The Vanishing (1988)

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Watched The Vanishing recently, on the recently released Criterion Disk. Superb film - I had seen this once before many years ago, but this print is obviously far superior.

The most disturbing element to this film is the every day-ness to the villain; he definitely seems too ordinary/boring to be commiting such horrible crimes.

The only amusing part of the movie was when the villain tried to compel that

[Show spoiler]British woman at the rest-stop to come with him for the alleged reason of hooking something up to his car..then her husband came over, realized it was all a scam, and slapped the villain like a little b$%$# - Hilarious!

What's also very well-done about the film is how you can really identify with the boyfriend/husband of the missing woman...The scene when the villain compels him to go with him so that he can find out what happened to his girlfriend/wife is quite chilling....

[Show spoiler]And, the scene when he wakes up to find out he's been buried alive is horrific, and the first time I saw this, quite unexpected..