Hell's Highway

This nifty little NO BUDGET shocker was a surprise to me. It was made by talented kids but still they're kids and it shows. There's a lot of stuff that's either lifted from other films, or supposed to be in homage to other films. You'll know it when you see it, and this is typical of kids just starting out making films. They have this whole sensibility that it's funny and hip to reference other films in their work, little "in jokes" that their social circle all get. The interviews with cast and crew at the end show this level of immaturity. Still, there's enough original stuff here to make it worth seeing. I got this because of the nice box art and well written synopsis, but when I saw it was shot on video, and not even very good video, I thought it was a mistake to watch. But I gave it a chance and was surprised at the many good points, and of course it is uneven yet there's enough good in it to give congrats to the writer/director for coming up with a literate and interesting script with a nice plot twist that's totally unexpected. Good acting by Ms. Dollar as the evil "entity", and some good grisly effects, though I wish she had handled the chainsaw a little better. Plus there's not really any slow or tedious points. It would be interesting to see the director do this again but in about 15-20 years when he's grown up and got more experience and a bigger budget to shoot it on film or HD. The basic story is literate enough to do it again and make the weak parts stronger, cut out the silliness and kid stuff, give it an overall sense of maturity and really develop the twist ending more. It's actually a good enough weirdo story to rank with the film stories of DePalma and Stephen King. Anyway, you won't be bored.

Hell's highway is about a group of four teens on a road trip. On their travels they pick up a hitchhiker called Lucinda. After a short while she says she is going to kill them all, just like their friends before (who had set off on the same road trip). They expel her from the car forthwith, but have they seen the last of her? It also appears that many have met an untimely fate on the Devil's highway, judging by all of the crosses on the side of the road.

Directed by Jeff Leroy, who is still making horror today. Joe Castro, also a familiar name for practical special effects, in low budget films provides some excellent work here.

Excellent cast that include. Phoebe Dollar and Beverly Lynn, both well established scream queens on the indie circuit, and with a cameo by porn legend Ron Jeremy, who is suitably killed with tongue firmly in cheek.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It had a good story, acting was good. Kept my attention throughout. Some of the special effects were excellent and really delivered on the gore groceries. Nothing is quite what it seems and this will keep you guessing to the bitter end.

Great little homage to the original Texas chainsaw massacre as Phoebe wields a chainsaw like Gunner Hanson.

I would wholly recommend this film to all gore hounds and those that like low budget horrors.

Two couples traveling through Death Valley to the California coast pick up a hitchhiker from hell (Phoebe Dollar). Havoc ensues. The infamous Ron Jeremy is featured in a glorified cameo.

"Hell's Highway" (2002) proves that an ultra-low budget doesn't mean a movie can't be entertaining. Yes, some of the gory parts are cheesy (while others are pretty impressive) and a miniature set is obvious, but both are serviceable (and somewhat charming) and keep the story flowing. Viewing the trailer, I thought this was going to be a horror comedy, but it's not; it's essentially a serious slasher with cheesy effects and campy elements, particularly Phoebe as the over-the-top nefarious hitchhiker. Jeff Leroy shows his genius in that "Hell's Highway" is adept spare-change filmmaking and genuinely amusing DESPITE the obvious cheapness of it all.

Without Phoebe in the key role, however, it wouldn't be half as effective as it is. She's not blow-your-mind beautiful or anything, but she has a unique look and there's something alluring about her demeanor, not to mention she has curves in all the right places. Beverly Lynne (Monique), with her conventional "hot blonde" look, can't hold a candle to her (she has an unnecessary softcore sex scene, for anyone who might be offended). Kiren David, as Sarah, is the third main female in the cast and is a convincing actress. Actually, all the main cast members take the material seriously and offer respectable performances.

The score/soundtrack didn't do much for me, unfortunately. This is a movie that needs a few quality rockin' numbers. The last act features a couple of creative twists in the story and shows that Leroy put some time into the script. But, as semi-enjoyable as this flick is, there are regrettably too many unnecessary nasty elements to give it a higher grade.

The film has little filler at a mere 70 minutes and looks like it was shot in Southern California.

GRADE: C+

What can I say, what can I say?? "Hell's Highway" is a piece of art. Well, not really but, then again, it was not meant to be. This is a straight to video movie about four friends traveling from PA to CA, who meet up with a "sexy thang" who just might be the devil herself, himself, itself...?? Look past the Matchbox Cars and the horrible effects(personally I liked the feel they bring to this movie), and what you get is no better or no worse then any other straight to video horror movie you have ever seen. With an ending that caught me off guard and, hold your breath, makes sense!@#, some decent acting, eye candy for both the men and the women, and a short enough running time to hold one's interest, you can do a lot worse then "Hell's Highway". P.S.- As a side note, these film makers obviously have an affection for what horror movies once were, the gratuitous nudity and all out gore show it!

*** 1/2 out of *****

What can I say? My fiancee and I one night decided that it would actually be fun to go ahead and rent some low budget horror films to get us laughing. C'mon, what other horror movie could you see Ron Jeremy in? This plan worked effectively. We were rolling on the floor even before the previews were over.

The special effects were horrible (i.e. the priest's head exploding after being hit with a shovel, the missing appendage of Mr. Jeremy, and the incredibly gory dragging torso), the acting worse, and the characters out of a low budget porn movie.

If you need a laugh, rent this!