it is the '80's but what can you do. The race scenes are pulled off without a hitch. The acting is better than expected for what the movie is about; especially Clint Howard. I have to say the hair styles need a special shout out for being all over the place. We have greaser, mod, surfer, you name it this movie has it.
So check this one out or watch it again. This is a great forgotten classic.
Till next time...
7/10
