HIGHWAY TO HELL (1991)

4 stars

Radiance/Transmission. Blu Ray. 20th April

HIGHWAY TO HELL is one of those fun, culty fantasy/horror comedies from the 90s that appears to have passed me by back in the day – at least I don’t recall seeing it before.

Charlie Sykes (Chad Lowe, Rob’s younger brother) and his fiancée Rachel (a fabulous looking Kristy Swanson, who would later star as the movie Buffy) are heading to Las Vegas to get married, unbeknownst to their parents. They are travelling in Charlie’s beat up pizza delivery car, complete with a fake slice on the roof… which kind of clues you in to what kind of slightly silly movie this is.

When they take a back road and stop for gas, the owner Sam (Richard Farnsworth) warns them not to carry on this alternate route. Of course they ignore him and run into a zombie cop with a face a la Freddy Krueger, who drags Rachel through some kind of portal to hell.

Desperate to get her back, Charlie returns to speak to Sam – who gives him a shotgun with some kind of special cartridges to protect him and also lends him his better car. He tells the young man to drive backwards and forwards along the road until the entrance to hell opens up. Charlie soon finds himself in a desert landscape and trying to find his girl amongst the strange inhabitants he meets. Will he succeed in his mission?

The film features several members of the Stiller family in small parts, including Ben as both a cook and Attila the Hun. The script by Brian Helgeland throws lots of wild ideas at the screen and sees what sticks – making for an uneven but nonetheless enjoyable ride. There is great make-up on the Hell Cop, by Steve Johnson with lots of letters and words etched into the skin – apparently inspired by Clive Barker’s ‘Books of Blood’. Lowe is lightweight in the lead and Swanson makes for an appealing heroine. This is by turns thrilling, funny and out and out bizarre.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

Interviews with director Ate de Jong; actor C.J. Graham (archival); Steven Johnson (archival)

Two audio commentaries: one with critics Kim Newman and Sean Hogan and an archival one with director Ate de Jong (2016)

Production stills and behind-the-scenes gallery; Theatrical trailer

Plus Limited Edition booklet featuring archival correspondence and new writing from Sean McGeady; O-card and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Limited to 3000 units