HIGHWAY TO HELL
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
90 min., R, Comedy/Science Fiction, 1992 Director: Ate De Jong Cast: Patrick Bergin, Adam Storke, Chad Lowe, Kristy Swanson, Pamela Gidley, Jarrett Lennon, C.J. Graham, Richard Farnsworth, Gilbert Gottfried, Lita Ford, Anne Meara, Amy Stiller, Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller
Chad Lowe and his girlfriend Kristy Swanson are going to Las Vegas to get married. Along the way, they leave the highway and start to travel on a small side road. They are warned by a gas station owner about a section of the road, and not to stop along it. Both Lowe and Swanson fall asleep on that chunk of the road and get stopped by cop C. J. Graham, Hell-Cop. Graham travels that section of road, and brings pretty young virgin girls to Hell. Graham kidnaps Swanson and brings her to Hell. Lowe goes to Hell and has to get Swanson away from Graham before Graham gets Swanson to Hell City.
HIGHWAY TO HELL is a combination of the MAD MAX films and BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY (although the way Hell looks is different). The similarities to the MAD MAX films are the frequent car chases with unusual vehicles, abnormal weapons, unusual gangs and people, and both films take place in deserts. The similarity to BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY is the type of humor used in the film, especially by Gilbert Gottfried (ALADDIN, THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE) and Ben Stiller ("The Ben Stiller Show"). Ben Stiller is not on screen for very much of the film, unfortunately, and Gilbert Gottfried is on for even less than Stiller. Both Gottfried and Stiller are great, although people who tend to find Gilbert Gottfried annoying will hate his character.
I found HIGHWAY TO HELL to be a great B movie. The movie is fun to watch and the story is interesting. Chad Lowe (APPRENTICE TO MURDER, AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN) gives a good performance. Kristy Swanson (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, MANNEQUIN ON THE MOVE) really makes this film. Patrick Bergin (SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, ROBIN HOOD [1991 TV film]) is excellent. He also is a great asset to this film. Adam Storke (MYSTIC PIZZA, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA [1989 TV film]) gives the worst performance in the film, but part of that is the way his character was written. I wish that they had cast someone else for his role. He didn't seem to be with the film, he seemed to have something else on his mind when he was doing his scenes. Pamela Gidley (THRASHIN', "Angel Street") is completely wasted in this film. Her performance is wooden.
I think that HIGHWAY TO HELL is definitely worth renting from your video store, if you like B movies. If you tend to hate B movies, then you will probably find this film to be a complete waste of time. On a scale of zero to five, I give HIGHWAY TO HELL a four. HIGHWAY TO HELL is rated R for explicit language, adult situations, violence, and female nudity.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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