Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 29, 2016

A famous proverb states: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” This ominous ambition also drives the production effort behind 1991’s “Highway to Hell.” A zany, special effects-intensive chase picture, the feature has a specialized sense of humor from screenwriter Brian Helgeland, who takes the potential of an extended underworld visit seriously, filling the story with all types of weird characters and demonic encounters. Director Ate de Jong (who also helmed the reprehensible “Drop Dead Fred”) doesn’t have the proper curveball necessary to bring the writing to life, but “Highway to Hell” manages to engage through sheer enthusiasm and enticing make-up work, providing the movie with some creature feature highlights as the helmer figures out how to sell a rather peculiar story.

Young lovers ready to shed their virginal glow after a quickie wedding in Las Vegas, Charlie (Chad Lowe) and Rachel (Kristy Swanson) hit the road in the middle of the night, trying to avoid the interstate out of fear of being followed by their judgmental guardians. Taking a sketchy back road into Nevada, the pair is pulled over by Sgt. Bedlam (C.J. Graham), a scarred ghoul who kidnaps young women, bringing them back to Hell as a gift for Satan. With Rachel gone, Charlie gears up for a fight, racing into Hell to rescue his fiancée, only to find an open desert populated with aggressive types, including frustrated biker Royce (Adam Storke) and salvager Beezle (Patrick Bergin). In way over his head, armed only with a shotgun, Charlie is determined to chase down Bedlam, only to find his mission frequently interrupted by unique survival challenges that force him to face Hell’s more macabre citizens.

Helgeland cooks up an odd adventure for his main character, who’s introduced as a paranoid young man desperate to marry his girlfriend, but worried that outside forces are going to kill his dream once they find the couple. Driven by sexual need and love, Charlie is hit with the ultimate challenge to his sense of honor once he encounters Bedlam (a silent but deadly “Hell Cop” who uses severed human hands as handcuffs) on an unnervingly quiet southwest road. “Highway to Hell” becomes a literal title once the chase begins, with Charlie taking advice and weaponry from knowing gas station owner Sam (Richard Farnsworth), who long ago lost his love, Clara (Pamela Gidley), to Bedlam and his fiery police car, trying to give the frantic tourist enough pointers to help navigate the desert abyss he’s entering and extraordinary confrontation he’s pursuing.

“Highway to Hell” opens with a bang and largely remains at that level for the duration of its run time, with Helgeland working to build a community of the damned and the irritable for Charlie to interact with. While it deals with grim events, the picture is mostly comedic, making an early stop at Pluto’s Donut Shop, where the patrons are all grotesque zombie cops groaning for the next meal, with Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, and Ben Stiller (in an early film appearance) adding to a modest list of cameos de Jong portions out haphazardly, including Lita Ford as a lusty hitchhiker. There’s also time spent inside Hoffa’s Club, a casino that welcomes all sorts of evil, with Hitler (Gilbert Gottfried) conversing with Genghis Khan (Ben Stiller) over cocktails (future seats are reserved for Jerry Lewis and Muammar Gaddafi), while Charlie fights with Bedlam to reclaim Rachel, who’s being prepped for permanent residency. Adding to the adventure is Beezle, a driver for AAA (“Anarchy, Armageddon, and Annihilation”) who helps point Charlie in the right directions, while his young charge, Adam (Jarrett Lennon), wants desperately to return to the land of the living. “Highway to Hell” makes a lot of pit stops along the way, but de Jong doesn’t sacrifice pace, and while Lowe isn’t a terribly convincing performer (the cast is encouraged to overact), there’s enough to keep him busy as Charlie plunges deeper into Hell’s temptations and punishments.

The big selling point of “Highway to Hell” is its special effects, finding sections of the feature resembling a Tim Burton extravaganza, with neat make-up work and stop-motion animation to enjoy. Although working with a limited budget, the production manages to create interesting creatures and peculiar sights, with labor and sacrifice needs in Hell managed by a group of Andy Warhol lookalikes, and Charlie gets up close and personal with a tongue-happy demon. “Highway to Hell” doesn’t have the coin to fully create a towering vision of the underworld, but it offers enough strange encounters and environments to pass, giving the effort a nice lift when attention turns from Charlie’s panic to the land’s weirdo inhabitants.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation is generally favorable when dealing with a low-budget, largely forgotten picture. At the very least, detail is respected, isolating textures on make-up accomplishments and locations, finding comfort with expanse as well, adding to the movie's scope. Color is secure, balancing colder desertscapes with wilder demonic activity, giving costuming and set design a nice push of primaries. Delineation is adequate but never remarkable, struggling through a few evening sequences. Source has its share of speckling and minor scratches, but never encounters any overt damage.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD mix doesn't offer much in the way of power, contained to a more restrained listening experience. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, merging louder scenes of panic and violence with softer moments of investigation, while overall intelligibility is never threatened. Scoring cues and soundtrack cuts aren't robust, failing to bring music-intensive scenes to life with crisp, confident instrumentation. Atmospherics are thick but active, supporting the fantasy world the production is creating. A few shrill highs are encountered, but distortion isn't an issue.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Ate de Jong.

• Interview (10:47, HD) with make-up artist Steven Johnson is a surprisingly vivid discussion of the "Highway to Hell" production experience, which was primarily fueled by meth abuse to keep up with constant work demands. Johnson is a real character and true artist (past credits include "Ghostbusters" and "The Abyss"), and his candor is welcome, especially when he briefly chats about Ben Stiller's appearance in the movie.

• Animated Image Gallery (2:15) collects pictures of make-up achievements and publicity shots.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:15, HD) is included.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Highway to Hell" is better as a travelogue than a straight rescue picture, finding more enthusiasm with trips around the expansive area, including a brief ride on the river Styx, which is guarded by a three-headed dog. The film concludes with a car chase and a few easily telegraphed twists, with Helgeland trying to wrap up the feature with a traditional serving of pedal-to-the-metal suspense. He's better off with strange encounters, having palpable fun dreaming up roadblocks and confusion for Charlie, who not only has to deal with saving Rachel, but he also encounters the mystery of Clara, the protection of Adam, and the devious nature of Satan. "Highway to Hell" isn't polished, but it's an entertaining ride, fueled by a generous helping of mischief and humor, and there's plenty of gore to keep the visit sufficiently gruesome.