Highway 61

I saw this movie twice in the theatres in the early 90's. It was the first time I saw a movie and I thought to myself "That is the kind of movie I could make". Very inspirational, well-acted and directed for such a small budget indie movie. Very quirky characters. It has a tone similar to movies by Jim Jarmusch or Steve Buscemi's Trees Lounge. The cameo by the dead kennedy's jello biafra is a real treat as well. Try to find this indie gem!

I have to disagree with the other review on this movie... the Satan character MADE the movie, in my opinion. Two of his scenes stick out in my mind - the one where he convinces the little girl to sign over her soul for fame and the end scene where he explains when he discovered he was "the dark one." This movie is a little known gem and it's a bit off the beaten path, being a Canadian film and all, but if you have a strange, wry sense of humor like my friends and me, you'll definitely love it. I would recommend this movie for anyone that's open-minded to the indie-type flicks.

A very quirky road movie that treads the edge of self-conscious weirdness. Fortunately, it treads the right side of that edge, particularly due to the performances of McKellar and Buhagiar, who succeed beautifully in the tricky task of making their eccentric characters human and likeable. A funny and fun movie. And as a bonus, in my eyes Jackie Bangs (Valerie Buhagiar) is one of the most appealing women I've ever had the pleasure of encountering in a film...not classically beautiful, but rather a feisty and uniquely attractive woman I'd really enjoy hangin' with.

What can be said about this bizarre little gem of a movie? As a Canadian I have a soft spot for truly good homegrown film, and Bruce McDonald really delivered with this one. The "rock 'n' roll road movie" seems like a cliched category to put this in, for yes, it does involve a journey (physical and spiritual of course), and great musical atmosphere, and yet there's just something completely different. Maybe it's Valerie Buhagiar's ethereal yet calculating performance as Jackie, the roadie whose friends are far weirder than yours. It might be Don McKellar's small-town trumpet-playing barber who finds a dead man behind his shop one morning. Maybe it's the Devil chasing them in his pickup truck, claiming souls with his Polaroid camera. Oops, perhaps I've given away too much already...

At any rate, I loved this movie. It was unconventional without being consciously "arty", and was just fun to watch. Your corner video store probably won't have it (especially in the States) but if you're lucky one of the big chains will have a copy.

I loved this movie from beginning to end. There have been way too many predictable road movies made since the 60s. It's difficult to find one that surprises and entertains without being contrived. Highway 61 does it, and I admire the hell out of it for doing so. Wonderful script, superior acting, nice use of music throughout, this is pure delight. Hats off to Bruce McDonald and Don McKellar!

And remember - you can't cheat at Bingo!