Death Valley is a 1982 American horror film starring Catherine Hicks, Edward Herrmann, Peter Billingsley, Stephen McHattie, Paul Le Mat, Mary Steelsmith and Earl W. Smith. It was directed by Dick Richards and written by Richard Rothstein. It centered on a divorcee and her child being stalked by a serial killer after the boy picks up an object that can help tie the killer to his crimes. The chilling pre-James Horner orchestral score is by television composer Dana Kaproff.
Plot[]
Paul Stanton has talked his son Billy into being sent off on holiday (of sorts) to California to join his Mother, Sally and her old high school sweetheart (and current new boyfriend) Mike who are going into Arizona. Deciding on checking out Death Valley, they've yet to find out that it is currently the new stamping grounds of cowboy serial killer (wearing a stetson and a neckerchief to hide his identity) and his equally demented twin (who both have a tendency to tap-dance and belt out good old country ditties). Both have just done away with a teenage couple residing at an abandoned gold mine (with the aid of the couple's own chopping knife). Billy, stretching his legs, stumbles across their camper filled with death, missing the carnage he comes across a frog pendant. His moment of kleptomania somewhat seals his fate as its owner returns to find his trinket gone and so he takes off after Billy and his family, who wind up seemingly in the safe vicinity of a nearby Wild West novelty town. But for how long?