Transmission, a sub-label from Radiance, has released another little-seen gem, keeping with the style of their previous titles. The latest, 1991’s Highway To Hell, fits the bill perfectly – a film that fell below the radar when it went straight to VHS, at least here in the UK and has deservedly been rediscovered.
Charlie (Chad Lowe) and Rachel (Kristy Swanson) are a young couple driving to Las Vegas to get married. After topping up with petrol, the station attendant advises them to stick to the main road and avoid the shortcut further up the road. Ignoring him, they soon live to regret it, as a demonic cop kidnaps Rachel and drives off through a portal with her. Heading back to the gas station, the attendant tells him that he has taken her to Hell, and lends him his car, which is capable of travelling through the portal to rescue her.
The vision of Hell depicted here is quite similar to the afterlife scenes in Beetlejuice. It’s quirky, often amusing with a dark humour edge to it, with cameos from the likes of Ben Stiller, his dad Jerry, Lita Ford, Gilbert Goddfried as Hitler, and Patrick Bergin as a certain resident nicknamed ‘Beezle’. That’s all I’m saying. If you are lucky enough to know as little as I did on my first watch, then you are in for a treat if you have got this far. Some terrific stuntwork, make-up and practical effects carry the plot along perfectly.
Its 94-minute running time means there’s no excessive padding, and the only complaint I could make would be that it deserved more recognition when it was released, sitting on a shelf in the studio for a long time after completion.
Picture quality is very good, with a few stray lines and speckles here and there. If it were any sharper, it would probably show up the limitations of filming on a limited budget. The two-channel stereo soundtrack is also good, with some nice separations and a terrific score.
The Special Features are excellent. First up is a commentary track by director Ate De Jong, who talks about the casting, filming difficulties and his disappointment in how it was marketed and then barely released.
Kim Newman and Sean Hogan talk on the second commentary track. Kim dominates the track with his encyclopedic knowledge, and it’s like watching the film with two buddies; the fact that they are enjoying themselves helps the viewer to enjoy it too. They talk about its limited release after completion, the rise and fall of Hemdale, which produced the film, along with some outright classics around that time, plus a look at the cast and crew and other productions they went on to work on.
Ate De Jong reappears in a new video interview to talk about the differences between Dutch filmmaking and going on to make films in the US, along with further anecdotes about this film’s production.
Steve Johnson, who created the practical effects in the film, pops up in another featurette, talking about how he got the job, came up with design ideas and his hopes for it to be eventually praised for the great film it is.
C J Graham, who played the Hell Cop in the film, has his own featurette in which he talks about his 5-hour daily make-up sessions, his problems with claustrophobia, the stunt work and how thrilled he is about it getting a wider release.
Toss in a trailer and a stills gallery, and you have a fantastic package for a criminally overlooked film. The film’s 35-year-old production values obviously show signs of age and a few limitations, but if you want a nostalgia-style trip through new territory, I highly recommend taking a ride on the Highway To Hell.
FILM – 8 PICTURE – 8 AUDIO – 7 EXTRAS – 1
REVIEW BY STEVE WELLS
