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User Reviews for: Hell Fest

Gimly
/10  5 years ago
I've seen a similar sort of thing done where it was the carnival-folk themselves who were murderers, and I have seen that thing done, a lot. So it was quite a nice surprise to see it just be a single dude who rocks up to somebody else's Halloween Horror Nights-type deal and start wreckin' the place. From the outset I thought I was going to hate all the character's interactions, and don't get me wrong, these kids won't be taking home Oscars any time soon, but I did actually find myself quite taken with them before the end.

_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._
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Acoucalancha
7/10  one year ago
I've been watching this and *Haunt* for the last 3 years on Halloween and they're both classics for sure! As a double feature you've got a Hell of a night! Pun intended. You start with **Hell Fest** to get in the mood with all these vibrant colors and Halloween aesthetics. Followed by a darker tone but equally Halloweeny *Haunt*.

**Hell Fest** is a Halloween carvival traditionnal slasher full of clichés but it feels fresh for a number of reasons. It has such vibrant colors that you won't even need the LEDS in your living room. The setup can be a bit long but the wait is worth it and in the meantime there's Halloween decorations and costumes everywhere to enjoy. So many Halloween stuff you won't even know what's a real threat and what isn't - much like our characters. The characters are unlikable at times but the main character is someone I find myself rooting for. Ben Taylor-Klaus is also a standout.

The killer is very cliché (which can be a good or a bad thing I guess) I think it's fitting as the movie already feels distinct enough it doesn't need an even more eccentric villain to top it. The kills are well placed and distanced apart and the camera doesn't cut away from the bloody scenes but I wish there were more of them. The ending might be a criticism for some but I think it makes it more terrifying in a way. It's also screaming for a sequel!
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filmtoaster
6/10  4 years ago
This movie suffers from a little problem. It doesn't know if it wants to go balls to the wall horror with the violence and show graphic imagery, or be tame enough so those just getting into horror can be comfortable. I would say it goes for the Carpenter angle and tries to play a mystique towards it's killer. Hell Fest's greatest claim to it's name is it's location. You'd think because it's just a shitty little movie, the sets and costuming would be lame, but it's the opposite. This place almost puts Halloween Horror Nights to shame. It's so elaborate and unrealistically over the top, there are definitely some park regulation violations. The costumes are so grotesque; dripping liquid and touching visitors as they walk down the paths. I find it hard to believe this is a traveling amusement park, some of the rides are built into like the wooden bridges of the park. I don't see how they could pack all this stuff up. But if the nitpick part of your brain can ignore the limitations of reality, it's beautiful to look at. The park is beaming with lights, decorations, stage shows, and set pieces. It's probably the most detailed amusement park I've seen on film. The movie's other greatest claim to fame is it's clever idea, sticking an actual killer into this horror themed park. You'd never know who was the guy because he blends into all the scenery and actors. The mask he wears is even a park issued prop for the actors. He can just walk up and kill someone and no one would know it's for real, or even creepier, the guests would laugh it off. There's some real great shit going on with this premise and they take advantage of it multiple times. On this stage, the main character's ditzy friend is participating in a sacrificing act where she'll be put in a guillotine, but it's revealed the guy performing it is the killer that's been stalking them all night. The way the scene slows down as the lead tries to warn the guards about what's about to happen, it actually puts you on edge. You wonder will the man kill her right on stage in front of the audience, or fool the lead as part of the act. It's a great moment. The biggest issue I have with the movie comes down to parts of it's script. There are too many scenes where the killer stalks them like in the bathroom or the back alleys of the park, away from the crowds of guests. They fell into the trap of doing the "character isolated from the group" dreck. The whole gimmick is the guy can kill anyone in plain sight, and they only do it a few times. Killing the lead's boyfriend in the employee locker room sucks. Why couldn't he do it right in her face and make it seem like part of a performance? And, aside from our head girl and her surprisingly likable boyfriend, the rest of the friends are just eccentric party goers, but luckily, the way scenes are paced still makes you care who's going to die, which I can happily say about this over many other generic slashers. The only other obvious glaring issue is the last half hour, which is an overly long chase through a couple of the haunted houses. It's a fun sequence for like five minutes, but then well overstays it's welcome. If someone could just edit it down, and then put in some alternate scenes with more murders in plain sight of the crowds of visitors, this could easily be one of my favorites of the year. But as now, it's just a fun little time.
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