Not, it's not really great art. Call it nostalgia, I guess, but I always get a kick out of this film. Usually I keep my comments short, but I think I'm going to wax for a bit about HtH.
The first big plus for this film is the cast, which includes all kinds of favorites, like Richard Farnsworth, Kristy Swanson, the Stillers, Patrick Bergin, etc., plus quite a few cameos by other noted personalities. Everybody (with the exception of the kid playing Adam) does a good job.
Second, the FX and soundtrack are pretty good. This was not a big-name, big-budget movie, but they took some care to make everything at least fairly high-rent. The soundtrack is extra-good.
Third, the story is decent and the script doesn't bite. It's basically a rework of the myth of Orpheus, with some not-so-subtle changes thrown in. The dialogue is a bit pretentious at times, but it's thankfully low-key and they don't waste all their time on exposition.
Which brings us to the fourth and final plus for this movie. The film is quite a bit more subtle than you might expect. Several plot points are not truly resolved and no explanations at all are offered for many others.
*****SPOILERS!*****
For example, why did Clara end up in Hell and what "decision" did she make about staying there? Is Rachel really in love with Charlie? Why are they eloping? What's the deal with Royce? I've come to the conclusion that there are some not-so-obvious aspects to the story that help it make more sense.
For one thing, I'm not convinced that Rachel (a hottie) is really that passionately in love (if at all) with Charlie, a guy driving a pizza delivery car. She sure doesn't appear to be. It seems like she's really more interested in getting away from her Mom and causing her pain, making sure to leave her Mom a note explaining that she's run off. Charlie appears to be just a tool for her to use. So, why's Rachel leaving? Who knows? Maybe her Mom is pushing her to enter school as a music student, since there seems to be something going on re her playing the violin.
I also believe that Rachel was killed when Charlie fell asleep at the wheel. That's why the Hellcop was able to come get her. This is much more in line with both the original myth and with the power that the Devil exercises over her.
As far as Clara and Royce go, I think that Clara was also killed on that stretch of highway. Again, she would have been a virgin and intended to be a bride of the Devil. However, I suspect that she fell for Royce and lost her virginity to him in Hell, both ruining her as a bride and alienating the Devil from Royce, his adopted son. This would have been the bad decision that Clara made.
*****END SPOILERS*****
So, check this movie out. It's definitely a product of the late 80s, but I really enjoy it.
The first big plus for this film is the cast, which includes all kinds of favorites, like Richard Farnsworth, Kristy Swanson, the Stillers, Patrick Bergin, etc., plus quite a few cameos by other noted personalities. Everybody (with the exception of the kid playing Adam) does a good job.
Second, the FX and soundtrack are pretty good. This was not a big-name, big-budget movie, but they took some care to make everything at least fairly high-rent. The soundtrack is extra-good.
Third, the story is decent and the script doesn't bite. It's basically a rework of the myth of Orpheus, with some not-so-subtle changes thrown in. The dialogue is a bit pretentious at times, but it's thankfully low-key and they don't waste all their time on exposition.
Which brings us to the fourth and final plus for this movie. The film is quite a bit more subtle than you might expect. Several plot points are not truly resolved and no explanations at all are offered for many others.
*****SPOILERS!*****
For example, why did Clara end up in Hell and what "decision" did she make about staying there? Is Rachel really in love with Charlie? Why are they eloping? What's the deal with Royce? I've come to the conclusion that there are some not-so-obvious aspects to the story that help it make more sense.
For one thing, I'm not convinced that Rachel (a hottie) is really that passionately in love (if at all) with Charlie, a guy driving a pizza delivery car. She sure doesn't appear to be. It seems like she's really more interested in getting away from her Mom and causing her pain, making sure to leave her Mom a note explaining that she's run off. Charlie appears to be just a tool for her to use. So, why's Rachel leaving? Who knows? Maybe her Mom is pushing her to enter school as a music student, since there seems to be something going on re her playing the violin.
I also believe that Rachel was killed when Charlie fell asleep at the wheel. That's why the Hellcop was able to come get her. This is much more in line with both the original myth and with the power that the Devil exercises over her.
As far as Clara and Royce go, I think that Clara was also killed on that stretch of highway. Again, she would have been a virgin and intended to be a bride of the Devil. However, I suspect that she fell for Royce and lost her virginity to him in Hell, both ruining her as a bride and alienating the Devil from Royce, his adopted son. This would have been the bad decision that Clara made.
*****END SPOILERS*****
So, check this movie out. It's definitely a product of the late 80s, but I really enjoy it.