Highway to Hell (film)

For the album by Australian rock band AC/DC, see Highway to Hell.
Highway to Hell

VHS release cover
Directed by Ate de Jong
Produced by
  • John Byers
  • Mary Ann Page
Written by Brian Helgeland
Starring
Cinematography Robin Vidgeon
Edited by
  • Todd Ramsay
  • Randy D. Thonrton
Production
company
  • Goodman/Rosen Productions
  • Josa
  • High Street Pictures
Distributed by Hemdale
Release dates
  • March 13, 1992 (1992-03-13) (US)
Running time
 94 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $26,055[1]

Highway to Hell is a 1992 American B horror comedy film directed by Ate de Jong and starring Chad Lowe, Kristy Swanson and Patrick Bergin. It was written by Brian Helgeland. The film tells the story of Charlie Sykes (Lowe) and his girlfriend Rachel Clark (Swanson), who is kidnapped by a demon and taken to Hell to become one of Satan's brides, while Charlie must travel to the other dimension to rescue her.

The film features actor Ben Stiller, his sister Amy Stiller and their parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Synopsis

Charlie Sykes and Rachel Clark are a young all-American couple that decide to run away and elope in Las Vegas. On the road to Vegas, they ignore the warning of a local gas station attendant named Sam. They take an abandoned backroad where Rachel is kidnapped by a zombie Hell Cop who takes her to hell. Charlie goes back to Sam, and Sam explains what the Hellcop is and how to save her. Sam then gives Charlie a shotgun with special ammo and a car that holds a special attribute.

On the highway, Charlie meets other dead people that live in Hell and even a motorcycle gang. On the road, he meets a mechanic named Beezle, with his young apprentice. Beezle gives him tips on how to save his girlfriend and even brings him back to life. After Charlie rescues Rachel, Beezle reveals himself to be Satan and proposes a deal to let them, and his apprentice, go free if they can defeat the Hell Cop in a race to the portal that connects Earth and the backroads of Hell.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Phoenix, Arizona.[2]

Release

Hemdale shelved the film for a year before finally giving it a limited release.[3] It was released to home video on August 21, 1992.[2] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray February 2, 2016.

Reception

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Although ambitious, amusing and even romantic, replete with lots of striking sets and jazzy special effects, its humor is not sophisticated enough to attract the wide audiences of a Beetlejuice."[4] Michael Dare of Billboard called it "smart, witty, and incredibly imaginative".[5] TV Guide rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "Highway to Hell is no masterpiece, but it is a genuine video find."[3] Todd Rigney of Beyond Hollywood called it a "deliriously enjoyable satanic road trip" film that is "fun if you approach it in the right frame of mind".[6] HorrorNews.Net called it "one of the greatest campy horror films to never arrive on DVD".[7]

Highway to Hell has since developed a cult following.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Highway to Hell". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  2. 1 2 "Staying Home?". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. 1992-08-21.
  3. 1 2 "Highway To Hell". TV Guide. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (1992-03-16). "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Highway to Hell' Reworks Orpheus Legend". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  5. ↑ Dare, Michael (1992-08-08). "Home Video". Billboard. 104 (32).
  6. ↑ Rigney, Todd (2011-03-28). "Forgotten Action Cinema: Highway to Hell". Beyond Hollywood. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Film Review: Highway to Hell (1991)". HorrorNews.Net. 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  8. ↑ Alexander, Chris. "Lita Ford talks new album, and cult classic "HIGHWAY TO HELL"". Fangoria. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-22.

External links

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