Taglines: Fear is the driving force.
Duel movie storyline. David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is just a regular family man on a business trip. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when a huge gasoline truck in front of him forces him to drive slower than he wants. As the drive continues, Mann realizes that he’s not dealing with just another road hog. Though he can never see the trucker’s face, the driver proves to be psychopathic, starting to run Mann off the road and trick or force him into a number of deadly situations.
As the horrific trip continues, Mann tries to lose the truck, but each time he thinks he’s finally in the clear, the truck returns to terrify him more. Finally, the horrific conflict builds to a point where he realizes that running won’t save him, and that he must take a stand and fight back against the insane trucker.
Duel is a 1971 American action thriller film written by Richard Matheson, which is based on his own 1971 short story. It’s the feature-length directorial debut of Steven Spielberg and was distributed by Universal Pictures. Dennis Weaver portrays David Mann, a business commuter from California driving a Plymouth Valiant while on his way to meet a client. He soon finds himself chased by the mostly unseen driver of a rusted Peterbilt 281 who chases and terrorizes Mann after Mann overtakes him.
Originally aired as a television film as part of the ABC Movie of the Week series on November 13, 1971, Duel later received an international theatrical release in an extended version featuring scenes shot after the film’s original broadcast. The film was critically acclaimed upon release for Spielberg’s direction and it has since been recognized as an influential cult classic.
Duel (1971)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Gene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Tim Herbert, Charles Seel, Shirley O’Hara, Alexander Lockwood, Amy Douglass
Screenplay by: Richard Matheson
Production Design by: Wallace Worsley Jr.
Cinematography by: Jack A. Marta
Film Editing by: Frank Morriss
Set Decoration by: Sal Blydenburgh
Art Direction by: Robert S. Smith
Music by: Billy Goldenberg
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: November 13, 1971
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