Road to Hell (2008)

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!

It was great to see the movie be outlined by the Streets of Fire film. Sadly I was too young to see it when it came out but I got it and great movie. I went to the Road To Hell premiere in Las Vegas, great performances by all but what a great new comer and band. There were some part in the film that I quiet did not understand but in reference to Streets of Fire but I highly recommend everyone to get Streets of Fire if you have not seen it. The music was incredible it was great to see a female that can act and actually sing and write songs!This film will definitely be another great cult classic the music rocks! Albert,and cast you have a new fan! Thank you for the great night and I cannot wait till I own the film.

I finally had the pleasure to see "Road To Hell" at the Pollygrind Film Festival screening in Las Vegas, NV on 10/17/12. Where it just so happened to win 9 amazing awards, including Best Picture. This film finds Michael Pare's iconic Streets Of Fire character 28 years after him and Elenn went their separate ways. "Cody" has been off being a solider again, as we are told by his sister Reva(Deborah Van Valkenburgh)fighting a war, literally and mentally. He is on a journey back to Edge City to find "Ellen" & the daughter he never knew(Roxy Gunn), when he comes across 2 beautiful spree killers. Cody has the fight of his life on his hands with not only the murderous Clare Kramer & Courtney Peldon but with his own personal demons. Going into this film I was already a huge "Streets Of Fire" & Michael Pare' fan. Thanks to the phenomenal writing by Cynthia Curnan the film drew us all in from the opening scene ... and didn't let go until the ending credits. It is a pure cinematic treat. It has everything a movie-goer could ask for: a main character that everyone is rooting for even though he is a severely flawed human being, gorgeous women with guns, violence, sex, some comedy, a killer original rock n roll soundtrack - with some songs even from Streets of Fire - all perfectly performed by The Roxy Gunn Project, intense moments that leave you breathless and scared, all mixed into a film that I will admit brought tears to my eyes and gave me goosebumps. The acting in this movie is very well done and for all you Michael Pare' fans - he has never been better...He can say more with a stare in this film than most actors could with an entire monologue. The break out star in this film is Roxy Gunn, who plays Cody's long lost daughter Ellen. She is magical in this film. Not only are you drawn into her by her sweetness and beauty but the girl can sing! I mean really, really sing! The songs are timeless and will be sure to have you humming and singing them a week later. Trust me I know from experience. Road To Hell is perfectly casted. Each character is completely believable in their role, and each leaves you wanting more. The film also is extremely beautiful to watch. The colors portray death, sex, destruction and redemption. The way it was filmed by veteran director Albert Pyun & visual effects by Daniel Ray Gutierrez is really mesmerizing. I really can't say enough about Road To Hell. I recommend it to everyone, Streets of Fire fans or not!

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.