Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 7, 2025

Pasquale Festa Campanile's "Hitch-Hike" a.k.a. "Autostop rosso sangue" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with assistant director Neri Parenti; the documentary film "Road to Ruin"; archival interviews with cast members; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the Italian track. Region-Free.

On the road

Walter (Franco Nero, A Quiet Place in the Country) and his beautiful wife Eve (Corinne Clery, The Story of O) frequently make love, but both can tell that the other isn’t happy with their marriage. When they can no longer suppress their frustration, they have long and exhausting arguments. They verbally abuse and even hurt each other, but later on regret their actions.

On their way to California, Walter and Eve pick up Adam (David Hess, House on the Edge of the Park), a handsome hitchhiker whose car has broken down. Walter quickly makes it obvious that he does not like Adam’s personality, while Eve instantly warms up to the stranger and even gives him a few inviting looks. Much to their surprise, Adam pulls out a gun and threatens to use it if they do not follow his orders. The three then embark on a wild and dangerous journey through the desert.

The relentless energy that permeates the narrative is what gives Hitch-Hike its identity. There is only one segment at the very beginning where, for a very short period of time, the tempo is fairly relaxed. However, after the inebriated Walter confronts an old couple, Hitch-Hike shifts into overdrive mode and stays that way until the final credits roll.

The main characters are wild and unpredictable. One’s initial impression is that the only loose cannon is the stranger, but after the three travelers get to know each other a little better, one begins to wonder whether Walter and Eve might have split personalities that could change the balance of power. Their frustration then gradually becomes a key factor in their relationship with the stranger and further complicates the situation. As a result, instead of going down a familiar path, Hitch-Hike produces several very effective twists.

The dialogue is rough and some of the sex scenes quite revealing, but this is hardly surprising. Similar to the many ultra-violent cop thrillers (also known as poliziotteschi) that became popular in Italy during the 1970s, Hitch-Hike has a distinctive macho attitude, which is essential for the authentic period look these types of projects needed to sell well. Entirely predictably, Hitch-Hike was finalized with two original audio tracks, too. An English track was used for its international version, while an Italian track was used for its domestic version.

Nero is compelling as the feisty Italian reporter who feels that he has made several unnecessary sacrifices throughout his life to prove that he did not marry his wife for her money. Clery, a gorgeous French actress who shortly after would appear in Moonraker, is excellent as the young seductress. Hess also does not disappoint as the maniac, who is convinced that it is only a matter of time before he reaches Mexico and begins a new life.

Hitch-Hike was directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile, who was even more prolific as a writer. Campanile’s directing credits include such gems as Adultery Italian Style, The Libertine, and Where Are You Going All Naked?. As a writer he contributed to such classics of Italian cinema as The Assassin, The Leopard, Rocco and His Brothers, and The Lovemakers.

The playful, at times borderline psychedelic, soundtrack was created by the legendary maestro Ennio Morricone.

Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Indicator/Powerhouse Films' 4K Blu-ray release of Hitch-Hike does not have a Blu-ray copy of the film. If you need one, you should consider acquiring this Blu-ray release.

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray disc and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of Hitch-Hike, which can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR.

I have a couple of older releases of Hitch-Hike in my library, Blu-ray and DVD, and they are all sourced from dated masters with obvious limitations. Also, the British Blu-ray release that I own offers a windowboxed presentation of the film, while the American release that I own avoided it but had some small encoding issues.

The new 4K restoration is quite the revelation. It is a dramatically healthier presentation of the film, strengthening and improving areas that previously looked undeniably shaky, bringing vibrancy and lushness that were desperately needed. The most consequential improvement is the elimination of the light scanner noise present on the two older releases linked above, which affected delineation, clarity, and depth. Now, outdoor footage with plenty of natural light can look particularly great, and darker indoor and nighttime footage reveals nuances that significantly improve depth. Fluidity is better, too. Previously, it was quite easy to see how the scanner noise affects grain exposure and, as a result, some fast-moving visuals appeared somewhat smeary. Color reproduction and balance are also more convincing. Many primaries are rebalanced, and various ranges of supporting nuances are expanded. I thought that the improvements were very helpful and, most importantly, respectful of the film's native appearance. The HDR grade is fine. However, I would have preferred to see a 1080p presentation of the 4K restoration as well because several indoor and nighttime sequences looked a bit too dark on my system. (I do not have a Blu-ray copy of it at the moment). On the other hand, the majority of the daylight footage had a very nice dynamic range. The entire film has been cleaned up and looks spotless now.

Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English SDH (for the English track) and English (for the Italian track) subtitles are provided.

The English track is preferable because the leads utter their lines in English. However, the English and Italian tracks feature overdubbing with some typical native limitations. For example, in some areas of the film, there is obvious unevenness, and dynamic contrasts could be somewhat overdone. I think that Ennio Morricone's music sounds very good. Also, I much prefer the subtitle options included on this release.

Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Road to Ruin - this archival documentary film takes a closer look at the production history of Hitch-Hike as well as the legacy of Pasquale Festa Campanile. (There is also some very good information in it about the type of popular genre films that were made in Italy during the 1970s). Included in it are excellent interviews with assistant director Neri Parenti, Franco Nero (Walter), Corinne Cléry (Eve), and David Hess (Adam). The documentary was directed and edited by Federico Caddeo. (A shorter version of the documentary was included on Raro Video's American Blu-ray release of Hitch-Hike. In Italian and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (88 min).

• Neri Parenti: Adventures in Abruzzo - in this new program, assistant director Neri Parenti discusses his background and early days in the Italian film industry, the type of genre projects he was associated with during the 1970s and 1980s, and contribution to High-Hike. Parenti also comments on the evolution of Italian genre films and how they were influenced by the big American genre films. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (26 min).

• Eugenio Arcolani: The Novelist's Revenge - in this new program, critic Eugenio Ercolani discusses the legacy of Pasquale Festa Campanile and Hitch-Hike and some of its unique qualities. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• The Coldest of Dishes - this documentary program explores the Italian rape and revenge films and the sociocultural environment in which they were made. Included in it are clips from interviews with Abel Ferrara, Corinne Clery, Eugenio Ercolani, Ruggero Deodato (House on the Edge of the Park), and actress Macha Meril (Night Train Murders), amongst others. In English and Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (61 min).

• The Devil Thumbs a Ride - this archival program also revisits the production history of Hitch-Hike. Included in it are clips from interviews with Franco Nero, David Hess, and Corinne Clery, portions of which also appear in Road to Ruin. The program was produced by David Gregory for Blue Underground in 2002. In English and Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (18 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. Italian Theatrical Trailer
  2. International Trailer One
  3. International Trailer Two
  4. UK Theatrical Trailer

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Hitch-Hike.

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by critics Eugenio Ercolani and Marcus Stiglegger.

• Book - an 80-page book with new essay by Mikel J. Koven, an archival profile of director Pasquale Festa Campanile, extracts from archival interviews with screenwriter Ottavio Jemma, composer Ennio Morricone, actors Franco Nero, Corinne Cléry, and David Hess, and technical credits.

Hitch-Hike 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oscar-nominated writer and director Pasquale Festa Campanile is associated with several huge classic Italian films, like The Leopard and Rocco and His Brothers, and twice as many very wild genre films, like The Slave, The Libertine, and Hitch-Hike. I have not explored Campanile's entire oeuvre because a good number of the comedies in it are very difficult to track down on this side of the Atlantic, but every film that I have acquired for my library has been either good or terrific. Hitch-Hike needed a good makeover, and this 4K Blu-ray release brings a great one, with a fantastic selection of new and archival bonus features. A standalone Blu-ray release will be available for purchase as well. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.