Hellgate

source: Hellgate

"Hellgate" begins with a narrative-within-a-narrative, as college students awaiting their friend's arrival at their vacation cabin relay the urban legend of a young woman who was kidnapped and murdered in the nearby ghost town of Hellgate. Little do they know, their friend is meanwhile encountering her on a deserted road en route, and the group become embroiled in the bizarre town's goings-on, where the dead are animated by a magical crystal. Quite frankly one of the most disjointed and bizarre concepts I've encountered as a lifelong horror enthusiast, "Hellgate" is one for the history books that has been left out of them. Not because it's a good film—it's a very, very bad film—but it's also one of the most ridiculously fun (and ridiculously stupid) late-eighties horror offerings out there. I knew within the first five minutes what I was getting myself into; the opening scene in the "fifties diner" appeared to be a reverse-anachronism, sporting so many historical inaccuracies and the heaviest late eighties/early nineties vibes you could possibly imagine, and things just went further down the rabbit hole from there on out. The sets in general are not too dissimilar from those you'd see in a high school play, and the ghost town itself looks like an unused studio backlot that was slapped together to appear as a (thoroughly unconvincing) western town. And yet, in spite of these limitations, the film manages to be somewhat atmospheric in its own bizarre way. Maybe it's the tackiness of the sets, or the way they're shot, but the apparent failed intent contributes to the overall weirdness of the film. As for the special effects—well, gather round, folks, and check out the bat on the string, the exploding fishbowl, and the demonic turtle! The film is also littered with hilarious slow-motion shots during key moments of action. The acting and dialogue is by and large bad, and Ron Pallilo is essentially the only actor here who isn't an unknown (or whose film this wasn't his/her only credit). The script overall is disjointed, and the film appears as if it's trying to be multiple things at once: a creature feature, a slasher film, a ghost story, a sci-fi adventure—it's even sometimes humorous, though the one thing it never quite reaches is seriously "dramatic." And, alas, despite all of the majorly problematic things I've listed about "Hellgate," I have to say that I found it as equally charming as it was absurd. I also feel that there is a good skeleton to the film—it is the execution of it that tears it to shreds. The film has a fantastically bizarre, creepy premise, and there are moments in the film where it nears a certain kind of surrealism that it seems to be striving for; the scene in which Pallilo encounters the ghostly Abigail Wolcott on the dark, rural road is a prime example. There are shades of David Lynch (and Cronenberg) here, and while the turnout is far from great, or even good, I felt the core of the film was actually rather intriguing. Overall, "Hellgate" is quite obviously a bad film, but it's also supremely enjoyable for a niche audience of people who relish these sorts of bad horror films—and I count myself as one of those people. In spite of all of the film's technical flaws, I do believe there is a solid film here somewhere, but the filmmakers never found it. Even as a lost opportunity, "Hellgate" is a one-of-a- kind in its ability to leave you utterly dumbfounded. 6/10.

HELLGATE is one of the few films that defy a proper synopsis. There are so many strange goings-on that I really have to wonder how much acid must've been taken by everyone involved in conceiving this film to actually bring it to life. Short of giving a play- by-play that would take three pages to fully explain the plot of this super strange film-I'll try to sum up the very basics of the storyline as simply as possible: The plot surrounds four friends who try to solve the mystery surrounding a local ghost- story about a resurrected dead girl who was originally killed by a biker-gang in a ghost- town called (appropriately enough...) Hellgate; a glowing blue crystal that can melt, mutate, or bring things back to life; and the bizarro, zombie-like residents of Hellgate itself... Understand that the above is the barest-bones (so to speak...) outline of the basic plot of this uber-weird film. That said-i'm sorta surprised at all the extremely negative reviews of this one. Granted-it's definitely not a 'good' film by any means. The acting is mostly laughable, the majority of the special FX are pretty weak, and the plot is very strange to say the least.  But despite-or possibly because of these facts-I found HELLGATE to be oddly enjoyable. As weird as the storyline is, it does make sense in the overall context of the film. The silly dialogue and goofy acting fit the tone, and the FX-though ranging from ridiculous to mediocre-are effective enough for this type of B-movie oddity. There's a few decent titty-shots from a couple of the attractive female leads as well which doesn't hurt things either-especially from the resurrected-ghost-girl who's pretty f!ckin smokin'. Not much to speak of in the way of gore-but there's a bit of the red-stuff thrown around. For those that hate HELLGATE-I guess I can't blame 'em-but I can't see how anyone that can enjoy a bit of B-grade popcorn schlock wouldn't at least be entertained by this one. My copy of HELLGATE is on a stand-alone disc-but I understand that there's a double-feature version that has this and THE PIT on it. Personally, I also enjoyed THE PIT quite a bit (perhaps also against popular opinion...)and definitely feel that THE PIT is the stronger of the two-so if you can find the double-disc for cheap and enjoy campy films-I'd recommend picking it up. 7/10

It's become a classic. The film has a recurring catchphrase that I don't know whether I like or loathe: "You're an asshole" "You really are" "I mean it" I'm guessing that this was the filmmakers secret weapon. But the BEST bit about this film was the big guy that was working in the diner and decided to follow the "baddies" to the ghost town. We only see him in three very short, but very, very crucial scenes from here on in. Scene I: He is seen modifying his hammer Scene II: Some time later, he is sharpening a sickle or something (I don't know, maybe he was a commie) I mean these two scenes would not be included if he had a minor role to play, right? So here is his big moment in scene III... Scene III: The guy turns up in the heat of the battle between good and evil. With his hammer in one hand and the sickle in the other he is about to deliver the final blow..... But is wiped out by one of the zombie cronies that was hanging about. All that suspense built up... and for what? And to cap it off, watch the credits roll, with names like The Priest and Animal guy going on and on. where were THESE people? Seriously, though. This is one film you HAVE to watch.

Can this be named as a horror movie? NO!! Please avoid this one!. This should have received nominations in all Razzie Awards categories!. Only one thing saves this film from being something to throw out of the window : Abigail Wolcott (Josie); for being a zombie, she's pretty hot! That's the reason I watched this film at 1 : 00 a.m. Don't rent (or watch) this even if it's the only movie available.

A motorcycle gang kidnaps a young woman, Josie, from a diner and brutally kills her. Many years later, the girl's father finds a magic crystal that can bring the life back to dead objects. He uses it to re-animate his daughter. This film has a low rating and has generally been forgotten. And yeah, I can see why. It is no masterpiece and is definitely not a horror gem. I like the reanimation aspect, and the 1950s bit... and we have zombies, ax murders, and more... If nothing else, the film is good for the very, very corny humor and the slow motion shot of a topless woman getting blown through a window by a shotgun blast. That is an incredible stunt, and by going in slow motion it is even more spectacular.

Intriguing horror film about a young woman who is kidnapped and murdered. Years later she returns as a ghost who lures travelers to a ghost town filled with zombies and other various creatures to die. However, she falls in love with her latest victim and is intent on keeping him to herself. Good complex premise with detailed characterizations and many interesting flashback scenes and other various legends, but poor acting & special effects and almost inept direction destroy it. Rated R; Graphic Violence, Profanity, Nudity, and Sexual Situations.

The opening scene shows teenagers around a fireplace telling the Legend of Hellgate which started in the 1950's. When Josie goes to the local burger joint, she is captured by a biker gang (and no one tries to stop them, not even the guy idly holding a shotgun!). They take her back to town and her father kills them and his daughter by accident. When a strange crystal is discovered, the grieving father brings his daughter back to life only to have her wander the road at night to lure unsuspecting drivers to the ghost town. The present-day teenagers decide they must go to this ghost town because Matt (Ron Palillo. Yes, of Welcome Back Kotter fame) is not done cheating on his loving girlfriend with the ghost he met on the road. So the two couples head to the ghost town to get harassed by ghosts, zombies, and that darn kooky father. The dialogue is funny as hell as it is outdated and the characters repeatedly curse at each other. The camera angles are a bit annoying at times and some scenes appear shot at 20 feet away from the actors. I would have preferred more close ups, so I can see what is going on within a scene that involves multiple characters. Plus I am sure the guys would like a closer look at the boobage when it appears as though the DP was hiding behind something for fear of seeing a naked woman. Speaking of which, the "hot" teenager Josie ghost is a 30something anorexic with breast implants fighting to get out of her chest so badly that they have migrated towards her armpits. She strikes weird poses for no apparent reason. Like bending over and then just freezing like that as though it would interest me in some way. Well, I did giggle a little… My favorite part is when one of the teenage girls gets so scared of the zombies outside that she decides to stay alone in the ghost town saloon to get drunk and watch an impromptu can-can dance by ghosts. It ends on the beautiful image of the can-canners spiraling in a circle in slo-mo with a parade of screams. Clocks in at nicely trimmed 91 minutes. The sound was okay and the soundtrack sported played oldies classics. SFX includes, albeit mild versions of, melting faces, exploding bodies, undead animals, finger chopping, a beheading, a man set on fire, and some zombies. Weird Fact: Director Levey also directed Blackenstein (1973). Favorite Quote: Josie (with a serious speech impediment), "I want-ted-ded him. I really want-ted him." DVD Extras: None! Bottom Line: While there are ghosts and zombies, none of this is scary. Everyone, the plot included, moves in slow motion. There are a few noteworthy scenes, but The Pit is the stronger of the two movies. Rating: 6/10 by Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com

Hellgate starts late one night in a isolated log cabin where three friends Chuck (Even J. Klisser), Bobby (Joanne Ward) & Pam (Petrea Curran) are telling scary urban legend stories to each other. Bobby starts hers, she tells a tale set in the 50's about a nearby public attraction the authentic replica Ghost Town of Hellgate owned by Lucas Carlyle (Carel Trichardt). A gang of bikers known as the 'Strangers' kidnap & kill his daughter Josie (Abigail Wolcott), Lucas is obviously devastated. Soon after a guy named Jonas (Victor Melleney) is attacked by a bat in a mine which he kills, he then notices a strange blue crystal which shoots a blue laser-beam at the bat which returns to life. Jonas tells Lucas who decides to use the crystal to bring his daughter back to life who then lures unsuspecting travellers to Hellgate for reasons I don't really know so Lucas can kill them for reasons that are never satisfactorily explained. As Bobby tells the somewhat lame story they have a fourth friend named Matt (Ron Pilillo) on his way to join them, however while driving he stops to offer a pretty young woman a lift home... Directed by William A. Levey, who also appears in the film as the severed head in the fridge, I though Hellgate was crap. The script by Michael O'Rourke is really silly & lame. While it tries to be different the whole thing is so absurd that it falls flat on it's face. It moves along at a fair pace but doesn't really interest, grip or entertain. Things are never explained properly & it doesn't seem to have any rules, why does the crystal mutate somethings & make them explode? What the hell is this crystal & why does it have magical powers? Why does it re-animate Josie perfectly without any side effects? Why does it melt Jonas? Why does Lucas kill everyone? He has his daughter back so what does he get out of it? Why do everyone else who are killed come back as zombies? Is it the crystal again, if so why are they rotten & not perfect? The climax is lame & underwhelming to say the least, lets hope the suggested sequel never materialises. This is pretty awful stuff from start to finish with horrible character's that are dumb & unlikable & deserve everything that comes to them. Director Levey messes everything up, there is no style, tension, atmosphere or scares & the best he can muster is blue neon lighting & lots of fake fog swirling around. The special effects are pretty cheap looking & tacky, that mutant goldfish for instance. The gore is tame, an axe in the head, a knife in a leg, a decapitation, someone face melting & a few zombies that don't do anything. There's a bit of nudity & sex but not enough to save it. Technically Hellgate is pretty poor, it was filmed in South Africa apparently not that you'd notice. The entire production is cheap, the ghost town itself is one street, the special effects are unimpressive especially that laser beam effect & as a whole no-one seemed to put much effort in it. The acting is predictably bad, Trichardt as the villain has some silly plates on his face & for some reason never says anything during the film. Hellgate is a really bad 80's horror film that has little to recommend it, it's different & that's the only positive thing I can say about it. A stupid mess of a film & one to avoid.

Three teens are sitting around in a cabin telling spooky stories when one tells the back-story of the Hellgate hitch-hiker, a girl, living in the '50's whom a motorcycle gang kidnaps and kills. Her father resurrects her with a magic stone to lure men to his house and kill them. After the story is finished the three are joined by a forth, the hero of the film (it says so on his license plate) Mattt (yup Ron Palillo, Horshack himself) who had a run-in with the fabled girl on his way there. This movie strives to be a horror-comedy but sadly falls on it's face in both those genres. It's not funny as the humor is way too cornball, and it's most certainly not scary in the least. In fact it teeters between the boring and banal side of the spectrum. I don't even think I'd have watched this movie if it wasn't on the same disc as "the Pit" (a much better 'bad' film that's actually enjoyable in it's awfulness) Eye Candy: Joanne Warde goes topless, Abigail Wolcott shows T&A multiple times My Grade: D Anchor Bay DVD Extras: nada, zilch (on a double-bill with "the Pit" on this flip-side DVD)