The Hitcher (1986)

The Hitcher (1986)

Author: Shat on Entertainment May 21, 2026 Duration: 1:04:47

Shat The Movies hits the open road with The Hitcher, the 1986 horror-thriller that transformed an ordinary highway drive into pure nightmare fuel. Starring Rutger Hauer as the terrifying and impossibly calm John Ryder, the film follows a young traveler who makes the mistake of picking up a hitchhiker—and spends the rest of the movie trying to survive the consequences.

Gene and Big D break down why Hauer's performance feels less like a human villain and more like an unstoppable force of nature, debate whether C. Thomas Howell's Jim is incredibly unlucky or catastrophically stupid, and revisit the movie's bleak, sweaty atmosphere that makes every gas station and desert highway feel hostile. Along the way, the guys discuss the film's infamous truck sequence, the bizarrely useless police force, and why this movie permanently convinced an entire generation never to pick up hitchhikers.

Full movie info below

While transporting a car across the Southwest, a young man picks up a mysterious hitchhiker who quickly reveals himself to be a sadistic killer. Framed for a string of brutal murders and hunted by police, the driver is forced into a deadly game of survival across endless desert highways.

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Remember those Friday nights at the video store, the thrill of finding that one perfect VHS tape to define your weekend? Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review digs into that exact feeling, hosted by the team at Shat on Entertainment. This isn't just a nostalgic trip down memory lane; it's a critical, funny, and often brutally honest re-examination of the films we adored (or just endured) during those decades. Each episode focuses on a specific movie, asking the hard questions: does this classic actually hold up, or were we just easily impressed kids? The conversation goes beyond simple reviews, exploring the cultural context of the time, the lasting impact of these stories, and why certain cinematic magic from that era feels so difficult to replicate today. You'll get deep dives into character choices, plot holes we all ignored, and the sheer practical effects that defined an age. It's for anyone who has ever rewatched a childhood favorite and wondered, "Was this always kind of... weird?" Listen to this podcast for a blend of genuine appreciation and well-reasoned skepticism, all delivered with the passion of film fans who lived through the era of rewinding tapes and hoping the rental copy wasn't too scratched. Join the discussion as we separate the timeless treasures from the nostalgic fluff, one iconic film at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
Podcast Episodes
Diggstown (1992) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:22
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Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:14
This week on Shat the Movies, we're signing on with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), the war comedy that promised nonstop laughs and delivered something stranger, sadder, and more complicated. Robin Williams turns in one of…
Heavyweights (1995) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:15
This week, Gene and Big D tackle a commission with a personal touch: Zach — a top 0.5% Shat the Movies listener and fitness industry pro — was gifted a review of the 1995 Disney comedy Heavyweights. Written by Judd Apato…
American Pie (1999) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:19
This week on Shat the Movies, we're revisiting American Pie (1999), the movie that launched a thousand awkward teen comedies and permanently changed how people look at baked goods. Gene and Big D break down the friendshi…
Double Jeopardy (1999) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
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The Negotiator (1998) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:39
This week, Shat The Movies heads to Chicago for The Negotiator, the 1998 hostage thriller that asks a simple question: What happens when the best hostage negotiator in the city takes hostages of his own? Starring Samuel…
Rapid Fire (1992) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:53
This week, Shat The Movies steps into the crossfire with Rapid Fire, the 1992 action thriller that gave Brandon Lee his best showcase as a leading man. Commissioned by listener Rob H., this early-'90s cult favorite blend…
Jerry Maguire (1996) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:07
This week, Shat The Movies dives into Jerry Maguire, Cameron Crowe's 1996 romantic dramedy that gave us mission statements, sports agents, and more endlessly quoted lines than almost any movie of the decade. Tom Cruise s…
True Colors (1991) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:44
This week on Shat the Movies, we're revisiting True Colors (1991), where friendship and ambition collide in a very 90s way. John Cusack and James Spader play college friends whose paths split as one chases power in polit…
The Way of the Gun (2000) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:34
This week on Shat the Movies, we're diving into The Way of the Gun (2000), where kidnapping goes sideways and nobody is as smart as they think they are. Ryan Phillippe and Benicio del Toro play low-rent criminals who stu…