Road to Hell (2008)

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Saw it in Las Vegas as part of a film festival here. Head and shoulders above all other films in the festival and it received a best picture award which was deserved. It was the best film I have seen in this festival so far (I've seen I think 30 films so far). This was a big step up in the theater and this film had the best photography I have seen in a theater in a longtime. It didn't rely on shaky cam or other tricks but instead was like a painting come to life. It reminded me of the paintings in the michael mann film manhunter. creepy and unbelievably vivid and colorful. the acting was surprising, although my expectations were low based on the other film's in the festival. Mike Pare was excellent. I usually find him dull and wooden but in this movie The guys a movie star. Clare Kramer was so gorgeous to look at that she was seductive and frightening in the same moment. Definitely up there with Antony hopkin's as hannibal the cannibal. same level of performance. she was so creepy and scary but fascinating at the same time. its was weird how violent and ruthless she was yet I found myself feeling sympathetic towards her. She has real talent. Her partner in crime was really great as well. Loved seeing the actress from Warriors again. another nice performance. believe pare, kramer and the warriors actress all won awards that night. so even though I never heard of streets of wire, the film did a good job of setting up its world and all the drama from the character's past. the amazing thing is how they used rock music all the time to tie the film and characters together. I think there's been a films in the past 10 years that tried this but this was the best rock music movie i can remember, by far. as the credits played at the end there was a lot of clapping and big smiles everywhere. i think everyone was glad they could let out a breath and it was very up feeling in the theater. hat's off to everyone who made this film. finally something entirely original and unexpected. not a moment where you could relax and nothing predictable in anyway. I would love to see it again.

I saw Road to Hell recently, on opening night of the Pollygrind Film Festival in Las Vegas. i really didn't know what to expect because I had seen several clips already, some of beautiful moments and some that looked pretty disturbing. There was one scene in particular that I was concerned about, which I won't spoil here, but I told myself I would just close my eyes and power through it. I'd remember my son telling me it is "only make-believe". I could not have been more happily surprised. The story is engrossing and edgy. While it does take some very dark turns, you can see that there is more to Tom Cody than a man with nothing left. He seems to have lost all sense of compassion, but really, there is still a spark of human spirit in him that won't let him give it up completely. We are given a look at both deep despair and redemption. Michael Paré creates a deeply touching and emotional persona for Tom Cody. This actor can give us more depth and understanding of a character in a brief glimpse on camera than many can muster in the entire length of a movie. He is fascinating. I feel a little silly now, but I admit, he brought tears to my eyes.Clare Kramer and Courtney Peldon are gorgeous and terrifying. That was their intention and they definitely pulled it off! I would not like to meet either of their characters in a dark alley, but I hope to meet the actresses at the next Film Fest!Roxy Gunn is breathtaking on the big screen. I was overwhelmed by her performance. She was perfect in the role of Ellen Dream, a talented and beautiful rock and roll legend-to-be; and in that sense, art imitates life. The soundtrack, performed by the Roxy Gunn Project, was amazing. The in-studio videos and "radio-play" tied the whole movie together, building the anticipation for her performance at the end. Everything about her concert scene brought back the feeling of the original, with an updated and contemporary point of view of the fantasy. Every member of the band is so extremely talented. I know they are going to skyrocket!I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that the entire audience was moved to give the movie, and the filmmakers, a standing ovation when the lights came up.The script, the style, the pace, and the transitions kept me completely involved from the first moment to the last. The movie won nine awards, among them Best Picture, Best Actor for Michael Paré, Best Actress for Clare Kramer, Best Supporting Actress for Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Best Screenplay for Cynthia Curnan, and Best Newcomer for Roxy Gunn. Albert Pyun, the director, also received a Lifetime Achievement award.I can't wait to see it again in San Francisco!

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.

Saw it at the Austin Fantastic Fest last year. It was screened with Streets of Fire by Walter Hill and the stars of that and Road to Hell were present. It was quite disconcerting for me as I have never seen Streets of fire before so to see a very youthful Michael Pare and then to see him or his character over twenty years later was one of the most strong experiences I have at a movie screening. Both films were done with much style and surreal images. Neither film was set in a real world but a world of our imaginations. But the contrasting views were powerful. It was like in Streets of fire Pare was still full of romance and hope but years later that hope is destroyed and he is instead cynical and hostile. There was a core of god in him in the first film and he seeks to nurture the promise of that good but years later in Road To Hell he's more than disillusioned with the world. I found the whole thing fascinating and thoughtful. It too bad that Road To Hell was not near finished and was quite rough in the presentation. I am curious to see how it comes out in the end because it has a much on the story's mind. How life twists and turns and how we change over time. I think this is a new approach where you see the character as a young idealistic hero turned years later into bitterness and you feel his pain and what disappointments he must have had. One idea my friends talked about like his sister says in the beginning of Road to hell, is how he was always troubled and not right in the head or heart even when he was a child and how Ellen was his hold on the hope he could be good. You do see Pare's anger and dark side in Streets of Fire and is fascinating to see how it ends up consuming him years later. I hope Road to hell can fix some of the technical problems and get it all okay. It is quite intelligent with ideas but is shocking and profane and with horrifying violence but it works well as a character study of a hero gone very dark.