by MATTHEW HAYS

They certainly are odd to behold, the safety films of the '50s and '60s. Marked by the surreal and creepy monotone voiceover of their narrators, the films operated under the auspices of making life better through prevention. But quite often, as Bret Wood's feature documentary Hell's Highway points out, the films operated as lurid and sensational gazes into other people's tragedies.

"As you can see, the whole top of her head is gone," one narrator tells us, over the shot of a severely mangled body. Indeed, the contrast between the hilarity of much of the bad acting and cheeseball moralizing and the horror of the real corpses is the main appeal of these films. Wood manages to show us some of the best highlights from various films, with titles like Highway of Agony and Wheels of Tragedy. At times, the title Hell's Highway almost seems a misnomer, considering we're also treated to snippets of shorts about personal hygiene and shoplifting. (Interestingly enough, the latter film caused controversy as the methods detailed were seen as tips to aspiring thieves.)

Part of the strength of Wood's film is its ability to place these films into a historical context. As one talking head notes, gore simply wasn't seen in Hollywood movies of the time, so the safety films acted as a kind of violent porn, whereby the prurient could get a glimpse of death, close up. Wood shows us some of the most horrific moments, including shots of a lifeless corpse of a baby. The question is raised: were the films valuable or did they merely traumatize the children they were shown to?

Hell's Highway offers a solid dose of camp, including cameos by Ronald Reagan and Darrin no. 1 from Bewitched, Dick York, as well as the definition of 'Teenicide,' the name given to people under 20 who drive recklessly. But the film's main feat is the way in which it makes us laugh while also giving such insight into the underground culture that fostered these entirely strange artifacts - an exceptional doc.

Hell's Highway screens this weekend and
next at the Cinéma du Parc

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