Name That Trauma :: Reader David F. on Drawn & Quartered in a Desert

Hey there,

Okay, here is the thing: I saw a film when I was about 9 or 10 that a cousin of mine found at the local video store. It's about a killer in the desert that goes after a group of youngsters (what killer doesn't?!?) but at one point the killer chains this guy to a tree and then places the other end of the chain on the tow of his truck. He then starts revving the engine furiously – to build suspense no doubt – until finally he roars away and of course rips the guy limb from limb.

Now, if I could explain to you sufficiently exactly how I felt when that camera focused on a ripped off leg (still covered in jeans) but with a nice shiny bone sticking out the one end, perhaps then you'd understand how greatly this scene upset me. In fact, it upset me so much that I spent the rest of my day worrying about one day becoming like that killer JUST because I had watched something like that!

Oh, the mind of a child!

My belief was such that if I saw something horrific then I might perhaps be just as screwed up as that psycho onscreen who did things like that to people! I don't know why I thought like that but it truly had me worried for a long time afterward.

Anyway, the problem is now (and I'm wondering if the team over at Kindertrauma can help me out?) because it scared me so much, I've obviously deleted as much about that movie from my memory as humanly possible… including the TITLE!!

Anyone know what this movie is called?

This movie (whatever it may be called!) is my childhood traumafession.

— David F.

UNK SEZ: Thanks David F. for delivering my favorite kind of traumafession, the kind that introduces me to a horror movie that I've never heard of before! I'm pretty sure that the movie you are looking for is called MIRAGE because I just watched a scene that fits your description precisely on YouTube (about 5 min. into this segment HERE!) From what I can tell this DUEL-esque, desert-set Australian slasher/thriller from 1990 is ultra rare so thanks a zillion for bringing it to all of our attention (even if by some chance it's not the right one!)