Customer Reviews

Human Highway [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I know a lot of people out there still do acid, if you are one of those people...this movie is for you! I like acid, devo, and rock n' roll. I like this move. That is all.

this is an excellent movie for people who enjoy cult films, non-mainstream, such as brazil, rocky horror picture show, fear and loathing in las vegas, gummo etc... while human highway isn't exactly of the same theme as any of these movies, it is similar in that it is very very original, maybe even unique. while at the same time it contains elements of life that many people may empathize with (maybe?) it's definetly not an a to b movie but there is enough some sense to it, and the music is great...although if you sit down to watch it expecting something reflecting neil youngs music you'll be surprised, or even confused. all in all a very entertaining, comical, musical, psychadelic, heady, surprising (especially for neil young fans) piece of art. probably something that would be best received by college kids ;-)

Neil Young is the enigmatic "godfather of grunge." DEVO defined themselves as a representation of "de-evolution" ... whatever that means. The fact that these two forces would combine to produce "Human Highway" makes a whole lot of sense.

It's just a quiet day in a little one horse town, occupied for the most part by the workings of the diner, the garage and the thermonuclear power plant on the hill. Something goes wrong at the diner, the mechanic has a personality crisis triggered by a head trauma, and ... oh, yeah ... there's a leak at the power plant. "Barrel go boom," as the power plant worker so succinctly puts it.

"Human Highway" is NOT a laugh-a-minute. It really only seems to "work" on repeated viewing. The satire of the rock music scene is as funny as the goof on nuclear power. The psychedelic flashback segment is done with affection.

Though the film introduces Neil's music into a DEVO-esque scenario, and includes songs from different points in his career, this is NOT a "rock and roll" movie per se.

The traditional folk song "It Takes a Worried Man (to Sing a Worried Song)" appears twice in the movie, and is really what sets the tone. The DEVO take on Dylan's "Blowin' In the Wind" has me in stitches each time I hear it.

Overall, I think you should give this strange little film a chance. Neil fans can add a star. Hardcore DEVO fans can add to stars.

It really DOES take a worried man!

I loved this film. A very surreal film about nuclear apathy and diner management. Neil Young is hilarious, and a surprisingly good actor. Dennis Hopper has 3 different rolls. The dream sequence (with Boojie Boy playing a MOOG synth in baby crib) is by far the creepiest thing I have ever seen on film. If you like `em weird, this one's for you. The music of DEVO and Young is excellent. The dance scene at the end is done ala "Grease." You won't be disappointed.

i think that this is a very unique film but i could see how it was given very poor reviews by critics. if you don't like DEVO, i wouldn't watch this film. a friend of mine who hates everything from the 80s watched it and hated the film. but if you want to see an interesting film and like Neil Young when he playing wicked guitar jams, i recommend this film to you

A Triumph. A Brilliant Satire. At least watch it before you pan it

Horrible movie, but I loved it, just because I bought that ugly brown Trans Am in the movie from Neil Young in 1982. Ran great till I sold it in 1993. I was told it was purchased by Neil just for this movie, I never really believed it, (pink slip listed Shakey Pictures as owner, I thought it was stolen!), until I bought this movie, 26 years after I bought that car.

Movie is very "stoney". Almost didn't recognize Neil in the movie.

Very nostalgic, for me at least.

Neil has always been known for his strange diversions of character and music. This is no exception. This is perhaps the strangest spoof type movie I've seen. However there's something to it. Sure, the movie was obviously low budget--Sure, the scenery and props were inspired by Neil's Lionel train collection. But, you have to look past this and really not take the film too seriously.

There is some twisted satire in this film.. some funny hidden comedy by Neil, Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell. I think this movie is best watched more than once.

I truly appreciated the dream sequence..when Neil's character, Lionel Switch (what a name huh?) dreamed of being a rock star.. then suddenly it diverts to a strange camping/outing/POW WOW scene.. with the background music of "Going Back.." from his "Come A Time" album.. it's done in pyschedelic/neo-80 sytle that truly, in my opinion, is beautiful..

I've always appreciated Neil's interest and concern of the Native American welfare.. this movie touches on that too..

No, this movie is not "Saving Private Ryan" and it wasn't made for film recognition or Oscar awards.. it's done in the name of fun and to perhaps convey a message.

And.. you know what? Perhaps I'm a little biased (being such a big Neil fan and all) but Neil came across as a pretty good actor too..

Rent it.. add it to your collection.. and enjoy the music..again, particularly the dream sequence...

I hope Neil relives his Bernard Shakey director pseudo-role and comes out with another film.. He always keeps things interesting!

Just because you like ice cream and tomato sauce doesn't mean you should mix 'em together. I think that's what happened here. I couldn't imagine not liking a movie with Neil Young, Devo, Dennis Hopper, Dean Stockwell, etc.... well, live and learn.

The pieces of this movie don't hang together well. It's like there were two different films and someone just mashed them together with no regard for whether or not they would fit. On one side we have the somewhat didactic Devo pieces, with Booji Boy in a role similar to the chorus in a Greek play; he's like a court jester, who gets away with speaking ugly truths because he's too silly to take seriously.

On the other side we have Neil Young's surreal pseudo-story. Despite some interesting snippets of dialog, no particular thread is developed far enough to inspire any real interest in the story, and no character is developed enough to make us care what happens to them. Which, in a way, is probably Young's point - the tiny events of our little lives just aren't as interesting as we think they are, and they don't matter. But that doesn't make for engaging storytelling.

But, between Devo's solid personification of doom and Young's dreamlike depiction of everyday life, there is one amazing performance which, in my opinion, redeems the movie. It's their joint rendition of "Hey Hey My My." This lengthy, frenzied, and apparently spontaneous studio session is the only honest moment in the entire movie. All the campiness, tongue-in-cheek lecturing, and coyness that candy-coats the film's depiction of our shallow, ugly civilization is put aside for a straightforward primal scream. The speeches and the dreamy videos are nice, but the wailing fury of this number is a catharsis of disgust, contempt, and disillusionment. Young and Devo work together as if in a trance, and no one seems to want to break the spell. It's genuine and moving.

The three greatest movies I have seen are as follows... Casabanca, Gates of Heaven by Morris, and Human Highway. Most movies today are completely unwatchable. Name a great movie produced in the last ten years. Name One.