Shudder Saturday: Hell Hole (2024)

While I very much appreciate the work of the Adams family, a film-making unit who have spent years writing, directing, and starring in their own low-budget movies, I've sadly yet to watch more of their filmography after thoroughly enjoying Hellbender. Seeing that Hell Hole was now available did make me consider visiting some of their other features first, but then I decided that I would instead just check in with them on their latest outing.

This is the tale of a fracking crew that ends up in trouble when it accidentally digs up the cocooned body of a French man. The man is still alive, but he doesn't want to be. That's because he has some kind of parasite living inside him, one that shows itself occasionally by protruding from his ears or nostrils. The crew aren't sure of what to do, but their remote location means that they can hopefully deal with the situation before it becomes a problem for too many other people. 

Shot in Serbia, this feels like someone offered the Adams family access to a great location that they then planned a movie around. Things may not have happened that way, but the fact that they make such great use of the setting, with some lovely establishing shots reminding you of how isolated and at the mercy of the environment and weather the main characters are, makes me think they did. Thankfully, they came up with another fun genre sandbox in which they could play around.

Co-directors John Adams and Toby Poser, who also co-wrote the movie with Lulu Adams, also take on a couple of main roles, playing two of the people in charge of the whole crew. This allows them to remain as the decision-makers for most of the runtime, trying to figure out what is best for the safety of everyone around them, but it also gives viewers familiar with their work a couple of familiar individuals to worry about as things begin to get more dangerous. Adams and Poser head up a small cast that also includes Olivera Perunicic, who manages to do well with what she's given, Maximum Portman, Bruno Veljanovski, Petar Arsic, Joana Knezevic, Boris Lukman, and a cameoing Anders Hove. The quality of the performances may vary somewhat, but nobody stinks.

It's a shame that the same cannot be said for parts of the screenplay. The first half of the movie is full of exchanges that just don't work as well as they should. There isn't enough jargon and work talk being thrown around to ensure that the setting is as fully-realised and detailed as it could be, and the workplace banter feels a bit strained (with Adams and Poser a lot less comfortable in their roles until they can start to focus on the parasitic horror side of things). There's a general feeling of everything being a bit bigger and more ambitious this time around, compared to past films from this collective, but it's admirable that this doesn't completely drown out the interesting and unique voices of film-makers who have been crafting a rich and rewarding filmography for just over a decade now.

There will be many who dislike this, especially if they keep trying to compare it to the classics influencing it, but I would encourage most horror movie fans to give it a go. There are some fun special effects throughout, interesting conversations about the nature of the beast, and self-preservation, and a third act that somehow manages to mix tension, gloopiness, and an ending that will leave you with a wry grin on your face as you consider how well it ties together a number of important thematic strands.

While not the best feature from the Adams family, this is still very good, and they are still incredibly deserving of your time and support. Do check it out, and please let me know if you end up enjoying it as much as I did.

7/10

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Critters 4 (1992)

Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that the fourth movie in the Critters series is as good as all the rest, especially when it makes the inevitable choice to set the majority of the action in space, but it's still nowhere near the lows you can find in many other low-budget sequels.

The opening scenes of the movie are the moments that were interspersed throughout the end credits of Critters 3, with Charlie (Don Keith Opper) being informed that he cannot destroy the last of the krites. This leads to him being frozen and stored with some krite eggs, maintained in stasis in a spacecraft for over fifty years. Eventually collected by a salvage ship, the krites set about doing what they do best, all while a crew bicker about the best course of action as they try to stay alive.

Very much riffing on the best-known sci-fi horror populated by a space crew of blue-collar workers, Critters 4 makes good use of everything it has going for it, which is mainly some decent production design stretching every dollar for the sets and a great cast. Filmed at the same time as part three, it's nice to watch something with decent continuity that doesn't have to tie itself in knots to keep stretching the central idea through more movies.

David J. Schow returns to the writing duties, assisted this time by Joseph Lyle, and it's all competently put together. The characters could have done with a bit more to them, it's clear that the intent is to show a group of people who work together without necessarily all liking one another, but they're all given enough room to breathe before they start to be endangered by the critters. Rupert Harvey, a producer on many of the movies in the series, directs with an equal amount of competence, if also a disappointing lack of creativity or flair (although this isn't a series known for flair).

But never mind who is behind the camera, with respect to everyone who came together to make this happen, just check out the cast. Opper may be one of the few people to have made it through every movie in this quartet, and he's fine in his role, but this time around you also get Anders Hove, Brad Dourif, and Angela goddam Bassett. There are other people onscreen, but the best moments involve Brad Dourif or Angela goddam Bassett being very Brad Dourify or Angela goddam Bassett-y.

To be completely honest with myself, this is a very average film. You never feel that the stakes are high, there aren't any great set-pieces, and even the comedy moments don't happen often enough to make it worthwhile. But with that cast in place, and in comparison to many other films of this type, it still manages to be worth your time. Especially if you want to enjoy and finish the main story arc.

6/10

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Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm (1998)

Continuing the saga of the evil vampire Radu (Anders Hove, who has owned the role since the very first movie) and the woman he tries to bring under his control (Michelle, played once again by Denice Duff), this movie follows directly on from the events of part three and assumes that if you've come this far then you will enjoy more of the same. There is another film that came out before this one, Vampire Journals, but  a) it's more of a companion piece than a direct sequel/prequel and b) I just thought viewing the movies numbered 1 to 4 would make for a neater presentation on my blog.

Ted Nicolaou is once again in charge of the writing and directing duties and he does slightly better here than he did with the third instalment. It may still be drawing things out much further than they need to be drawn but there are also one or two new ingredients that add some entertainment.

While Radu tries once more to get Michelle obeying him unconditionally she is helped out by a young woman (Ioana Abur) and a doctor (Mihai Dinvale) who seems to take the story of vampirism and the bloodstone in his stride. This frustrates Radu no end, of course, but he is able to take out his frustrations on some other vampires that are beneath him in the pecking order (Ash, played by Jonathon Morris and Serena, played by Floriela Grappini). Ion Haiduc also returns as Lt. Marin but is given a lot less to do this time.

I wouldn't say that this movie is full of twists and turns but it does try to pile on the drama in a number of different ways, be it Radu reclaiming what is rightfully his or the treachery shown by people seeming eager to taste immortality. The melodrama is mixed in with the horror to good effect, putting this on a par with some warped soap opera. Maybe even Dark Shadows (though I never saw the original show so I may be way off base with that comparison).

The real problems come from the strangeness of it all. Anders Hove has been strange from the very first scenes in the franchise but to see him joined by a growing group of ever-weirder supporting characters just makes for an experience that's a bit too odd to enjoy. Especially when one of those characters is being played by Jonathon Morris (arguably still best known to UK audiences for his role in the long-running sitcom "Bread"). It's not that Morris is bad, it's just that I couldn't shake the feeling that he shouldn't have been there in the first place. Ioana Abur isn't great but Floriela Grappini is a bit better so that helps. And then we have Mihai Dinvale, overacting to amusing effect.

The design work is nice when it's given a chance to shine but there are many scenes here that just feel a bit slapdash and cheap. Of course, there's a case to be made that all Full Moon Productions are slapdash and cheap but some of the better features do a good job of hiding it whereas this one doesn't. The soundtrack that often sounds like someone taking a balloon animal to the vet is another negative in a film that still just manages to be entertaining enough to scrape an average rating.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Subspecies--Epic-Collection-Subspecies-Journals/dp/B000F6ZIJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337544741&sr=1-1

Bloodlust: Subspecies III (1994)

Filmed back to back with the previous movie, this third entry in the enjoyable Subspecies franchise is the weakest one yet for one obvious reason - it pads out a few good scenes in a plot that essentially just covers the same old ground that we saw in the preceding film. If you took the best bits from both of these movies then parts 2 & 3 could have made for one fantastic film instead of one good film and one poor one.

Things begin with a brief recap of the second film and then it's back to the business of watching Rebecca (Melanie Shatner) try to rescue her sister, Michelle (Denice Duff), from the clutches of the evil vampire Radu (Anders Hove) and the evil and grotesque Mummy (Pamela Gordon). Rebecca is once again helped by the bland Mel (Kevin Blair) and the confused Lieutenant Marin (Ion Haiduc).

Ted Nicolaou is the writer and director once again, which kind of goes without saying because of this instalment being filmed back to back with the previous film but I'll say it anyway. This film highlights a weakness in his writing that he was able to cover up in the second movie with just enough fun moments to keep things ticking over. He's certainly not the worst scribe when it comes to low-budget fare such as this but he really stretches himself too far when he attempts to spread his work over two movies. I know it may sound like I'm just repeating myself throughout this review but that's really the biggest problem here, and it's something that then causes a ripple effect of problems throughout the whole film.

The acting isn't too bad from everyone involved, though it goes without saying that Anders Hove is once again the highlight with his haunting and memorable portrayal of Radu, but it's all undone by that overstretched material. The practical effects are once again great when they occasionally pop up onscreen (not including the work to create Radu and Mummy, both covered in fantastic make up) but they're undone by that overstretched material. The melodrama added to the standard horror would have been fine if, you guessed it, it wasn't undone by that overstretched material.

Believe me, I feel as bad for harping on about it as I felt when watching the movie but this is certainly a case of "all filler and no thriller". There are some nice singular moments but you're only real reason for watching this movie is to view the complete franchise, like myself.

4/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Subspecies--Epic-Collection-Subspecies-Journals/dp/B000F6ZIJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337544741&sr=1-1

Bloodstone: Subspecies II (1993)

Following on directly from the end of the first movie, Bloodstone: Subspecies II changes the main actress but keeps everything else pretty much consistent with the events of its predecessor. Radu (Anders Hove again) is still a nasty vampire and he still covets the bloodstone. He also covets the latest female vampire to be created (Denice Duff) and sets out to reclaim her as his consort after she escapes into the night.

Written and directed by Ted Nicolaou, this outing does what most sequels do. Basically, it's the same as the first movie but not quite as good in a number of ways. Unlike most sequels, however, it actually claws some points back in other ways and things even out to the point where this film ends up being equal to the first. What does it do better this time around? Well, there are some genuinely impressive practical effects (most of them in the first 10-20 minutes, admittedly, but they are onscreen for your enjoyment) and some effective use of light and shadow for a number of moody sequences.

The cast may not be all that great but they do what needs done with the average script. Anders Hove is the best thing onscreen once again as Radu while Pamela Gordon, under a LOT of make up, is equally nasty alongside him as Mummy. Denice Duff is now the actress playing Michelle (aka Michele) and she does okay, I guess, while Melanie "yes, daughter of William" Shatner is stuck in the thankless role of Rebecca, the sister trying to find Michelle and ensure her safety. Kevin Blair is Mel, a disposable male character there to show an interest in Rebecca, but Michael Denish is given more to do as the learned and helpful Popescu.

This is an entertaining and surprisingly atmospheric sequel that I recommend unreservedly to fans of the first film. Though do be warned - this was filmed back to back with Bloodlust: Subspecies III and so ends somewhat abruptly to help you choose whether or not you're going to watch the next instalment.

6/10.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Subspecies--Epic-Collection-Subspecies-Journals/dp/B000F6ZIJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337544741&sr=1-1

Subspecies (1991)

Yet another fantasy horror movie formulated in the fevered mind of Charles Band, this low budget vampire film may have a lot going against it but it also has a surprising number of good points.

Radu (Anders Hove) is an evil vampire who can snap off his fingers to make little creatures that help do his bidding. We find this out at the very beginning of the movie when he returns to his village and angrily confronts his father (Angus Scrimm, wearing a wig that I can only describe as making him look like an 80 year old Leo Sayer).

"You make me feel like dancing, I want to dance the night away!"

Anyway, it's not long before we get to the main plot of the movie. Namely, three young girls end up having their lives endangered as they try to learn more about the history of the area and the tales of vampires that many of the locals choose to believe in. Silly, ignorant locals. One or two bitey moments later and it's the girls who feel silly. And scared.

Directed by Ted Nicolaou, Subspecies is surprisingly enjoyable for the type of b-movie fodder it so obviously is. The script by Jackson Barr and David Pabian may not be up to much but the pace never drags and there are some very good practical effects here and there. The stop motion work, showing the creatures created by Radu, is a hell of a lot better than I was expecting and shows that every penny in the budget was well used.

The acting isn't great, to be honest, but nobody really stinks either. Irina Movila, Michelle McBride and Laura Tate are the three girls about to learn more than they ever wanted to know while Michael Watson is the dull Stefan (a slightly mysterious man who might be able to help out), Ivan J. Rado plays an older man who knows more than he's letting on and Anders Hove is excellent as the evil Radu.

A bit of bloodletting, some decent special effects, a small helping of gratuitous nudity, some terrible decisions made by the main characters and a list of characters that includes "old crone" all mix together to make this one of the better movies from Full Moon Studios that you could choose to watch.


6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Subspecies--Epic-Collection-Subspecies-Journals/dp/B000F6ZIJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337544741&sr=1-1