From the producer of the cult classic The Deadly Spawn comes Hell on Earth, a must have for fans of low-budget horror and/or fans of director Ted A. Bohus, whose career began in 1983 with that campy cult classic The Deadly Spawn, spawn that now make me crack up every time I see them as they remind me of a scene from that Veggie Tales flick The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

In this film, 17-year-old Bobby walks with the help of metal leg braces while living with his nasty parents and repulsive sister Peggy. Bobby plays with "imaginary friends" provided by the mysterious and ancient "Apocryphal Book of Tarkuhm" that he received from his at least modestly insane Aunt Sadie. While his friendship with these imaginary friends seems innocent to Bobby, he doesn't quite realize that the monsters and demons are simply biding their time until the planets align and they can get him to read the passage that will free their master from the "Hell" of another universe. As this journey begins, life inside Bobby's house gets weirder and weirder and more and more deadly as more bizarre creatures breach the portal of this world and magically seal everyone in the house.

Who will survive?

Heaven only knows.

Or maybe that's Hell.

Hell on Earth is low-budget horror in every sense of the word, but it's still getting the full-on DVD release treatment from MVDVisual, a division of MVD Entertainment Group. It should be noted that while this is a horror film, it's more in line with the horror/comedy sub-genre and much of what really doesn't work here is intended to be that way.

This DVD includes a delightful director's commentary...there's very little I enjoy more than watching and listening to the directors that are so often involved in these low-budget horror films. Sometimes, they're convinced their work is a masterpiece and sometimes they're in on the joke. Bohus, on the other hand, simply seems well aware of the film he has made and how it fits in with his cinematic history.

"Campy" is certainly a word to describe the film, and while the acting's nowhere near brilliant it's clearly within the film's B-movie vibe. Production values also capture that vibe, a fact that is evident from the film's DVD packaging. If you can't look at the DVD cover and know exactly what you're getting, then this isn't likely the film for you.

For more information on Hell on Earth, visit the film's MVD website where the film is currently available for a modest $14.95.


© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic Rate This Film!