Hellbent

As a longtime slasher fan, I'm always looking forward to a new entry in one of my favorite sub-genres. When I first heard about this one, I was wary. Not because it was a gay slasher film, but because I was worried that the characters weren't going to be portrayed as real people, but rather caricatures of gay stereotypes. In order for a slasher film to succeed, you need to believe the victims... and thankfully, with Hellbent, I did.

What I got in this film was a really solid slasher flick that was really fun from beginning to end, with beautiful cinematography, plentiful gore, and a very fun locale. While the killer has no direct motive, it works within the context of the story and the movie never gets bogged down with pacing problems.

The characters, while an eclectic bunch, are all believable and keep the story moving along. While the occasional stereotype shows up, one gets the feeling that these are real people in a real situation, which is refreshing. The fact that the central characters are gay quits being a gimmick after the opening scene.

Judging from other reviews here, it appears as though a lot of people didn't care for this film, but I really did have a good time with it. Its funny, gory, and entertaining - which is all I ever ask of my slasher movies. People wanting high cinema should look somewhere else... but if you want high cinema, you probably aren't a slasher fan anyways.

Some may feel that queer cinema was due for a slasher film. But what is the point really? It's no longer enough for me to see a film only because it features attractive men with hot bodies. What about story? Character development? Acting? Are these not important?

The premise of this film is as follows. A psycho killer stalks a group of gay friends on Halloween night. That's it. More frustrating is the fact that at the end, the audience is given no indication as to who the killer is or why he did what he did. Honestly, if these were straight characters, would such an unoriginal film get released or even made for that matter? There wasn't even much humor in the film to make the excessive gore easier to take. I especially disliked the scene in the bathroom where the most likable character was beheaded right after he expressed his happiness about getting a phone number from a guy he liked.

So now we have our gay slasher film. A step forward or a step backward?

I rented this movie last night with friends and at first we were looking for a really bad movie with half naked men in it....actually looking for a homo-erotic horror by David DeCouteau.....what we found was Hellbent.....A really good horror movie....I got scared....it wasn't too campy it wasn't over the top gay....though as in most horror movies the characters sometimes do things...well quite often do things that make you say "why are you parking there?"...or .."Don't go near him."...it was just a group of gay guys ( very attractive gay guys) being stalked and I thought it was great. I'd recommend it to any horror fan looking for a good slasher flick....the acting is decent and the effects are very well done.

Four gay men are out for a night of fun at the infamous West Hollywood Halloween Carnival but make the big mistake to moon at a muscular fella wearing a horny mask. Little do they know they just provoked a serial killer who can truly hold a grudge...

Make no mistake, this is classic slasher territory. The film opens with the murder of a couple making out in a car parked in the woods and from there, well I'm sure you can fill the gap.

The originality here of course lies in the characters and for once, thank God, they are not the clichés one could have expected and feared. They are fun loving young men celebrating who they are (as opposed to so many miserable gay characters of the past struggling with their sexuality) and witty as hell, which makes for some funny lines here and there.

Don't get me wrong though. "Hellbent" doesn't play the self referential game that most modern slashers do. At times, the movie is tense and, I must admit, the last part got me on the edge of my seat. The characters are sympathetic and humane, albeit not quite fleshed out. The movie is well shot, the acting is convincing and some death scenes are quite impressive.

Sure, the plot is a bit thin but then again: it's only a slasher (hardly rocket science). Far from redefining the genre or breaking new grounds, the movie is at least honest in its intentions.

"Hellbent" is actually less of a gay movie for a strictly gay audience than it is a pure pop-corn movie for any open-minded movie goer looking for a genuine good time.

I was fortunate enough to see a screening at Frameline's Gay and Lesbian film festival, and the audience went nuts. From the moment the lights went down this film kept the sold out crowd on the edge of their seats.

The story follows a group of friends in West Hollywood at a Halloween gathering, and is well written with some predictable yet well executed plot twists. The expected gore is also well done - just enough to keep you clutching at the arm rests! You can really tell that the writer/director is an avid fan of the genre, and that is what makes it great for the rest of us as well.

More importantly, it gives the queer audiences something of our own to relate to, after years of watching "Jamie Lee Curtis" et-al running from the likes of Jason, Freddy and Mike Myers. All I can say is it's about time!