Highway to Hell (1990) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Bret McCormick
STARRING: Benton Jennings, Richard Harrison, Blue Thompson
RATED: UR/Region: O/1:33/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Visual Vengeance
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if someone found a camcorder, a handful of friends, and absolutely zero sense of restraint, look no further than Highway to Hell (1990), directed by Bret McCormick. This is the kind of movie that doesn’t just scrape the bottom of the barrel—it sets up a folding chair down there and starts filming.
Let’s be clear right out of the gate: this is not a “good” movie by any conventional metric. The production values are… generous would be a stretch. The pacing lurches around like it’s trying to escape the film itself, and the plot is about as straightforward as it gets: a deranged lunatic on the run, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. That’s it. No twists, no clever subtext—just chaos, carnage, and the creeping suspicion that nobody involved thought this would ever be seen by human eyes.
And yet… somehow, it works. Or at least, it entertains.
A big reason for that is Benton Jennings as the central psycho. He’s chewing scenery like it owes him money, and honestly, bless him for it. His performance is the kind of unhinged, go-for-broke energy that makes you forget (or at least temporarily ignore) that everything else around him looks like it was filmed during a particularly rowdy weekend. He’s the engine keeping this rusted-out death machine moving.
The movie also earns a weird sort of respect for how absolutely merciless it is. This isn’t your typical low-budget slasher where you can safely assume certain characters will be spared. Nope—Highway to Hell plays by its own deeply questionable rules, and that includes the unsettling reality that nobody is off-limits. It’s mean-spirited in a way that’s less “shocking commentary” and more “did anyone think this through?”—but it definitely keeps you on edge.
Visually, though? Woof. The HD presentation does this film no favors. Every limitation, every rough edge, every “we’ll fix it later” moment is right there in crisp, unforgiving detail. This is not a movie that benefits from clarity. It’s like polishing a dented hubcap and expecting it to become a mirror.
Thankfully, the Blu-ray release from Visual Vengeance understands the assignment. The packaging is slick, the extras are plentiful, and they even toss in a bonus feature—Redneck Country Fever—which plays like a no-budget cousin of Bill & Ted, if Bill and Ted had access to fewer brain cells and even less money. It’s a bizarre, oddly charming addition that almost makes the whole package feel like a curated experience rather than a cry for help.
In the end, Highway to Hell is a mess. A glorious, baffling, occasionally entertaining mess. It’s not something you watch because it’s good—you watch it because it exists, and sometimes, that’s enough.
Extras
- Region Free Blu-ray
- SD master from original tape elements
- Commentary with director Bret McCormick
- Director Bret McCormick interview
- Red Hot Asphalt: actor Richard Harrison interview
- Road Trip: actress Blue Thompson interview
- Writing A Road Map to Hell: screenwriter Gary Kennamer interview
- Actor Tom Fegan interview
- Image Gallery
- Bonus Movie: Redneck County Fever (1992), directed by Gary Kennamer
- Redneck County Fever – Commentary track with Bret McCormick and Gary Kennamer
- Redneck County Fever – Bret McCormick interview
- Redneck County Fever – Gary Kennamer interview
- Visual Vengeance trailers
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set
- Reversible sleeve featuring original VHS art
- Folded Redneck County Fever mini-poster
- Optional English subtitles
