Howard is a mother's boy who still lives at home, has a hobby of making model vehicles and works as a delivery driver for a laundry company. He picks up hitchhikers in his large red van, most of whom are runaways and as soon as they bad mouth their mothers they end up getting raped and murdered! Appeasr to be a lot of them in this small town. I found myself laughing several times throughout but I am not sure if this movie was meant to be intentionally humorous or if it was a case of being so bad that it's funny. Very cheap with some incredibly wooden acting. In the UK this was released on the Hard Gore label yet the only blood that I spotted was a trickle coming out of one of Howard's victims. A bit of topless nudity, the tops of some of Howard's victims appear to open rather easily revealing bra-less bosoms. If you're in the mood for a bad movie then this is OK. But on a serious note is does provide an important lesson - beware of mother's boys if you find yourself hitchhiking!

Hitch Hike to Hell (1977) Synopsis: Howie is a hard working, timid young man who is having troubles at work and home. His blackouts are straining his work relationships and his lack of appetite is worrying his mother. Elsewhere in town a killer is murdering runaways and the police are helpless to end the crime spree. Thoughts: "Hitch Hike" could have been much better. It was too timid for the grindhouse seventies much like the lead character. I was hoping for much more nastiness but sadly all we are given is a simple script and below average acting. However it will play better with enthusiastic, drunk fans of 70's oeuvre. (Stars: Robert Gribbin, Russell Johnson,John Harmon, Randy Echols, Dorothy Bennett) (Dir...Irvin Berwick) (DVD) (Film Rating: 2/5) (Fun Rating: 3/5)

Surprisingly , this film was pretty good. The acting was fine and the facial expressions of the lead character- Howard , was outstanding. The story of a social misfit at around 30 yrs. old, still tugging to Moms apron strings. A sister that ran away from home , causes torment to Howard , trying to protect his mother in perhaps the most sinister ways, involving Crescent City Ca. runaways. There were some fine, creative twists in this film , that entertained from start to finish. There was one particular scene with a not so ordinary runaway, that had me laughing hysterically. I do not want to give away the scene; I will keep quiet. The film , though not gory was still very watchable. There are some loose ends about Howards family that took away from the film, but it took away not much. The movie did allow for the expansion of some of the other character bios , but did not overdo it.The scenes where folks were supposed to have violence inflicted, were not done well;Reminding me somewhat of the 'Batman' show of the mid 60's. I think the film wanted those scenes to be a little spoofy on purpose. Russell Johnson of Gilligan fame was the only actor of note. The rest of the cast was more than acceptable . This film passes with high marks, in my opinion.

considering the title(s) and the releasing company-this is a very sincere and definitely non-exploitative film. the quality of the acting is quite good for its low budget roots, and the points it tries to get across are above those roots. it is a very sad movie, no great revelations occur and there is no gladness at the end when the killer is put in the institution. and the theme song is one of my favorites. this is worth your while to see for what can be done with local talent and a low budget.