Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road

This brilliantly original film somehow bypassed theatres due to the usual studio stupidity. An intelligent, offbeat road movie with fantasy elements is a hard thing to sell, so they don't bother and the film eventually limps its way onto DVD.

With a bit more money this could have been one of the best films ever. As it is, director Bob Gale makes the best of things and it's a reflection on how strong the story is that he can get away with it on a measly budget. There are great cameos from Michael J.Fox and Kurt Russell amongst others.

Like Donnie Darko, this is a weird little indie film you may never have heard of but buying the DVD will be one of the best choices you'll make.

'Interstate 60' is a light movie and despite being made in the early 2000's, it looks like the product of the eighties. Including the kitsch and the cheesiness involved. Generally, I thought it started kind of slow but gradually improved as the movie went on.

The things I liked:

• The story. It's original and rich. Not everything is great, but overall, I really appreciate the effort.

• Has genuinely funny moments.

• Never boring. You know how it ends, but you still want to see what's next.

• The lawyer town is a stroke of genius. Very smart and very funny episode.

The not so much:

• There was no real bond between me, the viewer, and the main character. Mainly because some of his actions made him look rather unlikable (nothing too serious but I wouldn't applaud such behavior). Also, there was no real depth to him.

• Visually too simple. It really could have used some atmospheric visuals/score to augment the surrealism.

• O. W. Grant's problem was really unnecessary.

My conclusion, is that if you have a mood for a light movie and don't mind a bit of surrealism, this one is a good choice. Eventually it bears a good message as well - which is follow your heart - even if it is not as pronounced as one would expect.

The only way I got to see this film, was to order it online from amazon.com and ship it over from the US. I can't even remember how I came across hearing of the film, I think I was just browsing the net one day and saw the name 'Bob Gale' attached.

I'm a huge fan of the BTTF series, and pretty much appreciate all works done by cast and crew of the series in other titles. Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Christopher Lloyd, and the great MJF to name a few! So how come I'd never heard of this film 'Interstate 60', as it contains 3 of the 4 aforementioned magical ingredients (albeit the 2 actors in secondary roles).

Intrigued, I set about attempting to obtain the movie, which proved more painstaking than trying to remove barbed wire from your rear end.

Nowhere in the UK has it or had even heard of it, there was no cinema release, no straight-to-video, nothing. Not even big Brit name Gary Oldman (who appears for his fair share in the film), or legend Kurt Russell seemed to have secured its distribution.

Anyway, to the film, I think it has to be seen to be appreciated, I rate the plot quite well, with its quirky and surreal sense of humour. The direction and camera work are fantastic (albeit a little rough around the edges) for a low-end budget film, and is something Bob Gale should be proud of for his first outing as a director. The narrative element from BTTF, using the main character as eyes and ears for the audience is again used to good effect, and is once again an engrossing way to tell the story in 'Interstate 60'.

Perhaps big distributors felt that the film was too odd, or strange to merit a push for release, which is a shame, as it's a hidden gem and well worth shipping over international waters anywhere. Strangely enough, it seems as though its one of the only films amazon will ship over to another country (so maybe they know its true value).

If your at all interesting or intrigued as I first was, then you should definitely attempt to get hold of the film while its still about.

I really enjoyed this movie, that I have never heard about before, even though I watch a lot of movies. It must have been extremely poorly distributed for me to miss it, especially since it actually has quite good ratings. It has humor, message, talent, attitude and after thought. It might be 16 years old, but it still MUCH better than some of the stuff that is made today. It puzzles me that I have never heard about it, considering the amount of big actors in it. But better late than never. Don't let this slip away, see it you too!

I am surprised I have never heard about this film. I became aware of it when I saw one of the YouTube shorts. It seemed interesting and I decided to give it a chance. I am glad I did. The movie was interesting, funny, and dynamic enough for me to never pause it and just see it all the way through, which is something that rarely happens. I liked the characters and actors' performances. There is a bit of a morale in the movie, so I think I may rewatch it with my son. This was an easy watch, light, humorous, and entertaining. Christopher Lloyd's and Gary Oldman's characters were my favorite. Recommended!