As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
I can legitimately say that I've never seen a Pakistani horror film. Ever. Not for any other reason, except that I've never come across one before. That all changed last night, thanks to a tip from my other favorite horror Facebook page: 'The Video Bunker'. I had no idea what I was getting into, outside of a few vague reviews that I read and some back and forth on the Facebook post. What I got from that little bit of information, made me curious enough to immediately seek this one out. Let me say, I was NOT disappointed! If you are familiar with foreign cinema at all, then your expectations may be a little skewed. I know that I kept expecting a Bollywood style send up of the horror genre that I love. Compete with dance numbers and singing. I'm happy to announce, that none of that occurred during this film, but there were still elements of that, bubbling under the surface the entire time. The primary reason this film caught my attention, aside from the Pakistani angle, was that it was labeled as their first “splatter” film. Let's stop and think about this for a moment. This film was released in 2007. Herschell Gordon Lewis first brought gore on the scene in 1963.There's a 44 year gap between America's first exposure to the stomach churning aspects of horror and when Pakistan got their first taste. That's longer than I've been alive. That alone, should be more than enough to wet your appetite to see this film. What's fascinating about this is that despite that huge span of time, they've seen enough American horror films to know what blood, guts and gore should look like. Granted, some of the special effects were lacking, in the make up department, but the rest were spot on with anything you would have seen at the same time here in the states. That's saying something. Before we get to much further into this, let's breakdown the plot for a moment.
'Zibahkhana' aka 'Hell's Ground' tells the story of 5 young people that are setting out on an overnight trip to see a rock show. (Sound familiar?) Before they're setting out for their trip, we get some various news footage and reports that some other things are happening that are causing something similar to a zombie outbreak. Although that's never really mentioned, you get that impression from the information provided. Along their way to the show, they stop to get some food from a vendor that's famous for their tea and food. After only a short while, the only person who's eaten it, begins to feel ill. They pull over and he gets out, because he's going to be sick. He's then attacked by one of these zombie like people. After being surrounded by more of these creatures, they get out of the area as quickly as possible. All of them then decide they need to find somewhere to get help, when they come across a little shack and the man inside tells them he can get them where they need to go. As it turns out, he's a little bit crazy and has a severed head in his bag. They kick him out and end up running him over. From there, things go from bad to worse and I don't want to spoil anymore than I already have.
This film borrows heavily from so many American horror counterparts, that you can pick them out as they happen. Especially the man in the shack. He is the Pakistani analog for the hitchhiker in the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. I'd love to go more into detail, but part of the overall fun of this film, is seeing all of it's roots showing throughout its run time. Another little fun nod to the genre, is the vendor at the tea shop. In an earlier scene, we see that one of the main characters is a horror fan and he stops for a moment to watch a snippet from another Pakistani horror called 'Zinda Laash' aka 'Dracula in Pakistan'. The man who plays Dracula, his name is Rehan, also plays the tea vendor. The main character even calls him out, in a very blatant nod to the other film. It's wonderful. What's also fascinating about this film, is the way that the story and violence are handled. It's clear the cultural differences are driving the way things play out. The script, the characterizations, everything about this is Americanized, but clearly staying within the Pakistani culture. Even the background music is straight out of a 1960's Pakistani film and feels very out of place to those of us raised on films here in the states. Including zombies, feasting on skin, guts and gore.... but never actually putting any of it in their mouths. The movie itself is incredibly entertaining. There's nothing really bad that I can say about it. I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen the whole time. Partially, because it was all so unfamiliar that it set me on edge and partially because I had absolutely no clue what they were going to throw at me next. I mean, there are zombies, but the actual main villains are a trio of cannibalistic family members. They've even got their own version of Leatherface, called 'Baby'. A man in a burqa, who's been raised as a woman. It's crazy.
All in all, there are so many things going on in this film, that I would be remiss in telling them to you in complete detail. The pure joy of this film is experiencing it for yourself. Seriously, for any hardcore horror film nerd, you need to this this one. If for no other reason, than to see what we've been seeing our whole lives, through a different lens. The script is simple, the characters are boilerplate and the movie is kind of silly, but all of it in the most lovingly fantastic way. At some point, I'll need to add this one to my library. It needs a bigger audience and deserves one. My only hope is that they continue to make their way down this bloody path. This film is a great start and feels like 'The Evil Dead' had a baby with the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (2003) and those are only two of the many influences felt during this film. I can honestly say that I've never seen anything quite like this before and may never see anything quite like it again. In America, this would have been someone's confused student film that lays the groundwork for amazing things later. Here, it's an attempt to bridge the gap with their American counterparts and create something truly horrifying. I have nothing but love to give. If you have the chance and can track it down, this is a 4 out of 5 star horror film that is as good or better than a lot of what I've seen recently. Maybe I'm looking at it through rose colored glasses, but as a jaded horror film fan, it's a breath of fresh air and a much needed one at that.
If you like this film, check out: 'The Evil Dead' (1980), 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (2003) and 'High Tension' aka 'Haute Tension' (2003)
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