Joy Ride (film)
Encyclopedia
Joy Ride, also known as Road Kill, is a 2001 American thriller road movie
. The film was written by J. J. Abrams
and Clay Tarver
, and directed by John Dahl
. It stars Steve Zahn
, Paul Walker
, and Leelee Sobieski
.
), a student of UC Berkeley in California, packing to go home as it is the end of his freshman year and the beginning of the summer holidays. At 3 a.m. he talks on the phone with his childhood friend Venna Wilcox (Leelee Sobieski
), who attends the University of Colorado at Boulder
, Colorado and is also packing to go home. She tells him that she has just broken up with her boyfriend, and, in an attempt to get her romantically interested in him, Lewis offers to pick her up and drive her home in a scenic and pleasant cross-country road trip
, instead of both of them flying back home by airplane. She enthusiastically agrees to the plan, and he refunds his airline tickets and buys a car, a 1971 Chrysler Newport, from a used car salesman and sets off alone across the countryside heading East to Colorado.
When he calls his parents during the trip, he learns his petty-crook older brother Fuller Thomas (Steve Zahn
) has managed to once again get into trouble with the law, this time for being outside of his parole jurisdiction, San Diego, and for being drunk and disorderly far away in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Since Salt Lake City is not too far from where he is, Lewis decides that, prior to picking up Venna, he will visit Fuller, whom he has not seen in five years. After being bailed out by him, Fuller decides to accompany his brother on the trip, although initially the two have a brief conflict.
The brothers stop at a truck stop
near the Wyoming border, where Fuller buys a CB radio for $40, merely for the purpose of fun and breaking the tension in the car. He chats with the other truckers in a mock hillbilly accent, giving himself and Lewis the handles "Black Sheep" and "Momma's Boy", respectively. One of the truckers gives a brief cryptic speech, and Fuller coaxes Lewis into playing a cruel prank on the mysterious driver, who identifies himself as "Rusty Nail
" (Matthew Kimbrough). Lewis pretends to be an attractive young woman named Candy Cane, sets up a meeting with Rusty Nail in the motel
where Lewis and Fuller will be spending the night, the Lone Star Motel in Table Rock, Wyoming
, and tells him to bring pink champagne. Rusty Nail apparently falls for the joke, genuinely believing Lewis to be female.
Rather than giving Rusty Nail his own room number, room 18, Lewis gives him the number of the room next door, room 17, which is occupied by a largely built, highly irritable and obnoxious businessman by the name of Ronald Ellinghouse (Kenneth White), who had a brief altercation with Fuller earlier that night in the Lone Star reception, for which Fuller wants revenge, while racially abusing the Indian night manager. The joke takes a fatal turn when Rusty Nail visits Ellinghouse's room and is believed to have been attacked. The next morning, the brothers are questioned by the local police and discover that Ellinghouse was the one who was brutally attacked and horrifically mutilated, found alive nearby but in a coma
, with his entire jawbone removed.
Rusty Nail, meanwhile, has easily evaded the authorities, due to his anonymity
and also the untraceable nature of CB radio. Lewis informs the police of the details of everything that occurred, much to Fuller's disapproval, and they are ordered to leave Wyoming before sunset. Back on the road, they encounter Rusty Nail on the CB radio again, who demands the whereabouts of "Candy Cane". Lewis tells him about the joke, and Fuller snaps at Rusty Nail when he demands an apology. The trip takes a terrifying turn when Rusty Nail reveals he's been following them.
Needing gas, Lewis and Fuller luckily find a nearby gas station but hastily fill up when an ice truck enters the station. Convinced the driver must be Rusty Nail, they flee in panic, only to discover the driver is Mr. Jones (Satch Huizenga), who is merely trying to return Lewis' credit card, which he left behind at the gas station. As the ice truck drives away, the real Rusty Nail plows through it, killing the innocent Mr. Jones. Another chase ensues which compels Fuller to apologize and explain the reason for the joke. Rusty Nail accepts the apology and drives away.
Believing themselves to be safe, the brothers meet up with Venna in Boulder, Colorado, and are introduced to her roommate, Charlotte (Jessica Bowman
). While the three spend a night at a motel, Rusty Nail calls, believing they lied about the presence of a girl. He continues to stalk and taunt them, kidnapping Charlotte and holding her hostage. He orders Lewis and Fuller to go into a crowded Nebraska diner completely nude, under the threat of killing Charlotte, so that they would understand the feeling of being "the butt of the joke".
He orders them to drive to a cornfield just inside the Nebraska border, step out, and walk 100 feet (30.5 m) ahead of the car. He chases them around the field in various directions with the truck, separating them from one another, at which point he takes his chance to kidnap Venna. Frantically searching for Venna, the brothers discover their car set on fire and before it explodes, Rusty Nail instructs them to meet him in Room 17 of a motel in the nearby town of Medford, Nebraska and to bring a bottle of pink champagne. He sets a trap in the room, designed to kill the bound and gagged Venna when the door to the room is opened by attaching a wire tied to the door handle on one end to the trigger of a shotgun aimed directly at her head. Lewis and Fuller eventually find the motel and the room, discovering that Rusty Nail and Venna are actually in Room 18. Fuller attempts to save Venna by sneaking to the back window while Lewis keeps Rusty Nail on the phone, but is caught by the maniacal driver. Finding his brother with his leg impaled and dangling from a fence, Lewis tries to release him, but when the police arrive, Lewis saves Venna in time as the cops open the door to the room, triggering the trap.
Meanwhile, Rusty Nail attempts to run Fuller over, but Lewis pulls him to safety as the police open fire on the approaching truck before it crashes through the motel room. The police search the truck, finding a bloodied, dead body in the driver's seat and the bound and gagged Charlotte on the floor. Believing that Rusty Nail is dead, the three huddle around an ambulance and receive treatment for their injuries. At this point, the body is revealed to be the innocent ice truck driver, Mr. Jones. Lewis, Fuller, and Venna listen to the CB radio of the ambulance as Rusty Nail gives another brief cryptic speech, indicating his survival and escape.
The film went under the working titles of Candy Cane, Highway Horror and Squelch. The film also goes under numerous other titles in other countries: Never Play with Strangers in Israel, Radio Killer in Italy, Never talk to strangers in Greece
, and Road Killer in Japan.
, Duel, and there are numerous references to it. For example, in one scene, a seemingly maniacal ICE truck pulls up to a gas station that the brothers have pulled up to. In Duel, a likewise maniacal truck pulls up the protagonist, and a small billboard for ICE is visible in the background.
The central antagonist, "Rusty Nail", remains almost entirely unseen throughout the film and was portrayed by hulking actor Matthew Kimbrough in the brief shot of the villain towards the end of the film. Rusty Nail's voice heard on the radio throughout most of the film was provided by veteran actor Ted Levine
due to his distinctive voice tone, and was added in post production. Eric Stoltz
and Eric Roberts
also auditioned for the role of Rusty Nail. Rusty Nail's truck
is a 359 Peterbilt
.
.
In the alternate ending where Rusty Nail's truck explodes, you can see a water tower behind the truck as it burns. The original intention was to have the truck hit the water tower and have the water come down and put the flames out so that it would be believable if Rusty Nail survived. However, time constraints kept the scene from being filmed. The water tower cost over $100,000.
Leelee Sobieski filmed two different romantic interludes, one with Steve Zahn and one with Paul Walker during the shooting and re-shooting of the film. Both scenes ended up getting cut. This may explain why Venna appears to be romantically interested in both brothers, a plot point not elaborated on in the theatrical cut of the film.
.
sequel entitled Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead
was released in October 2008 by 20th Century Fox
. The film was directed by Louis Morneau, and stars Nick Zano
, Kyle Schmid
, Nicki Aycox
, Rebecca Davis and Laura Jordan
. It does not feature any of the original cast, and was noted by fans of the original for its toning down of the Alfred Hitchcock
-type tension and atmosphere. Also, the character of Rusty Nail was not voiced by Ted Levine
and it has been noted that the killer had been reduced from being an original, intriguing, mysterious, and intelligent yet unhinged character with complex motivations to a fairly unremarkable and cliché-ridden stock villain who merely acts on impulse.
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
. The film was written by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
and Clay Tarver
Clay Tarver
Clay Tarver is an American guitarist and writer.-Music career:He first came to prominence as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Boston hard rock/punk band, Bullet LaVolta in the late 1980s. They recorded a few records for Taang! RCA and Matador records before disbanding in 1991...
, and directed by John Dahl
John Dahl
John Dahl is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre.-Life and career:John Dahl was born in Billings, Montana, the second of four children . Dahl spent his young life in and around Montana all the way up through his college years...
. It stars Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn
-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
, Paul Walker
Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
, and Leelee Sobieski
Leelee Sobieski
Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski , known professionally as Leelee Sobieski, is an American actress. Sobieski achieved recognition in her mid-teens for her performance in the 1998 film Deep Impact...
.
Plot
The film begins with Lewis Thomas (Paul WalkerPaul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
), a student of UC Berkeley in California, packing to go home as it is the end of his freshman year and the beginning of the summer holidays. At 3 a.m. he talks on the phone with his childhood friend Venna Wilcox (Leelee Sobieski
Leelee Sobieski
Liliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski , known professionally as Leelee Sobieski, is an American actress. Sobieski achieved recognition in her mid-teens for her performance in the 1998 film Deep Impact...
), who attends the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, Colorado and is also packing to go home. She tells him that she has just broken up with her boyfriend, and, in an attempt to get her romantically interested in him, Lewis offers to pick her up and drive her home in a scenic and pleasant cross-country road trip
Road trip
A road trip is any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.-Pre-automobile road trips:...
, instead of both of them flying back home by airplane. She enthusiastically agrees to the plan, and he refunds his airline tickets and buys a car, a 1971 Chrysler Newport, from a used car salesman and sets off alone across the countryside heading East to Colorado.
When he calls his parents during the trip, he learns his petty-crook older brother Fuller Thomas (Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn
-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
) has managed to once again get into trouble with the law, this time for being outside of his parole jurisdiction, San Diego, and for being drunk and disorderly far away in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Since Salt Lake City is not too far from where he is, Lewis decides that, prior to picking up Venna, he will visit Fuller, whom he has not seen in five years. After being bailed out by him, Fuller decides to accompany his brother on the trip, although initially the two have a brief conflict.
The brothers stop at a truck stop
Truck stop
A truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
near the Wyoming border, where Fuller buys a CB radio for $40, merely for the purpose of fun and breaking the tension in the car. He chats with the other truckers in a mock hillbilly accent, giving himself and Lewis the handles "Black Sheep" and "Momma's Boy", respectively. One of the truckers gives a brief cryptic speech, and Fuller coaxes Lewis into playing a cruel prank on the mysterious driver, who identifies himself as "Rusty Nail
Rusty Nail (Joyride)
Rusty Nail is a fictional character in the films Joy Ride and Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead. He is the antagonist and an unseen truck driver who hunts and kills his victims. However, in Joy Ride, different alternate endings ends up that Rusty Nail got killed. The theatrical cut is the only one in which...
" (Matthew Kimbrough). Lewis pretends to be an attractive young woman named Candy Cane, sets up a meeting with Rusty Nail in the motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
where Lewis and Fuller will be spending the night, the Lone Star Motel in Table Rock, Wyoming
Table Rock, Wyoming
Table Rock is a ghost town in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. It was a census-designated place at the 2000 census, with a population of 82, but by the 2010 census the population had dropped to 0.-Geography:...
, and tells him to bring pink champagne. Rusty Nail apparently falls for the joke, genuinely believing Lewis to be female.
Rather than giving Rusty Nail his own room number, room 18, Lewis gives him the number of the room next door, room 17, which is occupied by a largely built, highly irritable and obnoxious businessman by the name of Ronald Ellinghouse (Kenneth White), who had a brief altercation with Fuller earlier that night in the Lone Star reception, for which Fuller wants revenge, while racially abusing the Indian night manager. The joke takes a fatal turn when Rusty Nail visits Ellinghouse's room and is believed to have been attacked. The next morning, the brothers are questioned by the local police and discover that Ellinghouse was the one who was brutally attacked and horrifically mutilated, found alive nearby but in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
, with his entire jawbone removed.
Rusty Nail, meanwhile, has easily evaded the authorities, due to his anonymity
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
and also the untraceable nature of CB radio. Lewis informs the police of the details of everything that occurred, much to Fuller's disapproval, and they are ordered to leave Wyoming before sunset. Back on the road, they encounter Rusty Nail on the CB radio again, who demands the whereabouts of "Candy Cane". Lewis tells him about the joke, and Fuller snaps at Rusty Nail when he demands an apology. The trip takes a terrifying turn when Rusty Nail reveals he's been following them.
Needing gas, Lewis and Fuller luckily find a nearby gas station but hastily fill up when an ice truck enters the station. Convinced the driver must be Rusty Nail, they flee in panic, only to discover the driver is Mr. Jones (Satch Huizenga), who is merely trying to return Lewis' credit card, which he left behind at the gas station. As the ice truck drives away, the real Rusty Nail plows through it, killing the innocent Mr. Jones. Another chase ensues which compels Fuller to apologize and explain the reason for the joke. Rusty Nail accepts the apology and drives away.
Believing themselves to be safe, the brothers meet up with Venna in Boulder, Colorado, and are introduced to her roommate, Charlotte (Jessica Bowman
Jessica Bowman
Jessica Robyn Bowman is an American actress perhaps best known for her role as Colleen Cooper on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.-Career:Bowman was born in Walnut Creek, California...
). While the three spend a night at a motel, Rusty Nail calls, believing they lied about the presence of a girl. He continues to stalk and taunt them, kidnapping Charlotte and holding her hostage. He orders Lewis and Fuller to go into a crowded Nebraska diner completely nude, under the threat of killing Charlotte, so that they would understand the feeling of being "the butt of the joke".
He orders them to drive to a cornfield just inside the Nebraska border, step out, and walk 100 feet (30.5 m) ahead of the car. He chases them around the field in various directions with the truck, separating them from one another, at which point he takes his chance to kidnap Venna. Frantically searching for Venna, the brothers discover their car set on fire and before it explodes, Rusty Nail instructs them to meet him in Room 17 of a motel in the nearby town of Medford, Nebraska and to bring a bottle of pink champagne. He sets a trap in the room, designed to kill the bound and gagged Venna when the door to the room is opened by attaching a wire tied to the door handle on one end to the trigger of a shotgun aimed directly at her head. Lewis and Fuller eventually find the motel and the room, discovering that Rusty Nail and Venna are actually in Room 18. Fuller attempts to save Venna by sneaking to the back window while Lewis keeps Rusty Nail on the phone, but is caught by the maniacal driver. Finding his brother with his leg impaled and dangling from a fence, Lewis tries to release him, but when the police arrive, Lewis saves Venna in time as the cops open the door to the room, triggering the trap.
Meanwhile, Rusty Nail attempts to run Fuller over, but Lewis pulls him to safety as the police open fire on the approaching truck before it crashes through the motel room. The police search the truck, finding a bloodied, dead body in the driver's seat and the bound and gagged Charlotte on the floor. Believing that Rusty Nail is dead, the three huddle around an ambulance and receive treatment for their injuries. At this point, the body is revealed to be the innocent ice truck driver, Mr. Jones. Lewis, Fuller, and Venna listen to the CB radio of the ambulance as Rusty Nail gives another brief cryptic speech, indicating his survival and escape.
Cast
- Steve ZahnSteve Zahn-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
as Fuller Thomas - Paul WalkerPaul WalkerPaul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
as Lewis Thomas - Leelee SobieskiLeelee SobieskiLiliane Rudabet Gloria Elsveta Sobieski , known professionally as Leelee Sobieski, is an American actress. Sobieski achieved recognition in her mid-teens for her performance in the 1998 film Deep Impact...
as Venna Wilcox - Jessica BowmanJessica BowmanJessica Robyn Bowman is an American actress perhaps best known for her role as Colleen Cooper on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.-Career:Bowman was born in Walnut Creek, California...
as Charlotte - Matthew Kimbrough as Rusty NailRusty Nail (Joyride)Rusty Nail is a fictional character in the films Joy Ride and Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead. He is the antagonist and an unseen truck driver who hunts and kills his victims. However, in Joy Ride, different alternate endings ends up that Rusty Nail got killed. The theatrical cut is the only one in which...
- Ted LevineTed LevineFrank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...
as Voice of Rusty Nail - Stuart Stone as Danny, Lewis' roommate.
- Brian Leckner as Officer Keeney
- Jim BeaverJim BeaverJames Norman "Jim" Beaver, Jr. is an American stage, film, and television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian...
as Sheriff Ritter - Hugh DaneHugh DaneHugh Dane is an American television and film actor known most recently for his recurring role as Hank, the security guard in the US version of the television series, The Office.- Acting career :...
as Man at Door - Jay HernandezJay HernandezJavier Manuel "Jay" Hernandez, Jr. is an American actor.-Early life and career:Hernandez was born in Montebello, California, the son of Isis , a secretary and accountant, and Javier Hernandez, Sr., a mechanic. He has a younger sister, Amelia, and two older brothers, Michael and Gabriel. Hernandez...
as Marine
Alternate titles
In Australia, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and some other European countries the film was retitled Road Kill.The film went under the working titles of Candy Cane, Highway Horror and Squelch. The film also goes under numerous other titles in other countries: Never Play with Strangers in Israel, Radio Killer in Italy, Never talk to strangers in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and Road Killer in Japan.
Production notes
In his screenplay for Joy Ride, J. J. Abrams was influenced by the first film directed by Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Duel, and there are numerous references to it. For example, in one scene, a seemingly maniacal ICE truck pulls up to a gas station that the brothers have pulled up to. In Duel, a likewise maniacal truck pulls up the protagonist, and a small billboard for ICE is visible in the background.
The central antagonist, "Rusty Nail", remains almost entirely unseen throughout the film and was portrayed by hulking actor Matthew Kimbrough in the brief shot of the villain towards the end of the film. Rusty Nail's voice heard on the radio throughout most of the film was provided by veteran actor Ted Levine
Ted Levine
Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...
due to his distinctive voice tone, and was added in post production. Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
and Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
also auditioned for the role of Rusty Nail. Rusty Nail's truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
is a 359 Peterbilt
Peterbilt
Peterbilt Motors Company is an American manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty Class 5 through Class 8 trucks headquartered in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1939 Peterbilt operates manufacturing facilities in Denton, Texas , and Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec...
.
Alternate endings and deleted scenes
On the DVD release there is a 29-minute long alternate ending, and 4 other shorter alternate endings. The main one featured Rusty Nail committing suicide with a shotgun and numerous bodies are found by the police in his trailer. One featured Rusty Nail being arrested, another being beaten in a fight with both Thomas brothers, another whereby he is blown up in his truck, and another saw Rusty Nail run over with his own truck. The ending featured in the actual theatrical cut of the film is the only ending in which Rusty Nail lives. There are also numerous deleted scenesDeleted Scenes
A deleted scene is a scene removed from or replaced by another scene in the final version of a film or television series.It may also refer to:* "Deleted Scenes", an episode of the Adult Swim animated television series, Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
.
In the alternate ending where Rusty Nail's truck explodes, you can see a water tower behind the truck as it burns. The original intention was to have the truck hit the water tower and have the water come down and put the flames out so that it would be believable if Rusty Nail survived. However, time constraints kept the scene from being filmed. The water tower cost over $100,000.
Leelee Sobieski filmed two different romantic interludes, one with Steve Zahn and one with Paul Walker during the shooting and re-shooting of the film. Both scenes ended up getting cut. This may explain why Venna appears to be romantically interested in both brothers, a plot point not elaborated on in the theatrical cut of the film.
Critical response
Joy Ride was well received by critics, and currently has a "Fresh" score of 74% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Box office
The film opened at #5 at the U.S. Box office raking in $7,347,259 USD in its opening weekend.Sequel
A direct-to-videoDirect-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
sequel entitled Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead is a 2008 thriller film. Released in October 2008, it is a direct-to-DVD sequel to the 2001 film Joy Ride. The film is directed by Louis Morneau, and stars Mark Gibbon, Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, and Laura Jordan....
was released in October 2008 by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
. The film was directed by Louis Morneau, and stars Nick Zano
Nick Zano
Nick Zano is an American actor and producer. He is best known for having played Vince in The WB's sitcom What I Like About You...
, Kyle Schmid
Kyle Schmid
Kyle Schmid is a Canadian actor who starred as Henry Fitzroy in Lifetime's series Blood Ties. He has also guest starred in a number of television series including Degrassi: The Next Generation, Odyssey 5, The Zack Files and CSI: Miami.In addition he has also appeared in a number of films like The...
, Nicki Aycox
Nicki Aycox
-Personal life:Aycox was born in Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has a younger brother, Steve. She speaks fluent German according to an interview in Jack magazine. She also comes from a Native American heritage.-Career:Aycox began performing at a young age...
, Rebecca Davis and Laura Jordan
Laura Jordan (actress)
Laura Jordan is an Canadian actress. She played Kayla in Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jordan lived in France for three years where she studied French at the University of Paris...
. It does not feature any of the original cast, and was noted by fans of the original for its toning down of the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
-type tension and atmosphere. Also, the character of Rusty Nail was not voiced by Ted Levine
Ted Levine
Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...
and it has been noted that the killer had been reduced from being an original, intriguing, mysterious, and intelligent yet unhinged character with complex motivations to a fairly unremarkable and cliché-ridden stock villain who merely acts on impulse.