Rota 666 - A Estrada da Morte

An horror road movie with an interesting twist, this flick about a part of Route 666 infested by ghosts is better than one may think before of seeing it. Good cast, several surprising twists. For a double features b-movie evening with popcorn and cola.

don't let my tagline fool you, i like route 666. as far as straight to dvd flicks go it's above average. it actually reminds of drive in style scary movies of the 50's and sixties. Lou Diamond is a solid lead, Lori petty works, i hate to say it but i liked Dale Midkiff. The plot had some merit, it was an original take on a unoriginal concept. However, the script, is one liner, after one liner after one liner. i laughed through the movie, though i'm not sure it's intended to be funny. the lines are enough to make the movie worth while and the make-up effects are a nice refreshing change from the cgi laden horror flicks of late. watch route 666, it's a fun ride, no doubt.

If "Route 666" has anything going for it, it has to be the visual aspect. The film is shot in 2.35:1 widescreen and is very nicely photographed. The lighting and camera angles demonstrate a slick professionalism more common to major Hollywood studio productions than cheap, direct-to-video horror flicks. That said, the rest of the film is nothing special. The plot involving restless ghouls on an abandoned desert road is mildly involving, but some terrible overacting (Dale Midkiff, in particular, constantly acts like Chandler--from the TV show "Friends"--having a panic attack) and remarkably stupid plot contrivances undermine any tension built by the director. At one point, two characters start a fist-fight for no reason except to be a plot device to keep them from helping other characters under attack. The filmmakers don't even try to provide a good reason for the sudden fight. At best, the least discriminating viewer might chuckle knowingly at the cheap ploy. More likely the average viewer will say, "Why the hell did they start punching each other?!" Either way, the result is that the audience is knocked out of the story. That's too bad, as the director (or editor) otherwise keep a quick pace to the movie that is usually enough to gloss over most minor plot problems. The film is certainly never boring; there are gunfights, chases, and violent gore horror galore. Bottomline: if you are the type of movie watcher who is familiar with b- or c-flicks and can enjoy them despite their problems, then you could do much, much worse than "Route 666."

Come on people, relax!

Taken for what it is -- a little horror flick -- ROUTE 666 more than fills the bill.

This one is worth a view just for Gary Farmer. Sure, his role was nothing more than a cameo (and he did seem to be trying to hide behind those sunglasses), but then all Gary needs is a cameo. Remember him in GHOST DOG: WAY OF THE SAMURAI? He only needed one line to steal that flick (Stupid white men.) and GHOST DOG is one damned great film.

I could defend the rest of the cast (I think everyone more than held their own and turned in solid performances) but there is no need. Gary Farmer and peyote tea? What else is needed?

I've only seen this one on the SCI/FI channel (a number of times), but will happily fork over the cash for the DVD the first chance I get.

ROUTE 666 isn't really a horror movie, though that's probably where you'll find it in the video story. Like TREMORS, ROUTE 666 is more of an old-fashioned B movie, the kind of film you'd see as the second feature at a 50s drive-in back. The plot is pretty basic: federal marshals transporting a key witness to testify in Los Angeles are stranded on a closed strip of Route 66 - known as Route 666 - and are besieged by the ghosts of four chain gang workers who were killed years before.

Lou Diamond Phillips is good, and Steven Williams manages to show some comedic skills with some funny dialogue and reactions. His frantic screaming for help after nearly being killed by one of the ghosts at an abandoned drive-in is particularly hilarious. He definitely has the best part of the film. Lori Petty isn't great, but at least she's not as bad as she can usually be, and Dale Midkiff is good, but the rest are pretty much unknowns in typical supporting roles. Veteran character L.Q. Jones plays the local sheriff with a secret.

The movie moves at a brisk pace, never dwelling on the quiet moments too long, and bringing some gritty, jittery camerawork to the action scenes, similar to the style of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Okay, ROUTE 666 is no PRIVATE RYAN, but it's not supposed to be. It's a well-crafted little suspense movie with some cool-looking zombie/ghosts, a good dose of comedy, lots of action, and a cool soundtrack that perfectly captures the feeling and bleakness of the landscape. I will definitely buy this one on DVD, but it would have been great to have a director commentary.