Killer Car Movies: “Killdozer” (1974)
Photo: Shaun Greiner via CC
When we think of cinematic slashers, our minds inevitably drift to the usual suspects. You know the lineup: Michael Myers from Halloween, Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Chucky from Child’s Play, and many more. But in this writer’s humble opinion, there should be one more name added to this legendary list: Killdozer. For this installment of The News Wheel’s ongoing spotlight on killer car movies, it’s finally time to give this bloodthirsty bulldozer the attention it deserves.
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The plot of “Killdozer”
The 1970s was the decade of the TV movie. Countless cheaply made productions covering every conceivable genre were hitting the airwaves with no end in sight. Some were backdoor pilots for TV shows, while some were interesting, if cheesy, concepts that often faded into relative obscurity. Have you ever heard of San Francisco International or Codename: Diamondhead? Probably not.
However, some of these cheap flicks would go on to achieve mild success and cult status. This is where 1974’s Killdozer enters the story.
In this low-budget horror flick, a crew of construction workers begin developing a South Pacific island. While on the job, they discover the ruins of an ancient civilization, and a large, blue stone that they cannot uproot. Naturally, the crew attempts to use their bulldozer – a rusty old Caterpillar D9, to be precise – to remove the stone. This has the unfortunate result of unleashing a non-corporeal alien entity onto the work site. Eventually, the entity takes possession of the Cat D9 and begins using it to slaughter the workers. Campy made-for-TV antics ensue.
Why it’s scary
Admittedly, this is another movie that’s rather light on legitimate scares. But what it lacks in fright it makes up for with a talented cast and a serious, dark tone. Despite the low budget, the film manages to create a tense atmosphere.
The most memorable and eerie shots of the movie are of the bulldozer itself, which is filmed in the same way an 80s slasher villain might be. Dark foregrounds and backlighting make the silhouette of the truck intimidating, and its frenzied movements are legitimately unsettling. The close-up shots of the Cat D9’s bucket raising and lowering, its levers going crazy, and black smoke shooting out of its exhaust pipe are actually quite freaky. Killdozer looks like a wild animal, a bloodthirsty beast that wants nothing more than to give you a good thrashing. As with Steven Spielberg’s Duel, it’s sometimes easy to forget that what you’re looking at is just a rusty old vehicle.
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It may be hard to take a movie about a possessed bulldozer seriously, but if you’re in the mood for some unconventional frights this Halloween season, give this one a try.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.