Halloween Hell (2014)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Eric Roberts, Lili Lev, Sam Aotaki
Directed by Ed Hunt
The Pope of Greenwich Village, Star 80, Runaway Train… Hell, I’ll even throw Best of the Best in the mix as one of my favorite Eric Roberts vehicles to witness, and looking at the man’s IMDb filmography list, you’ll see many other notable roles throughout the years as well. Any actor could tell you that he or she has jumped on some “questionable” jobs during the span of their careers, but Eric… oh, Mr. Roberts… this one just might take the cake.
Directed by the man who brought home the 1981 murderous children film Bloody Birthday, Ed Hunt, comes Halloween Hell, an interesting little jaunt into the world of internet-fed reality competitions. The one in question is run by The Prince of Darkness himself, Dracula (Roberts in a head-shaking performance) – his portrayal of a sleazy, yet slightly loony host is an almost parallel run to his character in the film Camp Dread, minus the vampire makeup. He has concocted a contest taking six everyday late teens and dropping them into a locked soundstage, complete with store-bought Halloween decorations, minus their cellphones and any computer equipment so they cannot connect to the outside world. However, one contestant is allowed to bring in a pistol (yeah, I didn’t get this either).
Their objective is simple: to stay locked in the soundstage for 24 hours while sharing space with not only each other, but the spirit of a vengeful demon that is confined to a small idol that was supposedly carved from the lava in Hell. Make it through the night, and you’ll score a sweet $100,000. Sounds easy, huh? Well, when the demon does break free from his prison (on many different occasions), he slices and dices his way through some unfortunate souls, leaving a more than ample supply of blood and guts in his wake – some gore is mentionable, while other scenes reek of lower-than-low budget – hey, Hunt worked with what he had available, and it’s passable for some viewers’ eyes.
The acting, as one would suspect, is less than desired, and while Roberts might potentially look back at this decision with some regret, you cannot deny that he brings everything he’s got to each and every character that he throws himself into. Other than Roberts’ shady effectuation, the remnants of the cast limp through the film without so much as a whimper – no real annoying personages, not one particular soul that I wished would get offed first… nothing. I think I’d rather have a cast that at least has a pulse rather than a collective group that gives off the emotions of just showing up and reading lines.
When all was said and done, I can honestly conclude that Hunt’s return to the big chair was an admirable one, and while the lead runner (Roberts) has more than shown the gas to complete any marathon, it seemed like he was holding the hands of the rest of the cast, and they were dragged to the finish line in a less than stellar display. You could fire this film up on Halloween night and try to get the full effect, or wait until November 1st, but you’re more than likely going to be disappointed with the result any way you slice it.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
