Highway 61 is a Canadian road trip film, even if that road trip runs mostly through the United States. Highway 61 is sort of a follow-up to Roadkill, a Canadian road trip film that runs through Canada. Then there is Hard Core Logo, the third film of the trilogy from Bruce McDonald.
McDonald likes to make films with music and about music. The soundtrack definitely is a co-star in this film. So Pokey Jones (long-time collaborator Don McKellar) wants to be a jazz musician. Jones is a barber in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He finds a frozen corpse. Jackie Bangs (Valerie Buhagiar) claims the frozen body is her brother.
Roadkill ends in Thunder Bay. Buhagiar was the main character in Roadkill, which also featured McKellar.
Jackie convinces Pokey to help her drive to New Orleans to bury her brother. They follow Highway 61 through the middle of the United States. Jones wants to escape Thunder Bay. Bangs just wants a way to carry drugs across the border.
Eccentricities follow including Mr. Skin who is after the dead body because he said the dead man sold him his soul. They run into a father of 3 show business daughters.
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Canadian films succeed on a level because of the chemistry between the major parties. McDonald, McKellar, and Buhagiar are on the same page, even if that page is rather unusual.
The film romanticizes road trips, New Orleans, and traveling across the United States while being a Canadian film. American audiences should appreciate an outsider's view of the "American" road trip.
Though the films are part of an unofficial trilogy, there isn't any reason to pick one to see first over another. If you only plan on seeing one of these films, Highway 61 might have the most crossover appeal.
video credit: YouTube/Reel Canada
photo credit: Highway 61 film
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