Dead Even

Three stories culled from the cable-TV mystery/thriller anthology series The Hitchhiker. Each episode was introduced and wrapped up by the eponymous thumb-tripper of the title, but these book-end sequences have all been removed (apart from the epilogue of Last Scene). Ironically the reverse of the sleeve reveals “From the Hitchhiker series”. From just these three episodes it’s difficult to judge the quality of the whole series, which ran from 1983 to 1991 (eighty five episodes), but the sex and violence factor has been jacked up, affirming their subscription only cable status.

Face to Face (David Wickes, 1984) [Season 2, episode 3]

Dr. Christopher Hamilton (Robert Vaughn) is a skirt-chasing, slick-talking plastic surgeon, who’s not averse to sleeping with fellow doctors or his movie star clients. After a cocaine-fuelled sex romp with a patient, he botches a facial surgery procedure for a transvestite client. Later, whilst waitng for a flight to Paris, he’s picked up by an alluring air hostess…

Last Scene (Paul Verhoeven, 1985) [Season 3, episode 11]

Peter Coyote plays Alex Nolan, an under pressure actor-turned-director. His producer needs him to deliver a successful, commercial horror film, but has doubts about lead actress Leda Bedell’s (LaGena Hart) ability to deliver a convincing performance. Just before the final scene is to be shot, she starts being stalked by a white-masked killer — identical to the murderous maniac from the film she is starring in.

Lovesounds (David Wickes, 1984) [Season 2, episode 1]

A white-haired Klaus Kinski stars as egomaniacal composer Kurt Hoffman, who’s had installed a gigantic, sophisticated sound system. Its creator-sound technician, Eric Dunlap (Steve Shellen), is not only having problems with the unit’s reliability, he’s also have an affair with Kinski’s wife — the beautiful Veronica (Belinda Bauer). Kinski discovers her infidelity and takes merciless revenge, but the sound system seems to have a life of its own…