Hell Night
by Tom DeSimone
Our Price: $22.27
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $15.05 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jenny Neumann, Kevin Brophy, Linda Blair, Peter Barton, Vincent Van PattenDirector: Tom DeSimone
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-08-24
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of Hell Night
Movie Review: Great spooky house, whacko killer 80's flick. Get it. Love it.
Summary: 5 Stars
It took me a while to catch up with "Hell Night"--I saw it on cable long ago, in the 80's, and I remember enjoying it then. Well, a few intervening years have improved this particular psycho killer on the loose movie. It might have gotten three stars from me then, but now it's so much fun that it rates five stars. Why do deformed people lurking inside abandoned houses go on mad murdering sprees? Well, in these movies, they just do. That's what you paid your five bucks for, and that's what you get.
We have our standard setup--fraternity pledges must spend a night in a creepy old haunted house. Of course, there really IS something very evil and dangerous in the house, and the pledges find they are in a dire situation. A night of horror ensues. "Hell Night" delivers the goods fairly well, and rates up there with "The Funhouse" as a well-produced, nice looking slasher film with style to spare.
The 80's saw a glut of slasher films after the release of "Halloween," and most of them were wretchedly awful, so the gems stand out, and this is one of the gems.
The acting performances are pretty decent all around. We have the wonderful Linda Blair, doing a screaming, cleavage-baring Hammer Films-style damsel-in-distress bit, sure to satisfy fans of that sort of thing. Vince Van Patten steals the show for a few reels when his surfer/party animal character "Seth" suddenly grows a brain and LEAVES THE SPOOKY OLD HOUSE as soon as he realizes there is a real killer on the loose. Seth then goes on to alert the authorities, procure a weapon, and return to the house to save his buddies. This is all very entertainingly bizarre for an 80's horror film because in most of these things, there are no characters so sensible and proactive. Van Patten literally has to be seen to be believed. The various supporting players also do well.
The spooky old house itself is a combination of two houses (one for the exterior scenes, one for the interiors) and some sets built on a stage for special business (catacombs below the house, hair-raising rooftop action, etc.). The DVD is a little murky at times, but the house is one of THE best spooky houses ever presented in a film. I think it rivals Hill House from the original "The Haunting". There, I said it.
Finally, although there is a good bit of blood and gore, the film has an admirable sense of restraint and never goes overboard in that department. Graphic violence is usually only quickly shown, and this helps the character performances stay in proper focus. This is what they call "class," guys.
A very nice-looking, well-acted horror film. Don't buy that new stuff they are calling horror films; all that new stuff is garbage. Get your microwave popcorn popping, and give this one a spin.
Similar DVD Movies
PhantasmSTARZ/SPHE; Release date: 2007-04-10; DVD
Best price: $2.80
Price in other shops:
The ProwlerWEA DES Moines Video; Release date: 2003-09-30; DVD
Best price: $9.59
Price in other shops:
Terror TrainFOX Home Entertainment; Release date: 2004-09-07; Published: 2004-09-01; DVD
Best price: $4.13
Price in other shops:
Madman 30th Anniversary EditionBrentwood Home Video; Release date: 2010-09-28; DVD
Best price: $16.97
Price in other shops:
Nightmare: 30th Anniversary EditionCODE RED ENT.; Release date: 2011-07-26; DVD
Best price: $14.49
Price in other shops:
HumongousRelease date: 2011-11-15; DVD
Best price: $10.25
Price in other shops:
INTRUDERMusic Video Dist; Release date: 2005-08-09; DVD
Best price: $6.67
Price in other shops:
The FunhouseUniversal Studios; Release date: 2004-09-07; Published: 2004-09-01; DVD
Best price: $6.16
Price in other shops:
Final Exam (1981) (remastered edition)Release date: 2011-09-20; DVD
Best price: $10.48
Price in other shops:
Happy Birthday to MeABE; Release date: 2009-10-13; DVD
Best price: $5.76
Price in other shops: