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Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2002)

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110 comments in total

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44 out of 50 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best films I've seen in a long time!, 16 October 2003
Author: Katatonia from Missouri

Once in awhile there's a film that comes along that is amazingly fresh in it's idea. Interstate 60 is one of the best movies I've seen recently. I saw in a rental store and there was only one copy they had. I didn't see it in on the shelves of the other rental chains I usually visit several times per week. I debated whether or not I should even rent the movie. But, it had Christopher Lloyd in it...so it couldn't be that bad.

I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. It's fun and utterly different than what I was expecting it to be. Interstate 60 cannot be classified into a single genre. It is many genres, from fantasy to comedy, to romance, to drama...and back again switching between these and so much more.

The script is very well written, with many memorable lines of intelligent dialogue. There are several notable cameos by high profile actors such as Michael J. Fox, Ann-Margret, and Kurt Russell. All of their performances made use of their stellar acting abilities. Another must see role was played by Chris Cooper.

Interstate 60 should really have had a wide theatrical distribution. It has the look and feel of a big budget movie, and surely has a wide ranging appeal. A lot happens in this movie and that is a good thing! It's a shame that a lot of people will probably never see or hear of the movie. If you can find it around you should definitely rent it. You also couldn't go wrong with just buying it, I know it is next on my list of movies to buy for my personal collection. I give this exceptional movie a 10 rating out of a possible 10!

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40 out of 47 people found the following comment useful :-
Absolutely awesome, 8 December 2004

Author: (kotaba@kn.vutbr.cz) from Brno, Czech Republic

This film is one of the few modern movies, that really HAS something to say. I was very touched, as it reflected my own feelings of incertitude about the future. It contains the motive of the trip(escape), bravery to rise against the authority, but mainly the courage to change one's own life, while preserving the humorous aspect. Contains the love-story sub-motive, but just as moderate, as appropriate. I just loved the script. This film gives the viewer the hope, he can entirely change his life just by making a few crucial decisions.

I'm giving 10 and going to buy the DVD!

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34 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
A refreshingly moral story with important messages presented in a humorous way..., 20 September 2003

Author: MovieAddict2008 from UK

"Interstate 60" is about a highway that doesn't seem to exist, yet somewhere in between two highways in Louisiana it does, indeed, exist. The main character of the film has a hard time trying to find it at first, for his destiny lies somewhere upon the seemingly non-existent highway.

People looking for "Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road" may have just as hard a time looking for the movie itself, as it was not theatrically released, has not been released on DVD, but continues to circulate around small theaters and film festivals since 2002, in search of more eager viewers who will no doubt be both surprised and inspired by the film's truthfulness and sense of morals.

Yet "Interstate 60" plays like anything but a Surgeon General's warning. It isn't as openly strict or hard-nosed. It has a sort of subtle warning inside it that lets the viewer decide what it is about. It's a film that stays with you after it's over, and that's a rare thing these days.

It all starts with a rich kid named Neal Oliver (James Marsden, "X-Men"). Neal's 22nd birthday has just arrived, and with it a shiny-red BMW sports car, with the license plate specially modeled after his father's own personal motto. In fact, the entire convertible seems to be modeled after Neal's father's own tastes. "I woulda killed to have something like this when I was your age," his dad mutters. We have a feeling he really would have, too.

Neal makes a wish for his birthday, to find a meaning to his life. It is overheard by an odd man named O.W. Grant (full name: One Wish Grant), who decides to grant Neal his wish - by sending a painter's bucket flying from above, only to come to a stop on Neal's skull.

Out of it for a while, Neal wakes up again and finds his perception noticeably different. He notices things he never noticed before; his senses are more acute. A strange doctor named Ray (Christopher Lloyd) explains a thing or two about perception and blindness to Neal, before Neal finds out there is no doctor on the staff at the hospital named Ray (though that seems a bit odd, don't you think?).

Neal meets Ray again in a skyscraper, where Ray gives Neal a job to transport a small briefcase to Denvar (yes, DenVAR), a small town located along I-60. Neal reluctantly agrees to go on this journey in hopes of finding a girl he can't rid his mind of, and so he finally locates this nonexistent highway. Along his journey he once again meets O.W. Grant (Gary Oldman), as well as Laura (Amy Jo Johnson), a woman seeking as much sex as possible; a cop (Kurt Russell) in a small drug-infested town; an ex-advertising agent played by Chris Cooper; and finally he finds the girl of his dreams (literally), Lynn (Amy Smart). Along his journey, Neal comes to terms with himself and who he really is, and though this is predictable the way the film gets the message across is more than ingenious.

The writer and director of the film is Bob Gale, the man most people will always remember as the creator and sole writer of the three "Back to the Future" films. Gale tried his hand at directing a few times, including the 1995 "interfilm" called "Mr. Payback," which I have not seen but have heard is a supposedly horrid excuse for a film. "Interstate 60" is not - it is a cleverly-written little film that avoided being released into the mainstream, and for a reason: It didn't want to become Hollywoodized. It hasn't. And it shows.

"Interstate 60" reminds me very much of another low-budget film, this one a Christian comedy, called "Road to Redemption." They are both road movies well-grounded in morals and at the same time entertaining. There are some important messages in "Interstate 60," and the film should be seen by everyone. It has messages about promiscuous sex, drugs, and learning to be who you are and not be influenced by others. There's a scene where a mother takes an enslavement drug just so she can be with her son, who is also drugged up. This message carries more than it appears to. And yet the film never becomes overbearing or preachy - Gale knows how to fit some important messages into the film without turning it into a seminar on the evils of the world and how to avoid them.

"Interstate 60" is unmistakably a low-budget film, but it is all the better for it. It has some important messages that really should be seen by everyone. In a time when films like "Gigli" are invading the film market, this is a breath of fresh air, a step towards a better side of film-making, a side with morals for today's youth and future generations.

Which leaves me with a closing statement for my review: One thing that "Interstate 60" did not need was all the swearing. Sure, there's a scene with Michael J. Fox where he swears up a storm that is pretty funny, but it wasn't really needed in the film. This is a film that should definitely be seen by everyone of all ages, but unfortunately some language and sexual dialogue gets in the way of this. I think that Gale should rally for an edited version of the film, like those Church videos passed around that are edited for families. There are some great messages in this film, it's a shame that the majority of moviegoers and families seeking quality films will never even see this film, much less hear about it.

4/5 stars -

John Ulmer

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30 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
Under-rated and Under-distributed, 4 August 2004

Author: Lumacor from Oxford, England

The only way I got to see this film, was to order it online from amazon.com and ship it over from the US. I can't even remember how I came across hearing of the film, I think I was just browsing the net one day and saw the name 'Bob Gale' attached.

I'm a huge fan of the BTTF series, and pretty much appreciate all works done by cast and crew of the series in other titles. Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Christopher Lloyd, and the great MJF to name a few! So how come I'd never heard of this film 'Interstate 60', as it contains 3 of the 4 aforementioned magical ingredients (albeit the 2 actors in secondary roles).

Intrigued, I set about attempting to obtain the movie, which proved more painstaking than trying to remove barbed wire from your rear end.

Nowhere in the UK has it or had even heard of it, there was no cinema release, no straight-to-video, nothing. Not even big Brit name Gary Oldman (who appears for his fair share in the film), or legend Kurt Russell seemed to have secured its distribution.

Anyway, to the film, I think it has to be seen to be appreciated, I rate the plot quite well, with its quirky and surreal sense of humour. The direction and camera work are fantastic (albeit a little rough around the edges) for a low-end budget film, and is something Bob Gale should be proud of for his first outing as a director. The narrative element from BTTF, using the main character as eyes and ears for the audience is again used to good effect, and is once again an engrossing way to tell the story in 'Interstate 60'.

Perhaps big distributors felt that the film was too odd, or strange to merit a push for release, which is a shame, as it's a hidden gem and well worth shipping over international waters anywhere. Strangely enough, it seems as though its one of the only films amazon will ship over to another country (so maybe they know its true value).

If your at all interesting or intrigued as I first was, then you should definitely attempt to get hold of the film while its still about.

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23 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
perfect, 31 October 2004

Author: Dahna

I've seen the I60 for the second time in 2 days, and believe truly that it's absolutely gorgeous! a beautiful fairy tale, which gave me a positive energy, at least for today. gary oldman was crazier than ever, mardsen wasn't that good, but still real nice, and I really think that this movie just might enter my list of 5 best movies I've ever seen. It really doesn't matter if it's made by Bob Gale,I really don't get the fact that some people expect another Back To The Future from him... why? It's like expecting that Tarantino should always make Pulp Fiction movies... Anyways, it was a real breath of fresh air to me, and I'm really happy that I didn't miss it. Delicious!

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17 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
The very definition of 'underrated gem', 10 February 2004

Author: tramsbottom from Cornwall, UK

This brilliantly original film somehow bypassed theatres due to the usual studio stupidity. An intelligent, offbeat road movie with fantasy elements is a hard thing to sell, so they don't bother and the film eventually limps its way onto DVD.

With a bit more money this could have been one of the best films ever. As it is, director Bob Gale makes the best of things and it's a reflection on how strong the story is that he can get away with it on a measly budget. There are great cameos from Michael J.Fox and Kurt Russell amongst others.

Like Donnie Darko, this is a weird little indie film you may never have heard of but buying the DVD will be one of the best choices you'll make.

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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
There are few with this quality!, 4 August 2005

Author: MovieStoreClerk from United States

I have walked by this movie in the cult section of my store many times and just recently I made the bold move of watching it. I couldn't believe I had never seen it before! Gary Oldman is brilliant in this movie and I was surprised at James Marsden as well. I guess the overall reason that I love this is that it exists in a truly unique genre, that of the existentialist cinema. It gets to join films like Donnie Darko, I Heart Huckabees, and Dead Man. Every time someone comes into my store looking for something that's more than a little "off-beat" I point them in the direction of this movie. All in all I gave this movie a nine out of ten because, while it was a brilliant movie, there's always room for improvement.

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19 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Fascinating gem., 13 December 2004

Author: Matt..377 from United States

Bob Gale, the genius screenwriter who brought us the BACK TO THE FUTURE films, proves himself yet again with this truly amazing, wholly original film.

A young man goes on a journey on a seemingly nonexistent highway, through seemingly nonexistent towns en route to delivering a mysterious package to a person he has never heard of. The journey carries him through a mystical potpourri of different people, places, and adventures. I don't want to say too much about them because I don't want to spoil anything, and because the journey has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

Words cannot describe how fascinating this film is; a thought-provoking, irresistible gem of a film which is much abetted by perfect casting. James Marsden, Gary Oldman, Christopher Lloyd, and Amy Smart all turn in stellar performances. Oldman is particularly good in a very atypical role; his is another offbeat role for which he is known.

***1/2 out of ****. One of the best films of the past five years, not to be missed.

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say (Possible Spoilers), 28 January 2004

Author: Bob Sled from United States

From the man, Bob Gale, that gave us the Back to The Future trilogy comes Interstate 60. A story that everyone can pretty much relate to.

Well I say that this is one of the best movies that I have ever seen and I mean that 100%. This movie relates so much to life and shows you the results of the decisions that you make.

I waited so long to see this that I marked on my calender the day it would come out on DVD so I could go rent it at my local video store. When I first started watching it I wasn't to sure about it but by the time it was over I was sitting there amazed that a movie this good couldn't find distribution for so long and had to be put out as a direct to video release, especially with all the crap being put out at the theaters. I also couldn't wait to watch it again so I went out and bought it.

I thought the story was really good though I think the language was over the top. To me this movie was basically what everyone goes through in life. Finding that dream girl/guy, drugs, pressure from a parent/guardian,and wanting an answer to life.

The actors did a great job and Chris Cooper was hysterical. Amy Smart was hilarious when first introduced and Christopher Lloyd reminded me of his character in the Back to The Future movies.

If you need to see a thought provoking non-stop fun movie then please hop in your car and take the road less traveled down Interstate 60.

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13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Hilarious refreshing comedy with depth, 11 February 2003

Author: Teewurstmann from the cold north

10 out of 10 It's refreshing to see something new from Bob Gale, the man who brought us Back to the Future. This movie shows his potential once again.

He brings us a very refreshing comedy/drama/fantasy/road-movie mix that proves once more that comedy doesn't equal stupidity (although it can, when it's well done, like Rat Race, Dumb and Dumber or Something about Mary).

It is full of surprises and features an excellent Gary Oldman and an hilarious Chris Cooper.

DON'T MISS IT!

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