Neil Young: Human Highway (1982)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

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
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:

Booji Boy: I don't know what's going on in the world these days. It seems that everybody's just got everything turned around. People don't seem to care about their fellow man. They're all going for that big ice-cream cone in the sky! They haven't figured out what happens when your eyes get bigger then your belly. Like an ostrich who eats his pizza with his head stuck in the sand. If they can't see it, it isn't there. And you know, it really *does* take a worried man!

Movie Connections:

Remade as We're All Devo (1983)

Neil Young, Dean Stockwell, and Devo - a strange combination, an even stranger film

I've seen a lot of weird and bizarre cult films in my life, but "Human Highway" nearly approaches the highest echelon occupied by "Eraserhead" and "The Holy Mountain". When its comes to pure "what where they thinking" style film-making, its difficult to beat this burn-out slice of surreal self-indulgence. Its a musical, a comedy, an anti-nuke morality tale, and doesn't really work as any of those. However, its a fascinating mess and very entertaining to watch just because of how out there it is. Love it or hate it, you have to admit there isn't anything else like "Human Highway".

Its hard to critique a film such as this, because its seemingly flaws are what make it compulsive viewing. Its loopy and the plot never really makes any sense (whether this is after the nuclear apocalypse or a surreal landscape is never really explained). As talented a singer and songwriter he is, Neil Young is no comedian. His attempts to be funny fall flat on his face. He mugs the camera like an inbred "Hee-Haw" cast member. In fact, the film is never remotely funny, but it is, as I said above, compulsive watching. The rest of the bizarre cast, from Dennis Hopper to Russ Tamblyn, seem to have no idea what they're doing here.

The soundtrack, most of it provided by Devo (who also play nuclear waste workers), is pretty terrific. The main theme is "It Takes a Worried Man" covered by Devo, who manage to make the old song rock out as they typically do. There's also a once in a lifetime jam on "Hey Hey My My" by Devo with Neil Young providing some guitar work (if not vocals). "Human Highway" is one of the most fascinatingly loopy films ever made. Fans of psychotronic and obscure cinema need to see this immediately! (7/10)