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Capsule review: ‘Holy Hell’
Need money for your community church to survive? Why not make a horror film? The film industry is, after all, where the big bucks are, right?
That’s the hairbrained plan hatched by congregants of the money-challenged Church on Peachtree in “Holy Hell,” the quirky satire by Austinites Rafael Antonio Ruiz and Lowell Bartholomee.
However, when a reactionary Christian organization — Fight4Right — gets wind of the Peachtree project, production on the horror flick is besieged with protests while the mild-mannered yet sincerely devout congregants, led by the noble if naïve Pastor Lane (Ken Edwards) and tense, angry Deacon Pardo (Kenneth Wayne Bradley) are subjected to a negative media blitz.
Isn’t honest faith and a desire to lead a faith-filled life enough these days? Apparently, not for the Church on Peachtree.
The negative news siege culminates when Pastor Lane is ripped to shreds on a talk show by British author and vociferous atheist Christopher Hitchens, (A close friend of the film’s executive producer, Jeff Scheftel, Hitchens actually wrote his own lines for debate.)
All kinds of sacred cows are skewered by Ruiz and Bartholomee in “Holy Hell” - the bizarre contradictions of organized religion, the absurdities of the film industry and the conflict-hungry, spectacle-obsessed media.
If “Holy Hell” is a little rough around the edges when it comes to production values (well, it was made for considerably less than $100,000, producers report), the movie features literally dozens of A-list Austin actors who unleash their considerable talents. (Austin theater aficionados will have fun actor-spotting; Austin residents will recognize local spots where the movie was shot).
Nuanced performances — even in the smaller roles — bring both a smart panache and a sweet sincerity to the over-the-top plot in a script that is nicely written by Ruiz and Bartholomee.
‘Holy Hell’
Written by Rafael Antonio Ruiz and Lowell Bartholomee. Directed by Rafael Antonio Ruiz.
USA: 97 minutes
Screenings: 7 p.m. Oct. 22 and Oct. 28. Rollins Theatre, Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr.
Image: Kenneth Wayne Bradley stars in “Holy Hell.”
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By Ron Dougherty
October 23, 2009 12:08 AM | Link to this
It’s worth noting that this is another film co-produced by Greg Grosh. While not yet a well-known impresario, he has a track record of being associated with (and even acting in) well-received films and plays.