The After Dark post for Duel which is the #74 Horror/Thriller
Carey Loftin was regarded as the greatest stunt driver ever, with hundreds of Credits including Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Road Warrior and The French Connection. When he was cast as The Truck Driver he asked Steven Spielberg what his motivation was for tormenting Dennis Weaver, Spielberg told him, “You’re a dirty, rotten, no-good son of a bitch.” Loftin replied, “Kid, you hired the right man.”
Loftin was also the Stunt Coordinator on Duel. Because of the danger of driving on the winding roads, the truck never went above 30 mph. To get a greater sense of speed, Spielberg filmed filmed the vehicles against a background of cliffs which, when combined with an upward angled perspective from the wheels, created an optical illusion of going much faster. His crew also got the specially-made camera car from Bullitt (1968), which could lower the camera down to six inches off the ground.
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