Terror mortal

In DEATH VALLEY, Sally (Catherine Hicks) takes her son, Billy (Peter Billingsley) to Arizona to meet her new boyfriend, Mike (Paul Le Mat). Things get off to an awkward start, since Billy is having a hard time getting used to the idea of his parents' divorce. Of course, this is the least of their worries, due to a certain string of murders in the area, and the fact that Billy just happens to stumble upon one of the crime scenes.

Let the vacation from hell begin.

This is a solid entry from the golden age of slasher films. As such, it builds rather slowly, with more emphasis on the family troubles. This helps to make it more suspenseful when it really gets going. Plus, character development is an important ingredient, making us care more about these people.

Mr. Le Mat and Ms. Hicks have good chemistry together, and young Mr. Billingsley is one of the least annoying kids to ever appear in one of these movies. Also, Wilford Brimley is great as the Sheriff.

A mostly-forgotten gem that needs to be rediscovered...