In the case of Hell Hole, the people filler at least has some seasoning. The anachronistic French soldier makes for an interesting blip on the horizon. Also, there are repeated shots of these ruins of Brutalist architecture that are truly spooky. But after that you are dealing with a bunch of people at work with orange jumpsuits on. It is the cinematic equivalent of Styrofoam packing material being used to get you your rubber monster intact.
Now, let’s talk about the Tootsie Roll center of this lollipop: the beastie. Directors Adams and Poser build this film around a magnificent monster that is very much worth our time. First off, it is given the best blood red carpet I can imagine. Rarely have I had my emotional engagement jack-knifed so expertly than during the fantastic opening attack sequence. It is a massacre marvel of not just special effects but also pinpoint editing. This scene alone creates all the goodwill needed to get the viewer to the next creature’s appearance.
“…It is well worth sticking your face into Hell Hole…”
Each time the monster shows its wriggly head, it acts like a launch ramp to jump over the static filler parts. The beast is also delightfully indefinable; you can look straight at it and still have no idea what the hell it is. I also love the way it moves, especially in the climax.
Everything I didn’t care for in the movie I was rendered numb to by the sheer excellence of the rubber creepy crawler. There is also a heavy metal score, which is disjointing in a way that is totally appropriate for a horror picture. More movies should use metal scores, as it is much preferable to the bath of trumpets waiting for you at the multi-plex. Imagine a Star Trek movie with a doom metal soundtrack, very Klingon. So what do you call a monster movie with plodding people sequences but a stupendous monster? A roaring success, as that is probably as good as it gets with the sub-genre’s inherent structure. It is well worth sticking your face into Hell Hole, as there is a prize inside the box of wood chips.
"…a massacre marvel of not just special effects but also pinpoint editing."
