Bloodtype Online

    You know what is genuinely amazing about some movies?  It's the ability for them to be fun as hell to watch, even though they aren't very good.   That's the magic of the movie I'd like to tell you about right now called "Hot Rods to Hell".  It's a movie that was released in the late 60's that I can certainly see playing double bills all across America at the drive-in theatre. 

    "Hot Rods to Hell" is about a family that is going across the country to their new home and destination, from New England.   You see after their father was on his way home on Christmas Eve from a business trip he gets into a terrible accident, almost killing him.  Upon his release from the hospital Tom's (Dana Andrews) brother Bill (Harry Kickox) offers to help him out since he can no longer take those long business trips.   He gets the idea of setting his brother up as the owner of a hotel out west in which he can run.  Supposedly it does great business and there would be no issue at all about them making a living there.   Well, of course there's no way they can go all the way out there with no problems now can they?  Of course not!   On the way they are terrorized by a bunch of hipster teenage hot-rodder's who make the trip about as interesting as possible!

    See the thing is for me, this movie was incredibly stupid and light on plot.  But then again I'll be damned if I say it was bad.   I had fun watching this one the whole time as there was so much funny stuff in the movie it was honestly a really good time to sit there and watch it.   You have super conservative dad with a back problem, who probably hated hippies, long hair, or the growing drug culture.  You had the wife who just obeys everything her husband tells her, the virgin (but hot) daughter who forces dad to keep the castration knife handy for any boy that comes her way, and the little kid son who adores his dad and thinks he's the baddest man on the planet.   Mix in a few punk ass teenagers who really don't do anything more than make you hate how annoying they are, and you have a winner.  Sure this one is loaded with cheese, but hey who doesn't like a little cheese now and again?!

    Bottom line is, "Hot Rods to Hell" is a good time movie.  It takes you back in time to a place that clearly doesn't exist anymore.   The swinging 60's, where Rock N Roll still scared people, and kids driving souped up hot rods was cool.  When there were "squares" that were afraid of the anti-establishment.   Now if you ask me, that makes the movie that much more cool to watch, especially since there are some really funny instances between the daughter and her conservative family.   Not only that but you get some really funny lines from the actors as well. 

    Overall it's a fun flick, and I'm sure that this one really packed them in at the drive-in all weekend long.  It's part of the Warner Bros. "Terrorized Travelers" box set with the movies "Skyjacked" and "Zero Hour" and they are available for a pretty reasonable price.  So if you are in the mood for rock n roll, squares vs. party kids, and one fun flick definitely check this one out today!

Rating - **1/2

-Ed Demko