Dennis Bandy writes:

Subject: Try Vise Grips First

Greg, Good tips on how to open a hood that has a broken release cable. I've got one thing I would also recommend before trying to get at the latch. If the cable is broken near the handle, vise grips can be used inside the car. Find the cable near the inside hood release, attach vise grips and give it a tug. Sometimes the cable is broken where it attaches to the hood release and sometimes the cable is stretched out of adjustment, so a little extra travel will release the hood. (Some of the cars I've worked on over the years have had vise grips on the release cable as a permanent fix!) If the cable feels loose when it's pulled on then the break is further inside the housing or at the hood latch under the hood. In that case the directions you provided are likely to help.