Hell Fest

[HalfGlass]

Can't believe I couldn't find anything on the forums for this...it may look like a schlocky B-movie, but it's right up the alley for HHN fans.

 

[GAcoaster]

Some of the Six Flags parks are featuring Hell Fest attractions this year as a promotion for the movie.

HELL FEST | Six Flags Great Adventure

 

[Legacy]

Is this the sequel to Blood Fest...

Because it feels like the exact same movie.

Blood Fest (2018) - IMDb

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Is this the sequel to Blood Fest...

Because it feels like the exact same movie.

Blood Fest (2018) - IMDb

I was thinking the exact same thing, and expressed this to someone who wasn't clear on the difference.

I have to wonder if this is an Antz Life situation, to where both were from the same pitch, but things went elsewhere on the direction & writing.

 

[jseal777]

I have heard that both of these movies were in production without any knowledge of the other. pure coincidence?

 

[Legacy]

I have heard that both of these movies were in production without any knowledge of the other. pure coincidence?

It's not inconceivable. I think it's funnier than anything.

I enjoyed Blood Fest, but it embraced it's absurdity (it felt somewhat like Cabin in the Woods with its subversion efforts). Hell Fest feels far more serious and traditional.

 

[HalfGlass]

It's not inconceivable. I think it's funnier than anything.

I enjoyed Blood Fest, but it embraced it's absurdity (it felt somewhat like Cabin in the Woods with its subversion efforts). Hell Fest feels far more serious and traditional.

I ended up seeing Hell Fest, and I can confirm it does take itself seriously. That being said, while it can be generic, it was so much fun seeing the haunts and watching the characters get scared. I think the movie's mileage varies based on audiences who enjoy theme park haunts and those who could care less. For people on this board, it should be a mildly enjoyable diversion.

 

[Clive]

It's not inconceivable. I think it's funnier than anything.

I enjoyed Blood Fest, but it embraced it's absurdity (it felt somewhat like Cabin in the Woods with its subversion efforts). Hell Fest feels far more serious and traditional.

This is one of those way-too-obvious, "how has no one does this" big ideas that filmmakers have attempted for a number of years. ScareZone (2009) attempted the concept independently (and shot in Body Collectors '08 after the event ended!), but the finished product failed to find any distribution. Robert Eglund headlined a similar effort called The Funhouse Massacre (2015) that similarly never took off despite a fairly professional final film.

Hellfest appears to be the first film with this subject matter with a major backer and distribution. I think the issue is no one's been able to truly stick the landing - they lean entirely on the concept and fail to produce a satisfying suite of characters (both heroes and villains). Every attempt on this concept tends to make the most obvious choices with the most generic baddies.

Sooner or later, someone'll get it right...

 

[Legacy]

I felt like Blood Fest stuck its landing, but benefitted from landing where you didn’t expect it to.

 

[Clive]

I felt like Blood Fest stuck its landing, but benefitted from landing where you didn’t expect it to.

I thought Hell House LLC from a few years ago was surprisingly effective, too, but neither film broke out of their niches. Hopefully they'll provide platforms for their filmmakers to take on projects that'll actually be seen.