Hellmouth (film)
Hellmouth is a 2014 Canadian horror film that was directed by John Geddes, based on a script written by Tony Burgess.[1] The film had its world premiere on 17 October 2014 at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and stars Stephen McHattie as a grave-keeper that finds himself traveling to hell to save the soul of a beautiful woman.[2] Funding for Hellmouth was partially raised through an Indiegogo campaign.[3]
Hellmouth | |
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Film poster | |
Directed by | John Geddes |
Written by | Tony Burgess |
Starring | Stephen McHattie Siobhan Murphy Boyd Banks |
Music by | Jeff Graville |
Cinematography | Jeff Maher |
Edited by | John Geddes |
Production companies | Foresight Features |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Synopsis
Terminally ill and stuck with a depressing job as a grave-keeper, Charlie (Stephen McHattie) only wants to retire to Florida and live out the rest of his remaining days in peace. His hopes are dashed, however, when his boss Mr. Whinny (Boyd Banks) has forced Charlie to take on a job at another cemetery and postpone his retirement plans for the indefinite future. While traveling to the cemetery Charlie meets Faye (Siobhan Murphy), a beautiful hitchhiker. They share an instant romantic connection but their happiness is threatened by the fact that Charlie's new cemetery is actually a gateway to hell that puts both of them at risk.
Cast
- Stephen McHattie as Charlie Baker
- Siobhan Murphy as Faye
- Boyd Banks as Mr. Whinny
- Julian Richings as Smiley
- Mark Gibson as Cliff Ryan
- Ari Millen as Harry
- Tony Burgess as Tips
- Adam Seybold as Mr. Praut
- Kate Fenton as Mrs. Praut
- Bruce McDonald as Kemp
- Jason David Brown as The Bargeman
Reception
Critical reception for Hellmouth has been mostly positive.[4][5][6] Dread Central praised the film for its visuals and for McHattie's acting, stating that they felt he was "quite simply the best man for this role".[7] Bloody Disgusting was more mixed in their review, also praising McHattie while stating that "Ultimately the film suffers under both its heavy exposition and muddled second half."[8]
References
- Gingold, Michael. "Exclusive on-set photos, plus poster from "HELLMOUTH"". Fangoria. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Turek, Ryan. "Trailer: Stephen McHattie Enters the Wild FX-Heavy World of Hellmouth!". Shock Till You Drop. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Brown, Todd. "The Writer And Star Of PONTYPOOL Enter The HELLMOUTH! Help Bring It To Life!". Twitch Film. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Scott, Kevin. "Hellmouth (review)". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Halfyard, Kurt. "Toronto After Dark 2014 Review: HELLMOUTH Is One Man's Existential Crisis". Twitch Film. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- "AICN HORROR checks out LATE PHASES! SPEAK NO EVIL! HELLMOUTH! TWILIGHT ZONE! HUNTING THE LEGEND! CLUB LINGERIE! TALES FROM THE CRYPT! CARNAGE: LEGEND OF QUILTFACE! COLLAR! THRESHER Short! SUBURBAN GOTHIC! & ALIEN: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE Book!". AICN. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Boiselle, Matt. "Hellmouth (review)". Dread Central. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
- Cooper, Patrick. "[TADFF '14 Review] 'Hellmouth' Is Ambitious But Unfocused". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 18 December 2014.