Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 9, 2026

Highway to Hell might ironically not be just the title of the film under discussion, but a perhaps apt description of the journey this property took to get produced and then find an audience. As some of the supplements on this disc get into, the struggles of distributor Hemdale in one way or the other contributed to the film "sitting on the shelf" for an extended period of time after its completion, and even then its actual theatrical exhibition was fleeting and sparse. But that's what home media is for, right? And chances are if you're reading this review as a fan of the film, you may well have first discovered it in the glory days (?) of VHS, kind of humorously very shortly after that brief theatrical "run" (some reports indicate showings were limited to one day, as some kind of theatrical exhibition was part of the overall deal for the home media version). Highway to Hell had a previous release on 1080 in Region A courtesy of Kino Lorber (see below), but now Radiance Films' Transmission imprint is offering Region B fans a chance to take a perilous trip through the underworld that may or may not evoke thoughts of Orpheus and Eurydice.

As mentioned above, Highway to Hell had a Region A release on 1080 disc by Kino Lorber (almost a decade ago), and Brian Orndorf's Highway to Hell Blu-ray review provides plot information, a list of special features on that edition, and Brian's reaction to the technical presentation. I'll mention only in passing that the film's cast list is, um, eclectic, with putative stars Chad Lowe and Kristy Swanson surrounded by a horde of supporting cameos including Ben Stiller along with parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara (and sister Amy); the late, great Richard Farnsworth; Lita Ford; Gilbert Gottfried and erstwhile Predator Kevin Michael Hall.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Highway to Hell is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films' Transmission imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.84:1. Radiance only sent a check disc for purposes of this review and so I'm not privy to any information in an insert booklet about the transfer, but the lack of any information on a new restoration and this slightly "off" aspect ratio leads me to believe this was sourced from the same master that was used for the old Kino Lorber release. That said, just doing a cursory comparison of screenshots (I've attempted to come close to duplicating a few of the screenshots Brian uploaded to his review) shows that this release is a bit darker and better suffused looking (probably due in part to the darker look) than the Kino Lorber release. One way or the other, I'm probably a bit more pleased generally with the appearance here than Brian was, and I found some of the fine detail in particular to be quite appealing in close-ups, though the film is littered with old school composited effects that can certainly show their age (and technology). As such, clarity can vary and attendant issues like grain thickness can also spike. As Brian mentioned in his review, there are recurrent if minor signs of age related wear and tear.

Highway to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Highway to Hell features LPCM 2.0 audio which I suspect is pretty identical to the Kino Lorber release, though perhaps in another sign that I'm getting soft in my dotage I'm a bit more pleased by the audio on this disc than Brian was with regard to the Kino Lorber outing. While the film's lower budget ethos probably pervades the soundtrack as much as any other element in the film, there's still some nice attention paid to fun sound effects and some nice layering, especially in some of the more chaotic scenes like the diner sequence. A number of source cues and a score credited to Hidden Faces also provide some sonic energy along the way. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

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

• Commentaries

Director's Commentary by Ate de Jong




Commentary by Kim Newman and Sean Hogan is new to this edition.

• Ate de Jong (HD; 24:35) is a new interview with the director.


• Steve Johnson (HD; 10:47) is an archival interview with the special effects artist for the film. I'll just say in passing Mr. Johnson looks like he could be a long lost relative of Robert Downey, Jr.


• C.J. Graham (HD; 14:36) is an archival interview with the actor produced by Wicked Vision in 2020.


• Trailer (HD; 2:18)


• Gallery (HD)

As mentioned above, Radiance only sent a check disc for purposes of this review, but their site mentions their typical assortment of packaging accoutrements.

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

The new commentary by the always enjoyable Kim Newman along with Sean Hogan mentions how this film and at least some others by Ate de Jong like Drop Dead Fred arguably have a kind of Beetlejuice adjacent feel at times, even if this film never quite attains the giddy heights of that memorable film. Any film that boasts virtually the entire Stiller clan along with Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler certainly has something to recommend it, and while probably not completely successful, Highway to Hell has some fun moments with some inventive visuals. Technical merits are generally solid and both the new and archival supplements are very enjoyable. Recommended.