From: blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu (Brian L. Johnson)
Subject: REVIEW: HIGHWAY TO HELL
Reply-To: blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu (Brian L. Johnson)
Organization: ?
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 16:38:17 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01683
Keywords: author=K.Johnson

                              HIGHWAY TO HELL
                       A film review by Ken Johnson
                        Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson

90 min., R, Comedy/Science Fiction, 1992
Director: Ate De Jong
Cast: Patrick Bergin, Adam Storke, Chad Lowe, Kristy Swanson,     
      Pamela Gidley, Jarrett Lennon, C.J. Graham, Richard Farnsworth,
      Gilbert Gottfried, Lita Ford, Anne Meara, Amy Stiller,
      Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller

     Chad Lowe and his girlfriend Kristy Swanson are going to Las Vegas
to get married.  Along the way, they leave the highway and start to
travel on a small side road.  They are warned by a gas station owner
about a section of the road, and not to stop along it.  Both Lowe and
Swanson fall asleep on that chunk of the road and get stopped by cop
C. J. Graham, Hell-Cop.  Graham travels that section of road, and brings
pretty young virgin girls to Hell.  Graham kidnaps Swanson and brings
her to Hell.  Lowe goes to Hell and has to get Swanson away from Graham
before Graham gets Swanson to Hell City.

     HIGHWAY TO HELL is a combination of the MAD MAX films and BILL AND
TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY (although the way Hell looks is different).  The
similarities to the MAD MAX films are the frequent car chases with
unusual vehicles, abnormal weapons, unusual gangs and people, and both
films take place in deserts.  The similarity to BILL AND TED'S BOGUS
JOURNEY is the type of humor used in the film, especially by Gilbert
Gottfried (ALADDIN, THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE) and Ben Stiller
("The Ben Stiller Show").  Ben Stiller is not on screen for very much of
the film, unfortunately, and Gilbert Gottfried is on for even less than
Stiller.  Both Gottfried and Stiller are great, although people who tend
to find Gilbert Gottfried annoying will hate his character.

     I found HIGHWAY TO HELL to be a great B movie.  The movie is fun to
watch and the story is interesting.  Chad Lowe (APPRENTICE TO MURDER, AN
INCONVENIENT WOMAN) gives a good performance.  Kristy Swanson (BUFFY
THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, MANNEQUIN ON THE MOVE) really makes this film.
Patrick Bergin (SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, ROBIN HOOD [1991 TV film]) is
excellent.  He also is a great asset to this film.  Adam Storke (MYSTIC
PIZZA, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA [1989 TV film]) gives the worst
performance in the film, but part of that is the way his character was
written.  I wish that they had cast someone else for his role.  He
didn't seem to be with the film, he seemed to have something else on his
mind when he was doing his scenes.  Pamela Gidley (THRASHIN', "Angel
Street") is completely wasted in this film.  Her performance is wooden.

     I think that HIGHWAY TO HELL is definitely worth renting from your
video store, if you like B movies.  If you tend to hate B movies, then
you will probably find this film to be a complete waste of time.  On a
scale of zero to five, I give HIGHWAY TO HELL a four.  HIGHWAY TO HELL
is rated R for explicit language, adult situations, violence, and female
nudity.

--------
Ken Johnson
blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews