My review was written in April 1989 after watching the movie on Taurus video cassette.
"Heaven Becomes Hell" is a low-budget melodrama dealing with the ongoing topic of fake evangelists. Treatment becomes campy in later reels, making pic a minor entry, currently in regional theatrical release.
Originally titled "Jealous", pic explores various aspects of that sin by focusing on a fake evangelist played by James Davies. Teamed with pal Michael Walker, he uses the faith healing religious scam in an effort to raise money to back a film to star both of them, first seen as struggling Gotham actors.
A series of hokey marital problems and extracurricular love affairs build to several trick endings, all designed to point up inspirationally Davies' folly and instruct the viewer to proper behavior. It gets to be pretty funny, unintentionally.
Singer Michael Walker provides comic relief on purpose and also gets to sing a couple of okay songs. More earnest thesping is provided by leads Davies and his loyal wife Regan Vann.
Local actors pop up in different sorts of roles. Ubiquitous Ruth Collins is a brunette this time (instead of her usual blonde bombshell) as the lonely housewife who seduces Davies, and John Altamura,k erstwhile New Jersey's beefy Toxic Avenger, is convincing in a dramatic assignment.
Credit filmmaker Mickey Nivelli (previously monikered Harbance Mickey Kumar) with pursuing the B-movie cliches with a straight face.
