Race with the Devil

I can't really explain it, but this movie felt weird from the beginning. I was kind of excited when they saw the sacrifice and thought well, now it's getting interesting, but everything after that somehow was not what I was expecting. First and foremost, it didn't really feel like a race, even though they are motorbike racers. Why introduce them like that, but never even use this again in the movie? [spoiler] tWhat was all that screaming about? The wives were portrayed as useless and annoying, and some scenes were just way too long. I almost couldn't handle the snake attack. Also, how does a satanic ritual fit into Aztec mythology?[/spoiler] I felt all this "background" story was just cheap and not well-thought-out. Many things threw me out of the movie, and somehow I couldn't really dive into it. I feel that the story itself could lead to some interesting things, but nobody bothered about them. I think it has much potential for a remake. The ending earned the movie an extra 1/2 star because I was not expecting this. Pretty cool and different!

This movie goes off the rails in the best way possible as vacationers witness a sacrificial killing by a satanic cult. The cultists pursue our heroes, including Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, and Peter Fonda in a car chase that feels like it could have inspired "The Road Warrior" (well, minus the dystopian setting and the biker gang fashions). The stunt work is inspired and the craziness of the final half hour is not to be missed. I've not seen Peter Fonda in much but he must have been popular for his cool demeanor because it doesn't seem like he's much of an actor. The ending is dark in the best 1970's tradition.