I was in town visiting a friend and we happen to walk past an indie theater in down town Albuquerque after eating dinner. We saw the poster for a film called "Road To Hell" was about to start and took a chance that it was decent. The theater was a dump in that Indy vibe way. The director (I think) introduced the film and then it started with recollection look at Streets of Fire which I'd never seen let alone heard of before. Then Road to Hell started. Wow was it different. I'll have nightmares for weeks as it was probably the darkest film I'd ever seen. Its like if Rodriquez and Tarantino or maybe that crazy dutch filmmaker (can't remember his name) who makes those sick art films like Anti-Christ, made a Human Centipede. This movie is just insane with dark moments where your not sure if you can take it. But what makes it work is the amazing camera work. I thought it was the most interesting photography I may have ever seen in a movie. There were a few dodgy shots but taken its entirety, remarkable.Imagine the best surreal art come to life. That's Road to Hell. Had good but not great songs. Did not like the singer who played Ellen. The tight close ups of her face revealed too much nose ring to the point where I could stand it. Its also her songs were sappy but some were effective. Watching her act was better than watching her sing. Pare can do these parts in his sleep. He was solid and shows he's an actor. The bad bitch, Clare Cramer was super hot the way they shot her scenes. Good actress too. Not for everyone because its definitely in the artsy section of films but the photography made it a worthwhile 2 hours.

I saw this Wednesday night at the Rave Movie theater in Las Vegas. It was part of a local film festival and it was a big crowd. I actually snuck into the theater early to make sure I got a seat! The stars of the movie were there and the director reminded me of a long haired crazy kid because he was so excited. As they introduced the film, I hadn't realized it was inspired by another movie which I had never heard of. But they had a sort of time machine opening which definitely set you up for the main movie. What did I think? I think the audience knew more about it because they started cheering and applauding right from the start. So the feeling was really good, like when you go see a much anticipated blockbuster at midnight Thursday. Everyone seemed really into it. That got me into it too. The movie was like an LSD acid trip (though I have never taken any). It was the most intense colors and images I have seen since Into the Void. Like that film, this movie spent a lot of time taking you into its world and its reality. Highly stylized dialogue and acting it was not like anything I've ever seen before. Its the first movie I think I've seen where you could not assume where it was going second to second. It had moments o genuine shock and it was super disturbing at times, then towards the end it really switches gears and it carries you from the shock and horror into an almost joyful place. So it ends upbeat. I won't describe what happens as I think it doesn't translate to words. But I enjoyed it and the film was awarded a lot of awards after and I think its well deserved. The two main actors I had seen before but never like this. Its a film where you leave the theater exhilarated and energized by the style and story. Is it an art film? Yes, in the best sense, because it takes you to where you've never been and never expected to go. It's demanding on your brain and stomach. Not for those who want it all predictable and easy to digest. It's waaayy out there on the margins in the best way.

The first thing that should be said is that "Road to Hell" is not a film. It's not a movie. In truth, I don't know what it is. Youtube videos of mentos and diet coke are more cinematic than anything this attempts. It isn't just bad, it's Sega CD Full Motion Video Game circa 1992 bad. It makes "Night Trap" look like "The Godfather." It's the "2 Girls 1 cup" of sequels. Most importantly, it's an insult to "Streets of Fire" and everyone who has ever watched even five minutes of it.Before the 60 + minute "dream project" proceeded to assault those not smart enough to walk out, Albert Pyun, his wife Cynthia Curnan, and a handful of others came up and explained what we would be seeing. Cynthia mentioned that it was the result of an argument that she and Albert had had about the ending of Streets of Fire. Albert had thought it was one of the most romantic endings of all time. Cynthia thought it was deeply tragic and showed that Tom Cody was doomed. She wrote "Road to Hell" to show what she thought would have happened to him.If the near-finished product is any indication, Albert handily won that argument and by default has now won all subsequent arguments for the rest of their lives.Put simply, "Road to Hell" is garbage -- cinematic fan-fiction that is essentially a pointless 60+ minutes of atrocious dialog in front of a green screen, mixed in with some black and white footage of Deborah Van Valkenburgh being interrogated and flashbacks of a poor double for Diane Lane lip-syncing and dancing along with two songs lifted from "Streets of Fire."I'm not entirely sure why everything was filmed in front of a green screen, probably to give it that "filmed in one day" look. It definitely does no favors to the performances, and the computer animated backdrops used look like screen savers circa 1994. I kept half-expecting a flying toaster to glide across the screen. Sadly, like any hope that "Road to Hell" would be redeemed, it failed to materialize.The muddled excuse for a plot centers around the idea that Tom Cody is now a deranged serial killer, waiting in the middle of nowhere in case Ellen Aim's tour bus happens to drive by.Meanwhile the two least interesting former strippers turned murderers in the world come across him.They yell and swear and swear and yell. They talk in circles. There's some blood and some kissing. It goes absolutely nowhere and just drags and drags and drags. It could have been whittled down into a five minute short, told the same "story," and it STILL would have been painful.I guess the filmmakers deluded themselves into thinking they were making something artistic and the characters we see might be in purgatory, or some other metaphysical realm. Unless the filmmakers' intent was to make the viewer feel like they were literally in hell, they failed.The only elements that are even remotely interesting at all are ripped from "Streets of Fire." It is fascinating watching Paré and Van Valkenburgh reprising their respective roles, or at least it would be if the dialog wasn't so mind numbingly awful that the characters as portrayed resemble those in "Streets of Fire" about as much as David Koresh resembled Jesus.Pyun, particularly in his Cannon years, has made some legitimately entertaining no-budget films. There is nothing entertaining here. It captures none of the spirit, energy, character, or fun of "Steets of Fire." It's an ugly, draining, pointless trifle.Do yourself a favor and stop caring about this now. It will only end in heartbreak.

I was going to wait until I saw the finished film to comment but people from the Fantastic Fest screening are giving their early views so here's mine. I agree with everything all three say about it. It is a very bent vision that is at turns intoxicating, offensive, moving and repulsive. It isn't the kind of movie where you just sit back and turn off your brain because I think the filmmaker intend for you to think about what you are hearing and what you are seeing. It's ambitious in how dense with nuance the plot, if you can call it that, is with all sorts of contradiction. The fact that the film was so unfinished made it hard to watch at times so I have to withhold any final judgements. Same for no giving a proper synopsis because I am sure they will need to work on that. I am very curious to see it. It's really a throwback to acid trip movies of the 60's and 70's where the audience had to bring their own head trips to mingle with the film's. Michael Pare and Clare Kramer are riveting. The movie leans heavily on their charisma and ability to keep the audience sympathetic with their characters even as they perform the most heinous and repellant acts on other characters and yes, jeeps. I think they should have waited before screening the film is such a rough form but I hope they got useful feedback they can incorporate as the shape the final film. This film could be a ten if they pull it all together or it could end up a 1. It's got the potential to do both. Heaven or Hell.