Unappreciated in a way MAD MAD WORLD was celebrated, HONKY TONK FREEWAY is an international view of crass funny Americana. A megaton flop in its day, it does deserve reappraisal and basically awe for the extravagant scope and cost of the production. Also like NASHVILLE or THE BIG BUS or even RAT RACE it is an ensemble comedy cruelly harpooned by dumb critics of the day who only reviewed the excess and the cost. This must have been an unappreciated accounting legend, like CLEOPATRA, or 1941 (which I love), HEAVENS GATE, LUCKY LADY or later THE BLUES BROTHERS as demented American films that are clever and made with vision, especially when one considers the cost and failure of Mall releases of today. A DVD reissue with the sort of 3rd disc that Cleopatra has will be very welcome.
Review of Honky Tonk Freeway
