Years ago, Kyle’s mother was murdered by his religious father. Returning to his childhood home, he falls victim to the evil force infecting the house. Possessed, he drags his girlfriend into the basement and tortures her. Jessica’s only hope for survival is the spirit of Kyle’s mother, still trapped within the walls.
Executive produced by Ron Bonk (“The Vicious Sweet”) and Eric Stanze (Scrapbook), “Last House on Hell Street” (which is actually deep in a rural wooded area, without a street in sight) tries very hard to be sincere and unique. Co-directors Garrels and Specht attempt to infuse the routine story of violence and spiritual possession with expressionistic imagery and digital camera effects. For a great deal of the movie, however, the viewer is staring at a shot of a watch, or long takes of basement pipes, accompanied by music, ominous and dreamy at the same time. It’s not that “Last House on Hell Street” is a bad movie – far from it. It’s just over-long and would have made a much better short. Credit should be given to the filmmakers for trying a different approach to a very familiar story – the ending, in particular, is pretty interesting, unique and hokey at the same time, if you can believe that. Still, a lot of thought went into the presentation, though at times it almost feels like an homage to certain elements of Stanze’s work – Ice from the Sun in particular.
The DVD is a typical outstanding example of Sub Rosa’s dedication to the format, filling the disc with trailers, a stills gallery and two bonus short films.
