Duel (1970)

I first saw this on TV 20+ years ago and its premise and scenes have been stuck in my mind ever since as classic. I didn't even know this was Spielberg's first film till now. This hot-and-cold facedown between a road-traveling businessman (Dennis Weaver) and the faceless homicidal truck driver who stalks him is psychologically taut, alternately grilling and chilling, with innovative shots from the grille's-eye view. The slice-of-life vignettes at roadside stops will take you back to a slower pace of life in the early 1970s too. (No cell phones!) Four stars.