Human Highway - Director's Cut

(Bernard Shakey and Dean Stockwell, US 1982, 88 min., DCP)

Bernard Shakey = Neil Young. When one lives in an environment where nothing really matters but fame and fortune, life itself becomes a bit of a joke. Directing under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, Neil Young makes his first narrative film with Human Highway. Starring Young (Lionel), Russ Tamblyn (Fred), Dean Stockwell (Young Otto), Dennis Hopper (Cracker), and Devo (nuclear power plant janitors), this radioactive comedy portrays the simple lives of several eccentric individuals in a small town located adjacent to a nuclear power plant, as they unknowingly spend their final day on earth. Featuring an onslaught of unique musical numbers, hyperrealistic sets, ethereal dream sequences, and over-the-top acting, Human Highway brings light to human existence in a nuclear world. With the picture built from the film’s restored original footage and sound sourced from the original reels, the director’s cut of Human Highway completes Bernard Shakey’s vision.