Reviews

I rarely do movie reviews,mostly because I find what others have said to sum up my feelings towards a film.

But I'm willing to make an exception for "The Band From Hell", or as it should have been called "The Movie From Hell".

I really wanted to give this movie a chance,but I couldn't find anything redeeming about it. The direction was awful, the editor seems to really love his dissolves (really 4 dissolves to show a guy leaving a gas station?),and the photography non-existent. Who in their right mind decides to shoot midnight scenes in the middle of the afternoon?Or the interior of a bus in a huge black sound stage? Who are you trying to fool here? And the special effects,don't get me started on the special effects... Just because you've glued some hair on a guys arm, it doesn't make him a werewolf... The performances weren't the best,but I can't really ask for anything more,from a cast of unknown actors,struggling with a script as stupid as that.

Bottom line is,this movie sucks.It shouldn't even be called a B-movie as it is disgraceful to the other great B-movies out there. It's the sort of movie that you would except to find on TV in 3 in the morning,and ultimately decide to watch telemarketing instead.

I was unfortunate enough to watch this movie,at the Athens International film festival,at an after hours screening,with the director present. Normally this would be an awesome night,but not today.

The movie was so slow-paced that bored you to death and the dialogue was so out there,that even after reading the subtitles I couldn't understand what the characters were trying to say. The story was incoherent to say the least,and secondary characters seem to only pop in to say or do what they have to,without really any explanation why they do it.

In terms of production,the movie seems like something you would shoot with your typical mini-DV camera,without any help from a professional.

Overall I have to say that for a 70 minute movie,it had me staring at my watch hoping it would end soon enough. Others were not that patient though.In the first 10 minutes of the movie,at least a dozen people had left. Sure,the program for the festival,described it as a "philosophical vampire movie" but I can't really blame them,since the director himself said before the screening that that is how he wants his film to be described.I guess it's a matter of opinions.He says 'philosophical vampire movie" I say BS.