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....
Horror comedies are a personal favorite of mine. I love them because they come in all shapes and sizes. They're also great because they blend my love of humor and my passion for horror and mixes them together, so that I can enjoy them both at the same time. Kind of like how I love the scary monster decorations, that come out at Halloween, as much as I love the really cute ones. There's no wrong answer and everybody wins! So, whenever I hear a buzz about an upcoming horror comedy, I get excited. They aren't entirely rare, but there's so many amateurish ones floating around on Netflix and Amazon Prime, that I'm hesitant to jump in the pool feet first. Through my assignments at The Creepercast, I've come across some really good indie ones. I'm not saying that low budget, indies are always going to be bad. Not at all. But there's also a higher percentage that they might be. Because anyone can make a movie these days and a lot of them do.... and shouldn't. Hollywood isn't innocent either though. They've made some truly horrific garbage. (I'm looking at you 'A Haunted House' 1 and 2) This film, 'Hell Baby', comes with a bit of a pedigree and an awesome cast, that already put it ahead of the pack. Written and directed by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, two of the minds behind 'Reno 911!'. They also co-star in the film alongside Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan-Michael Key, David Wain, Michael Ian Black, Paul Scheer, Kumail Nanjiani, Riki Lindhome and Rob Huebel! All of them funny in their own right and all of them fully committed to their roles, no matter far it might take them into the bowels of hell.
'Hell Baby' tells the story of Jack and Vanessa. A couple that is expecting their first child and who have just moved into a major fixer upper in a rough side of town. They're quickly introduced to their neighbor and possible roommate, F'resnel. Within just a few days of moving in, it quickly becomes apparent that the house is full of some kind of evil. Vanessa begins to show signs of demonic possession, as she starts drinking, smoking and doing a heck of a lot of things that doctors don't recommend during pregnancy! Meanwhile, a couple of priests who have been sent by the Vatican, seek out this couple in order to stop the possession and the possible end of days. They soon team up with a couple of local, bumbling cops, who keep finding stranger and stranger things going on with Jack and Vanessa. As Jack soon begins to figure out, the cops and the priests may be onto something. Unsure of how to proceed, he continues to play along with Vanessa's more and more troubling behavior. Then it finally happens, Vanessa goes into labor and things really get weird!
This film isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, let's face it. There's a lot of gross out humor, swearing and things that can't be unseen. For me, those are all good reasons to love this film. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion and that's not something I can say too often, when I watch comedies. Granted, I enjoy them and find them funny, but it takes a certain brand of humor to get me to actually laugh. It borrows some bits from other classic horror films such as, 'The Shining', 'It's Alive', Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Amityville Horror'. That's not too say that it isn't it's own entity. This film is in a class all its own. I can honestly say that I didn't see what was coming from one scene to the next and that's a good thing. As a horror film fanatic, I've begun to wonder if I've seen it all and then I watch something like this and realize that there's still so much out there to still surprise me. The writing is clever, the characters are fun to watch and the story (although not very original) is done in such a way that it feels fresh. Despite the familiarity you may have with the basic premise.
I'm hesitant to say too much about 'Hell Baby', as half of the fun is the ride it takes you on. From the opening scene, until the credits roll, it's a very kinetic film. Jumping from one sequence to the next and constantly setting up the next joke, as the last one is still settling in. I've already put this one on my list of things to add to my collection, as I think it will hold up well to repeated viewing. I feel that this is 4 out of 5 star film. Not one that I can recommend to everyone out there, as it is an aquired taste. However, if you're a fan of 'Reno 911!' and enjoy being grossed out for an hour and a half, then you're the audience this film requires. My only regret with this movie, is that I didn't see it sooner. It's been sitting on my 'To Watch' list for a while now, but I think I just needed to be in the right mood, in order to truly appreciate it for what it is. If you decide to buy the ticket and take the ride, be prepared for anything, as this is one film that knows what it wants to be and never apologizes. I only hope that, Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, return to this genre again at some point. We all already know that they can write comedy, but when they mix in their love of horror.... it's pure gold.
If you like this one, check out: 'Bad Taste', 'Ash vs Evil Dead' and 'Braindead' aka 'Dead Alive'
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