Hellborn

This movie has a good start but turns out to be a cheap production, probably low budget (especially the effects). The actors are certainly not the best and the "horror screnes" are truly not revolutionary. instead of scaring you, this movie makes you ask why this is labled as a "horror" movie. The ending is totally messed up, and if the devil sees what he looks like in this movie, he'd probably punish the creators. But all in all, and when you really love the genre, it's worth looking through it, when you're bored. As i said the beginning is quite good. 4/10

This is the Halloween season, and I like to watch horror movies when I can. Sometimes I like to watch movies I haven't seen before, or even heard of, so "Hellborn/Asylum of the Damned" fell into that category.

It cost me seventy cents on VHS at a thrift store and made me lament that the money could have been better spent on a snack out of the machine at work, or a can of Dr. Pepper. Like one of the other reviewers said, the movie could make a good basis for a drinking game, where you take a shot or a swig every time "Resident Bishop" shakes his head while he's delivering a line. And yes, drunk 15 minutes into the movie.

The production team gave away the scary character in the opening scene of the movie. He looked like someone wearing a cheap discount store Halloween costume. It might have worked better had they obscured him with shadows and quick cuts, then revealed him in the second half. Then I might have watched more than half of the movie!

Forgive me for failing to get the character and actor names before starting this review but the only decent performance came from the guy playing the Superintendent Doctor. He was coherent but creepy with his speech patterns and piercing eyes and I felt sad for him that he didn't have a better movie to work in.

Two thumbs way down.

I have just finished watching the most excruciating film of my entire life. Hellborn has the most infeasible plot, the most ridiculous setting and some actors so wooden that Pinocchio would flit across the screen not look out of place. There is one name on the billing for this film that should let you know what to expect (and I wish I had recognised that at the time) "Tracy Scoggins". When a bit part actress from Lois and Clark turns up in a principle role you know your film is in trouble. Why the director didn't cut his losses and replace all the actors with The Muppets is beyond me!! This movie eclipses every bad movie I have ever witnessed (and I've seen Slap her She's French!!)

This movie seemed like it was going to be better than it ended up being. The cinematography is good, the acting seemed solid, the dialogue wasn't too stiff... but then about twenty minutes in there's this long scene with a Doctor who you know is actually a patient at the asylum pretending to be a Doctor - and it just goes south from there.

On top of that, the demon is about the silliest looking hellspawn since the Godzilla-looking thing in Curse of the Demon. There's also some odd demon worshippers who wear masks that look like the exploding teens from the beginning of Logan's Run.

In the end, the cinematography couldn't save this movie. Despite some pretty solid performances by the actors, the story just doesn't go anywhere. I think "Hellbored" would have been a better title for this.

In theory, films should be a form of entertainment. While this excludes documentaries and other experimental forms of film-making; most movies, specially genre films, must not only tell it's story or message, they must entertain their target audience in some way. All this just to say that in my opinion a bad movie is not a movie with low production values or low-budget, a bad movie is one that is boring.

"Hellborn" or "Asylum of the Damned" as is known in the U.S., is a bad movie simply because it is just not involving, and irremediably boring and tiresome. While it has a very good premise, it is just poorly developed and the mediocre acting doesn't make things better. On another hands the film probably could had been a fine or even classic B-movie, but here it is just a bad attempt at film-making.

Director Philip J. Jones tells the tale of James Bishop (Matt Stasi), a young psychiatry resident, who just got his dream job at St. Andrew Mental Hospital; but the old asylum seems to hide a secret. After the mysterious death of some patients and the constant rumors of satanic practices, James decides to find out what is going on; only to find the incredulity of his boss, Dr. McCort (Bruce Payne), who believes that Bishop is going as insane as his patients.

While the premise is quite interesting, the execution of the film leaves a lot to be desired. In an attempt of making a supernatural psychological thriller, Jones goes for the easy way out and makes a movie filled with every cliché of the genre. Of course, there are lots of great movies that are also filled with clichés; but in "Hellborn" every single one is wasted and turned into a cheap jump scare to keep things moving, resulting in a boring and predictable storyline.

The acting is quite mediocre for the most part, with one big exception: Bruce Payne gives a top-notch performance that makes the movie look unworthy of such good acting. Matt Stasi is very weak as the lead character and the rest of the cast make forgettable performances.

Despite all this flaws, one thing has to be written about "Hellborn"; it has a visual look very good for the budget and very similar to modern day big-budget Hollywod "horror" productions. Also, the make-up and prosthetics are done very nicely and the designs for the main antagonist are quite good. Sadly, the rest of the Special Effects are awful and outdated, making a huge contrast with the make-up & prosthetics.

"Hellborn" is a movie with a few good things outnumbered by its serious flaws with terrible results. Hardcore horror or b-movie fans may be interested by its premise but it is a boring and tiresome experience. 3/10