Freeway

It's the mid-1980s and a serial killer is on the loose in Los Angeles, one who specifically targets drivers on the 600 miles of freeway crisscrossing the city. After ramming their cars with his own, he pulls up alongside and shoots victims through his open passenger-side window, all while feverishly spouting Biblical verse to a radio talk show host from his car phone. A traumatized emergency room nurse whose husband was an early casualty has made it her life's mission to find the killer—a dangerous task. Freeway has all of the hallmarks of an ‘80s B-film: scenery-chewing acting, high melodrama, low-budget effects, a cheesy score, and schizophrenic cinematography. Darlanne Fluegel is uneven as the nurse-turned-amateur detective, but scene-stealing performances from costars Richard Belzer as the radio show host and Billy Drago as the deranged killer help make up for the lead's shortcomings. Freeway (1988) was shot during the summer of 1987 in Los Angeles, a time when the city was plagued with real highway shootings. In a bonus interview, director Francis Delia talks about filming in a city on alert--often on the same streets where shootings occurred—which gives Freeway a bit of a realistic edge over standard B-flick fare. A minor cult film, this is a strong optional purchase. (P. Morehart)