Films Outside the Loop Jeanne Chappé

This movie is NOT a slow starter and it is certainly NOT for the squeamish. There has been a lot of news lately about road rage. Well...take that to the ultimate extreme!

Two families are travelling on the empty highway across the desert on their way to San Diego. In one car is Jack (Christopher Lambert), his wife Helen (Michelle Forbes) and his cantankerous 16 year-old daughter Ashley (Alexondra Lee). Do 16 year-old girls come any other way? In the other car is Glen (Christopher McDonald) and his son Rich (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). It is really a hoot to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) at such a young age. His performance in this movie is riveting.

Okay...now the third 'family' involved in this movie.

Have you ever been around a group of really gnarly little kids? Sort of vicious little creatures? Well, picture these kids all grown up and you wind up with this group of four truly evil people who seem to have formed an unholy family of their own. The leader of this 'family' is Cliff played by Craig Sheffer and he is fascinating to watch throughout this movie. The members of Cliff's 'family' are Bobby (David Arquette) who is possibly an idiot savant, Tom (Josh Brolin) who might have a partial conscience and Cliff's amoral girlfriend, "Red", played by Adrienne Shelly.

When these three families come together on the quiet desert highway...the highway goes straight into hell!

This movie is brilliantly directed by Deran Sarafian. The movie never slows down and there are several very poignant shots in direct counter-point to the brutal action. I found myself forgetting to breathe at times.

Be warned that there is incredible violence in this movie but I enjoyed it thoroughly right up through the end........

Runtime: 1:26

This film is available on VHS, cable or satellite.

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