Sheol1812

Like it or not the benchmark here is Hellraiser. And this one falls incredibly short of it.

The film plays out more cartoonish and comedic than what the subject matter asks for. With an antagonist looking more like a Saturday morning cartoon monster than a threat to Irish faith.

I am on the record by saying I've never read any of Barker's novels/short stories, but film wise blasphemy and sacrilege as a subject matter is done considerably better in the Hellraiser series.

If you're a B-movie buff then by all means watch Rawhead Rex (which in this case you've probably done so already). Otherwise, your time is better invested in other titles.

The most disturbing aspect of this film is how out of place the characters are to their environment. Nothing about the movie screams "Deep South" despite the director's desire to establish the - incredibly basic - premise there. This is especially detrimental because of how much Gothic Horror potential went spoiled. Instead, emphasis is given to sleazy gore scenes that fall short of Fulci's previous works. The result is an unmemorable movie with no substance, very limited eye-candy and an unimpressive display of violence made all the less impactful by the lack of investment to anything in the film. Watch it if you are willing to complete Fulci's filmography, otherwise not much is lost.