Neil Young: Human Highway (1982)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Directors:

Dean Stockwell
Neil Young

Writers:

James Beshears (writer)
Jeanne Field (writer)

Release Date:

September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The new owner of a roadside diner stuck in a town built around an always leaking nuclear power plant plans to torch the place to collect insurance...

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Black Comedy | Acid

Cast

Neil Young	...	Lionel Switch
Russ Tamblyn	...	Fred Kelly
Dean Stockwell	...	Otto Quartz
Geraldine Baron	...	Irene
Pegi Young	...	Biker girl
Mickey Fox	...	Mrs. Robinson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Blue	...	Earl Duke
Bob Casale	...	Devo
Gerald V. Casale	...	Devo
Devo	...	Themselves
John Herzog	...	House Painter
Dennis Hopper	...	Cracker
Sally Kirkland	...	Katherine
Roxanne 'Rocky' Meyers	...	Harem girl
Mark Mothersbaugh	...	Performer / Booji Boy (as Devo)
Robert Mothersbaugh	...	Devo
Alan Myers	...	Devo
Charlotte Stewart	...	Charlotte Goodnight

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

Contains the only recorded collaboration between Neil Young and Devo, as they perform "Hey Hey My My (Out The Blue Into The Black)". The song is sung by Mark Mothersbaugh as his "Booji Boy" character,and changes a few lyrics in typical Devo fashion. (i.e. "Johhny Rotten" becomes "Johnny Spud").

Quotes:

[repeated line]
Lionel Switch: I can do that!

Movie Connections:

Remade as We're All Devo (1983)

A whack slice of the 80's.. with DEVO!

No doubt about it, most of these posts are on the money in describing this movie. When I slipped it into the VCR, I had no idea DEVO were in on the proceedings, but I was pleasantly surprised. These guys are so aggressively strange, anything they are in is worth watching at least once and this is no exception. The movie does ramble on and on with not much holding it together, and there are some weak romantic subplots, but I was looking forward enough to what came next so I kept watching. I loved "Booji Boy" and although the dream sequence with Young and DEVO seemed tacked on to give them an excuse to "Rok Out", Rok they do. And am I the only one to think Neil looks like he's on drugs? Plus, Dean Stockwell and Russ Tamblyn together at last and writing screenplays. Might David Lynch have given some advice on this one? It wouldn't be hard to believe, but he would have had better miniatures... This movie is easily whack enough to be worth seeing, especially if you are a DEVO or Young fan.