Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Freeway Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 16, 2017

In the summer of 1987, there was a series of freeway shootings in Los Angeles, rattling a city already accustomed to everyday violence. Co- writer/director Francis Delia doesn’t dramatize the event and its aftermath, instead using the hysteria to inspire 1988’s “Freeway,” which details a madman prowling the streets on the hunt for new victims to blast away at close range. It’s a B-movie take on real-world fears, but Delia makes it clear he’s out for exploitation purposes, fashioning a detective tale of sorts to support sequences of roadway massacres. “Freeway” isn’t a finely knitted offering of escapism, but Delia captures a certain sense of panic and frustration, teasing a graduation to broad car-fu antics. It’s not consistent in its recklessness and features plenty of ‘80s-style leaps in characterization, but the core viewing experience is preserved, providing a reasonably compelling cat and mouse game at high speeds.

Not long ago, hospital nurse Sunny (Darlanne Fluegel) witnessed the murder of her husband, a doctor who was shot by an unknown killer while driving on the freeway. Determined to bring the man to justice, Sunny hounds the local cops, including Lt. Boyle (Michael Callan), trying to keep law enforcement committed to solving the crime. Running the roads is Edward (Billy Drago) a demented man ruled by religion, looking to slaughter those he deems ready for sacrifice, calling in to a talk radio show hosted by Dr. David (Richard Belzer) to share bible verses before gunning down his next victims. Horrified by the return of her spouse’s killer, Sunny elects to conduct her own investigation into the murder spree with help from Dr. David’s show, eventually joined by Frank (James Russo), an ex-cop who’s also lost loved ones to Edward, looking for any opportunity to catch up with the mobile villain and make the madman pay for his crimes.

“Freeway” plays by genre rules, generating a sizable antagonist in Edward. The armed stranger prowls around Los Angeles looking for victims, preferring to disorient his prey through some light bumper wrestling, sending pure shock through drivers before they’re blasted away by a hail of bullets, with Edward keeping his composure while firing on commuting innocents. Obviously, this method of extermination brings up a host of questions, including a basic behavioral query: why doesn’t anyone just slam on the brakes after witnessing Edward’s rather theatrical presentation of passenger-side window glaring? Granted, we wouldn’t have a movie if natural instincts were in play, tasking Delia to keep “Freeway” slightly unreal, turning to the power of religion to provide the battery of fanaticism that energizes the feature.

Edward adores the bible. He loves to quote from it while chatting with Dr. David (using an early car phone to remain on the road and still cause trouble), using verses to creep out listeners and provide a prologue for the violence to come. He sucks on a rosary while driving -- a humorous detail from Delia, who overdoes the Catholic monster moves just to make sure the audience understands what Sunny and Frank are dealing with. In all, Edward is a ghoul, and his past is a source of mystery for “Freeway,” with the majority of the script tracking Sunny’s investigative efforts as she pieces together clues, motivated into action by memories of her lost husband, who was killed right in front of her. She’s haunted and alone, and Fluegel does a fine job with an iffy part, showing impressive interest in the saggy screenplay, which eventually takes a Penthouse Letter turn mid-movie as Frank, basically a stranger, is welcomed into her bed for a night of passion before returning to the hunt. “Freeway” has a bunch of these scenes, and they tend to distract from the core vengeance plot, which provides more than enough conflict to support the endeavor, while allowing Delia direct displays of pursuit. However, consistency is elusive in the film, finding the helmer unable to balance the hot sax moods of noir with the more visceral crunch of speeding metal.

“Freeway” seldom lets loose, but a few chase sequences remains. Providing potential is an early scene where Sunny charms a car repair shop out of a rental -- the owner’s Firebird, nicknamed “Dirty Debby.” The nurse doesn’t know how to drive it at first, but it doesn’t take long for Sunny to master bootleg turns and top speeds, giving Edward a challenge when they finally collide on the road. Delia fills “Freeway” with squealing tires and sliding cars, but this type of excitement is infrequent. These “Death Proof”-style detours get the juices flowing, only to inspire disappointment that the movie as a whole isn’t one long showdown between roaring automobiles and their demented drivers.

Freeway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is being sold as "Re-mastered in HD," and a decent refreshing welcomes viewers into this dark world of violence and nightlife. As much of the movie plays out during the early morning hours, delineation remains consistent, never slipping into solidification. Colors are true, working with ample neon signage and L.A. greenery, while period costuming handles with decent primaries. Skintones are natural. Detail is satisfying, supporting the director's love of extreme close-ups, which deliver all the facial particulars one could want. Urban jungle retains depth and concrete texture, and violence is displayed in full. Grain is fine and filmic. Source doesn't showcase much damage beyond minor speckling. Banding seeps into view on a few occasions.

Freeway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix struggles throughout the listening experience, hit with age-related wear and tear. Dialogue exchanges are inconsistent, with crispy highs and sharp s-sounds, while overall clarity is dulled, sliding into muddiness at times. It's also a very quiet track, demanding a liberal boosting of volume to give the picture home theater authority. Music also suffers from limitations, but suspense sequences are supported with mild presence. Sound effects are unremarkable. Hiss and a few stretches of faint humming are detected.

Freeway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (13:43, HD) with Frances Delia briefly discusses the finer points of "Freeway" with its director. Delia tracks the picture's development and funding, and the helmer also shares his admiration for the cast, singling out Billy Drago and Richard Belzer as two actors responsible for the feature's success. Delia also shares memories of working on the freeways while actual shooting sprees were being committed in Los Angeles, and his appreciation for the film today.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:36, HD) is included.

Freeway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Freeway" does offer some western-style standoffs to goose entertainment value (and toughen Sunny), and Belzer is a nice addition to the cast, having fun with the talk radio role, which makes good use of his comedian timing. Steady thrills are missing, but the effort does a fairly good job with nightmare material, keeping Edward a demonstrative threat, scattering his murders throughout the feature. Granted, Drago's casting is a bit obvious, but the actor doesn't back down from the part, providing a maniacal kick to his section of the movie. "Freeway" could do with more chases, more hysterical behavior or steely revenge action, but Delia doesn't lose control of the effort, keeping the car-revving, trigger-squeezing antics engaging, detective work digestible, and evening threat unsettling, transitioning real-world horror to a mildly effective B-movie.