Back To The Future's Creator Directed An Underrated Comedy Featuring Kurt Russell

Bob Gale is primarily known as the co-writer of the "Back to the Future" movies, which isn't a bad legacy to have given that they are some of the best sci-fi films of all time. He also helped write "Used Cars," the cult '80s comedy that sees Kurt Russell playing a cunning car salesman in Arizona. In 2002, however, Gale re-teamed with Russell when he stepped behind the camera to direct "Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road," an underrated gem that was a total box office flop upon release but is currently waiting to be rediscovered on Amazon Prime Video.

"Interstate 60" tells the story of Neal Oliver (James Marsden), an aspiring artist who is under pressure from his father to go to law school. With Neal facing an uncertain future, the mischievous trickster O.W. Grant (Gary Oldman) helps him find answers, but in order to get them, he must deliver a mysterious package through an interstate that doesn't exist on any maps. That's the least of Neal's problems, though, as his journey leads him to some pretty bizarre towns where he bumps into various odd characters. Not only that, but there is also a killer on the loose — and his car looks very similar to Neal's.

Russell doesn't have the biggest role in the movie, but he does have a memorable scene in one of the movie's weirdest segments. His character is the sheriff of a town where all of the inhabitants are addicted to a cop-sponsored drug that makes them party constantly, and he gives a speech to a horrified Neal explaining why it's a good thing. However, some of the towns in "Interstate 60" are arguably even worse than drug-addled rave havens — and that's what makes the film awesome.

"Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road" is a simple movie about a guy delivering a package across the country, so don't go into it expecting much in terms of plot. It's the towns and people that make the story interesting, and they also make Neal's quest quite difficult at times — but it's all part of his spiritual journey to find himself.

In one scene, for example, Neal gets stuck in a town that's entirely populated by lawyers who spend their days suing everyone who enters their turf. Fortunately for our hero, he's buddies with Bob Cody (Chris Cooper), a businessman who has nothing left to lose and is more than happy to go to bat for him in court — with explosives. Elsewhere, Neal encounters a woman who is adamant about finding the ultimate sexual partner, and a fella who can't stop eating because he wishes for an endless appetite. These scenes might sound mundane on paper, but Bob Gale's funny script gives them plenty of personality and endearing qualities.

"Interstate 60" is a modern-day folk tale that is full of weird charms and boasts a positive message about people carving out their own paths. It's also loaded with talent, with Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, and Amy Smart among those who show up throughout the runtime. That's an impressive cast right there, which makes it downright bizarre that the movie isn't better-known. The good news, though, is that Gale's forgotten gem is available to stream, so there is still time for it to find the audience it deserves.