Hi and welcome to my review of Hitch Hike To Hell - 1983
What with a splendid title like this, it would have been hard to keep it from my B-Movie and Horror radars. If you're a loyal fan of these genres, then the title will attract you to your doom, like a moth to a flame. Surprisingly Hitch Hike To Hell turned out to be an entertaining, though mildly annoying, watch.
The story gets a 1 out of 2: John Buckley does his best to convey an Ed Gein psychopath to the screen. If weren't for Robert Gribben's over the top portrayal of him, it would have been a competent representation. Hitch Hike To Hell is the story of Howard. Howard is a Momma's Boy. When he gets ill, Mother's there to squeeze his hand. When Howard has trouble at work, Mommy jumps to his aid. Even when he has nightmares, she will get into bed with him for a supportive cuddle. These affections wouldn't be too harmful if Howard were a child, but he's an adult. All of this over devotion and care has given Howard a misconstrued idea of love. Though he merely wants to help, which is his true nature, when he learns the Hitch Hikers are runaways who don't love their Mothers, he loses control and punishes them. His actions are further supported in his mind because his own sister abandoned his Mother. Therefore, every hiker he punishes assumes her face in his cracked mind.
Here's the chief drawback though, even though the film deals with rape and murder, it's a little too light. The flippancy becomes particularly evident when an eleven-year-old girl runs away from home. We see her jump into the van, and we begin to hope and wonder if this story will follow a more sinister path? It's here I realised precisely how upbeat the film is. Now I don't know if this is down to the story or the direction. Because of this crucial moment, I think the film needed to be a tad darker in outlook.
The Direction and Pace receive a 2.25 out of 4: Irvin Berwick could have decided to keep the feeling light as it would help to portray Howard in a more human light, which it does. We know he's the killer, but the upbeat feel helps prove him to be the bumbling, unsure, nervous, yet kind man he is to everybody... until the switch is flipped in his mind, and the beast is released. This merry feel provides interest and engagement for the audience, and the speedy pace keeps the story moving happily along.
Though Berwick tries to capture some iconic and disturbing imagery, it falls short. The best of these is after Howard's first kill. He opens the vans rear doors and kicks the lifeless body into the dirt. Berwick shoots this from a distance, and we see the wasteland behind an abandoned building. It's a splendid shot and adds a depth of despair to the proceeding. But it all too quickly disappears. For the most part, the filming is standard and average. It's the tempo and story which kept me watching.
The Acting gets a 1 out of 2: For the most part, the cast is more than suitable for their roles. I especially liked Russell Johnson and Randy Echols as the two detectives on the case. Johnson does well as the driven Cpt. Shaw, while subordinate Lt. Davis, is shown experiencing his own personal issues with the job.
Sadly, it's the lead of Howard Martin that lets the whole film down. Robert Gribbin wasn't the correct choice for this psycho. He's passable as the calm and bumbling Howard. However, this too could have been handled better. It's when poor Howard enters beast-mode that Gribbin losses all control. Gribbin oversells every aspect of his meltdown. Howard's twitching is too pronounced. His mental breakdowns are excessively loud and visible. These inevitably caused me to cringe and laugh when they happened. That reaction is not a good thing, especially when the film is supposed to be serious.
And, my Enjoyment level hits a 1.25 out of 2: That said, even though Gribbin deserves a raspberry for this role. The story, the direction, and the other actors and actresses nevertheless made it enjoyable for me. For a B-Movie shocker come exploitation flick, there's not much exploitation or shock. But it does possess something. And, in the end, I felt a tad guilty at finding the movie more enjoyable than thought-provoking. But, hey, it made me smile, and that's not an undesirable thing.
Hence, Hitch Hike To Hell receives a total rating of 5.25 out of 10: If you love your B-movies and Chillers, then I'd say give Hitch Hike To Hell a try. Hell, I may even watch it again... and guilt-trip myself for doing so. Guess I'll have to put this in my Guilty Pleasures list.
Stick out your thumb and hitchhike on over to my Killer Thriller Chillers, The Game Is Afoot, and Guilty Pleasures lists to see where Howard and his Momma landed in my rankings.
Take Care & Stay Well. Get Inoculated.
What with a splendid title like this, it would have been hard to keep it from my B-Movie and Horror radars. If you're a loyal fan of these genres, then the title will attract you to your doom, like a moth to a flame. Surprisingly Hitch Hike To Hell turned out to be an entertaining, though mildly annoying, watch.
The story gets a 1 out of 2: John Buckley does his best to convey an Ed Gein psychopath to the screen. If weren't for Robert Gribben's over the top portrayal of him, it would have been a competent representation. Hitch Hike To Hell is the story of Howard. Howard is a Momma's Boy. When he gets ill, Mother's there to squeeze his hand. When Howard has trouble at work, Mommy jumps to his aid. Even when he has nightmares, she will get into bed with him for a supportive cuddle. These affections wouldn't be too harmful if Howard were a child, but he's an adult. All of this over devotion and care has given Howard a misconstrued idea of love. Though he merely wants to help, which is his true nature, when he learns the Hitch Hikers are runaways who don't love their Mothers, he loses control and punishes them. His actions are further supported in his mind because his own sister abandoned his Mother. Therefore, every hiker he punishes assumes her face in his cracked mind.
Here's the chief drawback though, even though the film deals with rape and murder, it's a little too light. The flippancy becomes particularly evident when an eleven-year-old girl runs away from home. We see her jump into the van, and we begin to hope and wonder if this story will follow a more sinister path? It's here I realised precisely how upbeat the film is. Now I don't know if this is down to the story or the direction. Because of this crucial moment, I think the film needed to be a tad darker in outlook.
The Direction and Pace receive a 2.25 out of 4: Irvin Berwick could have decided to keep the feeling light as it would help to portray Howard in a more human light, which it does. We know he's the killer, but the upbeat feel helps prove him to be the bumbling, unsure, nervous, yet kind man he is to everybody... until the switch is flipped in his mind, and the beast is released. This merry feel provides interest and engagement for the audience, and the speedy pace keeps the story moving happily along.
Though Berwick tries to capture some iconic and disturbing imagery, it falls short. The best of these is after Howard's first kill. He opens the vans rear doors and kicks the lifeless body into the dirt. Berwick shoots this from a distance, and we see the wasteland behind an abandoned building. It's a splendid shot and adds a depth of despair to the proceeding. But it all too quickly disappears. For the most part, the filming is standard and average. It's the tempo and story which kept me watching.
The Acting gets a 1 out of 2: For the most part, the cast is more than suitable for their roles. I especially liked Russell Johnson and Randy Echols as the two detectives on the case. Johnson does well as the driven Cpt. Shaw, while subordinate Lt. Davis, is shown experiencing his own personal issues with the job.
Sadly, it's the lead of Howard Martin that lets the whole film down. Robert Gribbin wasn't the correct choice for this psycho. He's passable as the calm and bumbling Howard. However, this too could have been handled better. It's when poor Howard enters beast-mode that Gribbin losses all control. Gribbin oversells every aspect of his meltdown. Howard's twitching is too pronounced. His mental breakdowns are excessively loud and visible. These inevitably caused me to cringe and laugh when they happened. That reaction is not a good thing, especially when the film is supposed to be serious.
And, my Enjoyment level hits a 1.25 out of 2: That said, even though Gribbin deserves a raspberry for this role. The story, the direction, and the other actors and actresses nevertheless made it enjoyable for me. For a B-Movie shocker come exploitation flick, there's not much exploitation or shock. But it does possess something. And, in the end, I felt a tad guilty at finding the movie more enjoyable than thought-provoking. But, hey, it made me smile, and that's not an undesirable thing.
Hence, Hitch Hike To Hell receives a total rating of 5.25 out of 10: If you love your B-movies and Chillers, then I'd say give Hitch Hike To Hell a try. Hell, I may even watch it again... and guilt-trip myself for doing so. Guess I'll have to put this in my Guilty Pleasures list.
Stick out your thumb and hitchhike on over to my Killer Thriller Chillers, The Game Is Afoot, and Guilty Pleasures lists to see where Howard and his Momma landed in my rankings.
Take Care & Stay Well. Get Inoculated.