Psycho killin’ machine Toby Gilmore (Benton Jennings) springs himself from the Big House and sets off on a madcap murder spree.
Along the way, Fran Tucker (Blue Thompson) witnesses Terrible Toby ventilate a dude’s skull on the open road and soon becomes Gilmore’s hostage.
Hot on his heels is police chief Earl Dent (Italian peplum familiar face Richard Harrison), a lawman with a personal ax to grind with our footloose felon!
Directed by Bret McCormick (Repligator), working from a script by Gary Kennamer (who we will get back to in a bit), Highway to Hell is down and dirty regional regional filmmaking that would be solid drive-in or Grindhouse material in days past, but in… well different “days past” it was one of many low budget flicks pumped out to video rental joints in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
While the film certainly delivers some suspense and a bit o’ bloodshed… and a helicopter… the real stars are the Texas locales and the performance of Benton Jennings in the lead role.
Let’s start with those dirt and sun blasted environs our characters travel through… the cheery, never-ending sunlight provides a decidedly contradictory visual to the violence at hand, but before long the scrub-lands and blue skies become almost as relentless as our killer at hand.
About that killer, this is definitely a showcase for Benton Jennings as he goes bananas in a whirlwind of swearing, violence, and over-the-top psychotic theatrics that’ll keep you well and truly entertained whenever his evil fills the screen!
Jennings performance is a special feature in and of itself, but our putrid pals over at Visual Vengeance have packed in plenty of bonus material into this Blu-ray release!
After a journey through the film’s production courtesy of an audio commentary from Bret McCormick followed by an interviews with the same.
Other interviews include chats with Actors Richard Harrison, Blue Thompson (a 2 part affair), and Tom Fegan… as well as screenwriter Gary Kennamer.
After that we get an image gallery, the film’s Visual Vengeance trailer, and a whole second feature, Redneck County Fever (1992) written and directed by Kennamer!
Redneck County Fever concerns two bodacious college bros (both sporting the majesty of Zubaz pants) get stranded in Assfuck County, Somewhere U.S.A. after accepting a ride with a sexy stranger.
Once in “town” they find out it’ll cost them three hundred bucks to get their car fixed… bucks they, as broke college students, surely do not have.
Thankfully a shady mother fucker just so happens to be strolling by and offers our heroes a job delivering a package which is in truth, is a load o’ drugs… not that our protagonists realize that bit of info until they get busted mid delivery by an undercover sherrif.
The dynamic duo escape the fuzz and now must stay one step ahead of the law while avoiding a cannibalistic hunter!
Will the lads make it back to Dallas in time for Thanksgiving… yeah, that factors in here too…
For a film on a shoestring, Redneck County Fever definitely keeps the viewer interested as the friends, one of whom talks like Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles… or a Cali surfer dude, though what’s the diff really?) go from one delightfully ridiculous situation to another, and the overall flick ends up funny, charming, and full of heart.
Redneck County Fever has it’s own bevy of bonuses including an audio commentary from Bret McCormick and Gary Kennamer, followed by interviews with the same and a Visual Vengeance produced trailer for the film.
Low on funds, but not on fun quotient, this double dose of down n’ dirty rural ruckus is irresistible S.O.V. action!
