Highway to Hell
Studio: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Feb 03, 2016 Web Exclusive
Too weird to be taken seriously when it was first released in the early ‘90s, Ate De Jong’s Highway to Hell was then robbed of the cult following it probably deserved when it was effectively M.I.A. during the entirety of the DVD era. This should (hopefully) change now, with a new Blu-ray that presents the movie in the features-rich edition it’s long needed.
Charlie and Rachel (Chad Lowe and Kristy Swanson) are two youngsters madly in love. The film begins as they set off to elope in Las Vegas. Worried their parents—or the police, on behalf of their parents—might be on their trail, they avoid the highways in favor of a rarely-traveled back road. They’re warned against it by a concerned gas station attendant (The Straight Story’s Richard Farnsworth), but don’t heed his advice—and are run off the road by the imposing Hellcop, a demon police officer who kidnaps Rachel to become the newest bride of his master, Satan. Charlie will do whatever he can to save his love, which means traveling deep into Hell in an old hot rod with a magical sawed-off-shotgun to rescue her.
While Highway to Hell isn’t going to wow anyone with its silly story, its vision of Hell is wildly imaginative—and exceptionally realized by its effects team, particularly makeup artist Steve Johnson. (A veteran of what he calls “the greatest hits of the 1980s,” Johnson’s credits include Ghostbusters, Videodrome, Big Trouble in Little China and Return of the Living Dead.) Some of their more notable creations here include the menacing Hellcop himself (whose skin is scarred with Biblical quotations), a pair of handcuffs that are actual hands, and a diner populated by dozens of zombified police officers. It’s a great-looking fantasy movie that doesn’t take itself overly seriously—making it an awful lot of fun. Adding to this are a host of comedian cameos, including a very young Ben Stiller and his family:
Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray edition presents the movie in likely the best condition it’s ever been seen, unless you were one of the very small handful of people who caught it theatrically almost a quarter century ago. Also included are a full-length audio commentary from the director, an interview in which makeup artist Steve Johnson explains many of the film’s inventive SFX, a stills gallery, and the theatrical trailer. You can watch that same trailer below—if the wacky premise and imagery appeal to you in the slightest, you’re gonna dig this movie. The extra features offer plenty of information that you won’t find elsewhere, in case you’re inclined to dig further.
www.kinolorber.com/landing.php?id=16
Author rating: 7/10
Average reader rating: 10/10
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