The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)

Even seeing this first run as a teen, it was obvious that Rutger Hauer as John Ryder was a gorgeous Teutonic manifestation of cutie pie Jim's (C. Thomas Howell) gay panic. That helps justify both Ryder's Jason-Voorhees-like supernatural abilities and his perpetual coming on to Jim. A sexy-ass film when it isn't ripping women in half. But like so many horror films, it's over when it's over. Once you crack the not-so-difficult code, there's not much left to chew on. Ryder awakens feelings in Jim, Jim wants to eliminate them (especially when it's clear to even the cop trying to save him that there's something going on between the two of them), and then he succeeds in doing so. Not sure what it all says about gay panic. But as a de facto form of gay porn, I can swallow two hotties angsting against one another for 97 minutes. Love the tagline too. "The terror starts the moment he stops." Stop...mmmm...no, don't stop...just don't tell...

Grade: B+