Plot: What’s it about?
In Hitch Hike to Hell, we watch as beautiful young runaways get into the car with a psycho, without knowing they’ve sealed their own doom. The man behind the wheel is Howard, an insane momma’s boy who stalks the streets for new prey, even though the local law, Captain Shaw is hot on the case. Once Howard finds a choice runaway, he picks her up, makes idle chatter, and then strangles them to death, often with a wire coathanger. As more and more young women wind up slaughtered, Howard risks getting caught more and more, but he continues to prey upon the runaways, no matter the risks involved. But why does he do this and can anyone stop him, or will he forever hunt the streets? In Kidnapped Coed, we’re forced to watch as spoiled rich girl Sandy is abducted by the disturbed Eddie Matlock. But her worries become even greater when the twosome is assaulted by some hoods, which sends them into the backwoods of America. As they traverse the countryside, they meet all kinds of hideous people and things even begin to turn romantic, but is this couple destined to be together, even if it means permanent kidnapped status?
A twin bill of Harry Novak productions, this release from Something Weird sports a runaway teen theme, with a rougher edge involved. You’ll see momma’s boys gone psycho in each film also, which means strangulation, forcible companionship, and yes, an assortment of some of the freakiest people you’ll see. Although these movies have a harsher tone to them than most of Novak’s pictures, I found both to be fun to watch, with the proper mindset, of course. The rather rough texture is often softened by how poor the performances can be, as well as random moments of unintentional humor, which add to the fun. Hitch Hike to Hell is more enjoyable as a comedy of errors, while Kidnapped Coed has a more brutal approach, with less humor to fall back upon. In specific, there’s a rape scene bound to make some cringe, since it is so well crafted and staged. These kind of movies are certain to offend some and entertain others, so it is hard to judge where a specific person’s taste would fall on these. As a fan of exploitation and Novak’s films, I think both movies are worth a look and in a double feature style release like this, a purchase is a given. But be prepared for a rough ride, especially when Kidnapped Coed rolls around.
Video: How does it look?
Hitch Hike to Hell and Kidnapped Coed are presented in full frame transfers. The former looks solid, but as expected, time has worn on the print more than a little. So grain, marks, and softness can be seen, but given the material involved, I’d say the movie looks good here. The colors and contrast are stable, but never much better than that, however. Kidnapped Coed on the other hand looks terrific, starting with a clean source print that yields us a sharp, very impressive visual presentation. The colors seem rich and bold, while contrast is stark and accurate also, an excellent looking transfer in all respects. So both films look good here and fans should be pleased, but Kidnapped Coed is a knockout, to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not a lot to talk about on the audio side of the coin, as both films feature mono soundtracks and sound stable, but never rise above that watermark. I heard some harsh moments and muffled dialogue at times with Hitch Hike to Hell, but this is probably due to the source materials, as opposed to this treatment. We have to keep in mind the age & nature of these movies, as I doubt they could ever sound pristine, unless tons of funds were poured in, which is of course, highly unlikely to happen in our lifetimes. In the end however, both tracks are up to snuff and while not that memorable, they’re more than acceptable.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes three excellent bonus short films (The Dangerous Stranger, The Cautious Twins, and The Hitch-Hiker), a special tour of Novak’s offices that lasts almost half an hour, a selection of exploitation artwork, and the theatrical trailers for both films.
