Steven Spielberg was a young pup in his early 20s, laboring in television — directing episodes of "Columbo" and "Night Gallery" — when he got his first big break. It was a TV movie of the week, a little quick-and-dirty shot-on-location thriller, titled "Duel," which made his name in the industry and helped him land his first theatrical film, "The Sugarland Express."
Both are essentially feature-length car-chases — and though "Duel" was made years after "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." it also came well before "Vanishing Point" and all those Burt Reynolds car-chase flicks.
"Duel" and "Sugarland" have been released on DVD for the first time this week.
"Sugarland" is an interesting film, with star Goldie Hawn trying to take her career in a more dramatic direction after playing ditsy blondes in several comedies (here, she plays a ditsy blonde in a comedy-drama). But "Duel" remains one of Spielberg's best films, a highly accomplished nail-biter that is as thrilling today as when it was first shown.
"Duel" (Universal, 1971, PG, $19.98). Dennis Weaver stars as a businessman driving through the California mountains to an appointment when he gets into a cat-and-mouse game with a big-rig driver (whom we never see). As Spielberg explains in a bonus interview, the truck itself becomes the antagonist, as we identify with Weaver's hapless efforts to outrun it.
That description may seem like a long stretch for a 90-minute movie, but thanks to a sharp screenplay by Richard Matheson (who based it on his own short story), smart directing on the part of the young-and-ambitious Spielberg, and superb editing, you'll be held in rapt attention, and you'll spend much of it on the edge of your seat.
Extras: Full frame, interviews with Spielberg and Matheson, photo gallery, trailers, subtitle options (English, Spanish, French), chapters.
"The Sugarland Express" (Universal, 1974, PG, $19.98). Hawn is the star attraction here, five years after winning her best supporting-actress Oscar. She plays a troubled young woman who helps her husband (William Atherton) escape from prison, then they race across the state of Texas to regain custody of their young child, who's been placed with foster parents.
But things get complicated when they kidnap a police officer (Michael Sacks), steal his patrol car and find themselves being chased by half the law enforcement of Texas, led by a down-to-Earth police captain (Ben Johnson). And especially when they become media darlings!
There is some clever satire, and Spielberg labors to make the chase scenes interesting and the film as character-driven as possible. All the performances are fine, anchored by the ever-reliable Johnson.
Based on a true story.
Extras: Widescreen, trailers, subtitle options (English, Spanish, French), chapters.
E-mail: hicks@desnews.com