X Marks the Spot

X Marks The Spot is an educational short film from 1944, produced by the New Jersey Department Of Motor Vehicles, concerning the dangers of reckless and inconsiderate driving habits.

Meet Joe Doakes, the single worst driver in New Jersey. Quite possibly the worst driver in the entire world, to hear his guardian angel tell the tale. He speeds through school zones, makes turns from the wrong lane, zips into intersections without looking, and literally runs people off the road whilst passing. On hills. In the face of oncoming traffic. And, somehow, someway, it's always the other guy's fault.

This being the type of film it is, you just know Joe is heading for a bad end. In fact, Joe  and must plead his case in traffic court. The title itself refers to.

Not to be confused with the 1931/1942 films about rubber racketeering, nor with the BBC Radio 4 game show from the late 90s.

For the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode featuring this short film see here.

"Joe: [as clock counts upward] Stop it, stop it! Can't you stop it?
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: The judge enlists the viewer to pass judgement upon poor Joe.
 * Drives Like Crazy: Joe, of course. Consider:
 * Drunk Driver: Joe insists that he only drinks "a cocktail or two" on occasion, and is thoroughly berated by the judge for it.
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: When behind the wheel, literally anything can (and will) set Joe off.
 * Never My Fault: Joe's attitude when driving. Even if the light is against him, it's not his fault.
 * Up to Eleven: Seriously, one would hope there's no way a person with Joe's driving record could possibly hold a drivers license for more than a month, let alone fifteen years. The film itself even lampshades this at one point.
 * Forced To Listen: Joe's reaction to the "accident clock" is treated almost as an And I Must Scream moment.

Judge: Stop it? How I wish I could stop it."


 * Ironic Purgatory: The judge concludes that
 * Moral Event Horizon: Invoked; when Joe tells the judge that he never committed a hit-and-run, the unimpressed judge explains that if Joe had, he'd have been booked "in a lower court".
 * Pet the Dog: Joe is given a couple of these, just to prove he's not a complete lunatic. At least he learned to slow down near schools; and his guardian angel makes it clear that he's a nice enough guy outside of a car.
 * Scare'Em Straight: Not only the film as a whole, but also a couple of internal examples:
 * At one point Joe tries to cross a street without waiting for traffic (he's no better a pedestrian than he is a driver) and takes a long stay in hospital.
 * After nearly running over a child in a school zone, Joe learns to slow down. After all, Joe has kids too.
 * You Suck: The film ends with the Judge addressing the audience as the jury, asking them to think whether they themselves are good enough drivers to be qualified to sentence Joe. Of course, the answer is very likely "yes," making this fall rather flat.