DEATH VALLEY (1982)
Article 3851 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-19-2012
Posting Date: 2-29-2012
Directed by Dick Richards
Featuring Paul Le Mat, Catherine Hicks, Stephen McHattie
Country: USA
What it is: Psycho killer movie

A young child, on vacation in Death Valley with his divorced mother and her boyfriend, discovers a clue that may lead to the solution of a number of serial killings in the area. But the killer knows about the boy…

Peter Billingsley is most remembered as having played Ralphie in the holiday perennial, A CHRISTMAS STORY. I don’t know if this movie played any role in helping him get the part in that movie, but I could see how it might; Billingsley is so likable and natural here that his presence is probably the best thing about the movie; despite fifth billing, he is more or less the lead character. The other performances are acceptable, and this makes the movie watchable enough. However, the plot is incredibly weak, and relies so heavily on a series of incredible coincidences that it really becomes difficult to swallow. It doesn’t help that many characters act with real stupidity at several points of the story. This one is better watched for the performances than the story.