Line #7 Film/HighwayToHell


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/highway_to_hell.jpg]]
2
3	''Highway to Hell'' is a 1992 American horror comedy directed by Creator/AteDeJong. It was released on March 13, 1992 after being finished in 1989.
4
5	When a young, eloping couple takes a creepy backroad on the way to their wedding in Vegas, Rachel (Creator/KristySwanson) is kidnapped by a demon cop, Sgt. Bedlam, who plans to deliver her to Satan to be his bride. Rachel's fiance Charlie (Creator/ChadLowe) travels to hell to rescue her. But it's a long, treacherous road to hell, and along the way he'll run into other demons, historical nasties, mythological creatures like Cerberus, and even Satan himself. The ever-persistent Hellcop, who chases the duo to hell and back, is considered to be one of the highlights of the film.
6
7	The movie also stars Creator/PatrickBergin, Creator/JarrettLennon, Creator/AdamStorke, Creator/PamelaGidley, Creator/CJGraham, Creator/AnneMeara, Creator/LitaFord, and Creator/RichardFarnsworth.
8
9	----
10	!!Tropes found in this film:
11	* ActionSurvivor: Even with a magic shotgun to help, Charlie and Rachel are average teenagers who spend much of the movie just surviving the fantastical encounters.
12	* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: Satan had Rachel kidnapped to become his bride.
13	* AntiAntiChrist: [[spoiler:While an adopted son, Adam wants nothing to do with Satan and helps the heroes escape]].
14	* AttackItsWeakPoint: [[spoiler:Hellcop's only weakness is his CoolShades]].
15	* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Satan says that many historical nasties like Attila the Hun and Hitler were his (implied to be adopted) sons. Royce was a disappointment, while Adam is the latest who will be sent to Earth when ready.
16	* TheBigRace: Charlie and Rachel end up racing Hellcop back to Earth in their final escape attempt.
17	* CrossoverCosmology: While mostly based on the Christian idea of hell, Cerberus, the River Styx, Medea, and Charon from Greek Mythology all show up, and the roadside diner is named "Pluto's".
18	* DamselInDistress: Rachel is kidnapped early on and spends much of the movie as a prisoner of hell.
19	* DamselOutOfDistress: [[spoiler:The end of the movie has Rachel be the one to kill the Hellcop, saving herself and Charlie]].
20	* DontLookBack: Satan pulls a Hades and tells Charlie that he and Rachel can leave as long as he doesn't look back at her. When Charlie does, hundreds of demons swarm them.
21	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The demon cop's name is Sgt. Bedlam, but almost everything, including this very page, simply calls him Hellcop.
22	* EvilDetectingDog: Ben barks at any demons and other suspicious characters, [[spoiler:including the seemingly-friendly mechanic, Beezle]].
23	* FellAsleepDriving: Charlie falling asleep while driving sets the Hellcop on their trail, kickstarting Rachel's kidnapping.
24	* TheHeavy: While Satan is in charge of hell, the Hellcop is the most persistent force chasing Charlie, and his kidnapping of Rachel drives the plot.
25	* HeroesLoveDogs: Charlie has a pet dog named Mr. Ben that he cares for and takes on his journey to Hell.
26	* HoneyTrap: A female demon poses as Rachel and tries to have sex with Charlie as a distraction.
27	* ImplacableMan: The Hellcop ''will not stop'' until his objective is complete, whether kidnapping Rachel or killing Charlie.
28	* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: Sam gives Charlie a magic shotgun built by his ex, Clara, and a car with a [[spoiler:hidden turbo boost]] to help him on his quest.
29	* LiteralMetaphor: The movie has a scene where the old proverb "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions" is taken ''very'' literally; in the scene, the souls of good-intentioned sinners are ground into the pavement by a team of workers who look like Creator/AndyWarhol, from the ''Good Intentions Paving Company''. "I was only sleeping with my husband's boss to advance his career", one of them says sadly.
30	* LouisCypher: After Charlie's car is damaged while traveling through Hell, he meets a helpful passing mechanic named "Beezle"...short for "Beelzebub".
31	* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: Charlie realizes "Rachel" isn't herself when he sees the demon's reflection in a mirror.
32	* MundaneAfterlife: Hell's accouterments include a roadside diner, paving companies, bars, and a strip club.
33	* PostClimaxConfrontation: Hellcop shows up one last time to try and kill the heroes after Charlie and Rachel have escaped Hell.
34	* RaceAgainstTheClock: If Charlie and Rachel don't escape Hell within 24 hours, they'll be stuck there for eternity.
35	* RedHerring: Charon's warning that evil can often be sweet seems to point to Adam as an evil figure, [[spoiler:but it's actually his friendly father figure, Beezle, to watch out for]].
36	* RescuedFromTheUnderworld: Done by Charlie after his girlfriend is kidnapped by the devil. (That's right, ''kidnapped'', while still alive. The DealWithTheDevil part is saved for when they try to escape.)
37	* TheRival: Royce and his gang are rivals to Hellcop and agree to both turn over Rachel and let Charlie go in exchange for a favor from both parties.
38	* TagAlongKid: Adam, Beezle's adopted son, wants nothing to do with the underworld and helps Charlie and Rachel escape.
39	* ThwartedEscape: Rachel uses hot Styx beer from Pluto's bar to melt her handcuffs and escape the Hellcop, but is then captured by Royce's gang and handed back over.
40	* WellDoneSonGuy: Royce is considered a disappointment by his adoptive father Satan, and is determined to win his respect and get another chance to raise hell on Earth by coming back to life.
41	* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: After the final showdown, scrolling text relates where the characters ended up after the film. [[spoiler:Charlie and Rachel got married and developed hit video games and pizzerias together, Adam lives with his aunt and uncle with a dog of his own, Sam still warns people about the highway to hell, Mr. Ben starred in a dog food commercial, and for Beezle, life goes on]].
42	* WickedCultured: Satan lives in a high-class mansion and waxes philosophic about mankind and its prospects, telling Charlie that the Hell he's seen is merely a kindergarten compared to the true depth of evil.
43	* YouOweMe: When Royce turns Rachel over to the Hellcop, he says that the Hellcop owes him one. Near the end of the movie, Hellcop is pursuing Charlie and Rachel when Royce tries to get in on the action. The Hellcop threatens to shoot him if he interferes, but Royce says "You Owe Me One!"

Context Film / HighwayToHell