Hellphone

This was my first experience with a 'shoestring budget' film, and I was very impressed. The movie starts off with suspense and keeps it going until the very end. A healthy dose of comedy keeps the laughs coming - the coroner was my favorite character.

The three main characters (sexy assistant police chief, witty computer technician, and ignorant coroner) work together well. Scenes in the police office, high school gym, and lake give the film it's hometown touch. I felt right at home watching the possessed cell phone call it's victims.

A topic we can all relate to - answering a phone - brings the 'horror' to everyone. The comedy of a phone walking along the street and stoner kids helping it along - cracked me up. The jokes throughout the movie keep it light - not overly 'horrifying'.

Summary - this movie has it all, support a North Carolina artist and go see it twice.

I can't believe what the makers of this film were able to do with it! it is so cleverly written and it's obvious that the writer has a love for the campy/horror genre. It gives nods to Evil Dead, as well it should! The actors were wonderful! The leads carried their roles confidently. It's so nice to see a truly strong female lead that dominates the movie...and stays strong until the end! none of the typical strong female who turns wimpy in the end! and the two guys who vie for her affection play off of each other splendidly! what great chemistry between them! It was so nice to see NC featured, particularly a small town like Madison! See this film! it's worth your while and it's important to support independent film makers!

I was not sure what to expect with this movie as I am not a horror "buff" and I knew this was done on a tiny budget. I was pleasantly surprised! It felt like a "real movie" instead of a budget/homemade one. I jumped out of my seat and then laughed myself silly. The writing is great and the actors did an awesome job bringing the characters to life. Well done! I would recommend this to anyone with a love of campy/horror. The fact that it is was filmed in my home state was an added bonus! It is nice to see that films can be produced in local communities! It highlights a lovely town in North Carolina and portrays some of the charm of a small town.

This movie is great in its own right and amazing considering that it was accomplished on such a tight budget. It boggles the mind to think how the writer, directors and cast were able to create such a cohesive cinematic experience while relying on a minuscule budget and the assistance the community could (and did) provide. Although this "genre" of movie is not in my normal mainstay, I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to seeing it again. The film contains items of interest that are often missing in large budget productions: it has mystery, romance, history, culture all wrapped around a plot with enough complexity to maintain the viewer's interest. While I was watching I was taken to the small-town Madison and forgot where I was sitting. Well done!

"Hellphone" was a wonderfully fun romp, combining just the right amounts of camp and suspense. The results on the screen are far beyond what one would expect for the $19k budget, with the inclusion of surprisingly successful CGI effects. The cell phone creature was really quite convincing, moving quite naturally and interacting with the live characters in a very natural manner.

The film drew references from a number of interesting quarters, including a somewhat Hitchcockian shower scene and a Bluetooth Greek chorus. I did struggle a bit to connect the opening establishing scene with the present-day events of the film, but finally realized that this movie is not intended to stand up to deep scrutiny. Once I relaxed it became a lot more fun.

Performances by the main cast were quite good, and Phillip Ward was a particular standout as Bill.

Well worth the investment of a couple of hours of your life and a tub or two of popcorn!