Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		1.5

Hitch Hike to Hell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 23, 2019

It may be just a little surprising that Arrow Video is releasing Hitch Hike to Hell, since this little remembered film from either the late sixties, 1977 or 1983 (depending on what source you believe) might seem to be a better fit for niche labels like the American Genre Film Archive which are known for specializing in what even some diehard fans might describe as low rent exploitation fare. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas just outright calls Hitch Hike to Hell "nasty" in her video essay included on this release as a supplement, and even the back cover of the release describes it as "sleazy" and "queasy", so forewarned is forearmed in case there's anyone suffering from the dubious perception that Hitch Hike to Hell is going to offer much "artistic" content.

Kind of amazingly, if some of the supplements on this release are to be believed, star Robert Grippin, here essaying the role of Howard Martin, a worker at a dry cleaner who has some disturbing Oedipal issues which have turned him into a serial killer, actually was a student of the venerable Lee Strasberg. Some may cheekily aver that there's madness to Grippin's "Method" in this film, as he provides a characterization that is one part twitching lunatic and one part somnambulistic everyman. The "plot" here is basically a Boolean loop of repeated vignettes, with a series of comely hitchhikers meeting their fate after they unwisely decide to answer Robert's questions, which tend to revolve around family relationships. Howard then arrives late to work, where he deals with the curmudgeonly but kind of grandfatherly Mr. Baldwin (John Harmon) while being occasionally victimized by near hallucinogenic flashbacks of his crimes, especially when he's at home dealing with dear old Mom (Dorothy Bennett). The film is certainly odd, almost beyond description, and it at least offers the blandishments of Russell Johnson, the erstwhile Professor of Gilligan's Island, as one of the cops on Howard's tail.

Hitch Hike to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hitch Hike to Hell is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.33:1 and 1.78:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:

Hitch Hike to Hell has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented on 1.33:1 and 1.78:1 with mono audio.

A 35mm blow-up print was scanned in 2K resolution, graded and restored at OCN Digital Labs. The presentation of the film is in keeping with the condition of the only available elements.

The soundtrack was sourced from the original optical negatives. Additional audio remastering was completed at Pinewood Studios.

All original materials used in this restoration were accessed from Valiant International Pictures.

As will hopefully be clear from the screenshots accompanying this review, I've included several examples of nearby frames from both aspect ratios so that those interested can compare what each version looks like. In terms of grain resolution, clarity and palette temperature, both versions were to my eyes extremely similar if not absolutely identical, but there are some interesting anomalies that can crop up in the 1.33:1 version, notably a lot of hairs stuck in the gate, typically at the edges of the frame, which are either nowhere to be seen or at least much less evident in the 1.78:1 version. That said, the 1.78:1 version also has some scratches that are less apparent in the 1.33:1 version. There are occasional moments of splotchiness in both versions (see screenshots 3 and 4) and I'd argue that detail levels are perhaps generally at least incrementally better in the 1.33:1 version. The palette is decently suffused, but still somewhat faded looking, with wan greens and kind of ruddy pink flesh tones. The element used does not appear to have undergone significant restoration in terms of things like telecine wobble during the credits or signs of age related wear and tear.

Hitch Hike to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hitch Hike to Hell 's DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track suffices well enough for a film which pretty limited sonic ambitions. Kind of surprisingly (at least to me), it doesn't look like some of the outdoor location work was post-looped, and so there are some evident fidelity variations between those scenes and some of the studio bound and/or set bound locations. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly for the most part (within the context of the noted fidelity variations), and Nancy Adams' title tune sounds fine.

Hitch Hike to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Of Monsters and Morality: The Strange Cinema of Irvin Berwick (1080p; 29:01) offers an enjoyable exploration of Berwick in general and this film in particular by Stephen Thrower.


• Road to Nowhere: Hitchhiking Culture Goes to Hell (1080p; 21:27) is an interesting video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas addressing aspects of hitchhiking in films.


• Nancy Adams on the Road (1080p; 24:52) is a rather sweet interview with Adams, a singer-songwriter who may not be that familiar of a name to many, but who has had a rather remarkable career.


• "Lovin' On My Mind" - Original Song (2:24) offers the original (audio) version of the title tune sung by Nancy Adams, before the lyric was tweaked for the film version.


• "Lovin' On My Mind" - Alternate Opening Titles (1080p; 3:02) combines the original version of the tune with the opening credits for what the menu calls "a truly bizarre experience". This includes a brief intro by Nancy Adams.


• Original Theatrical Trailer

  1.33 Version (1080p; 2:21)

  
  

  1.85 Version (1080p; 2:21)

Hitch Hike to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hitch Hike to Hell was released by Boxoffice International, a brainchild of Harry Novak, whose name will be familiar to those with a penchant for exploitation fare. Unfortunately, there's probably not enough traditional exploitation fare here, with only fleeting shots of topless women to satisfy those with prurient tastes. The performances here are all over the map, but Baby Boomers will probably get a kick out of seeing "the Professor", though Russell Johnson occasionally looks like he would have been happier had he been consigned to being one of "and the rest", per the first season version of the iconic Gilligan's Island theme. Video here is occasionally problematic, but audio is fine, and the supplemental package quite interesting, for those considering a purchase.