Living Hell (2008)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Richard Jefferies

Writer (WGA):

Richard Jefferies (written by)

Release Date:

23 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Terror Takes Root

Plot:

A mild-mannered teacher and a hazmat specialist have to figure out how to stop an unstoppable creature who feeds on light and energy, and moves with exponential speed, before it destroys everything in its path.

Cast

Johnathon Schaech	...	Frank Sears
Erica Leerhsen	...	Carrie Freeborn
James McDaniel	...	Col. Eric Maitland
Jason Wiles	...	Glenn Freeborn
Terence Jay	...	Sgt. Arbogast
Charissa Allen	...	Pfc. Aneta McQueen
Dylan Kenin	...	Sgt. Teegarden
Judy Herrera	...	Pfc. Una Fernandez
Vic Chao	...	Sgt. Kinoshita
Josh Berry	...	Torbin Struss
Daniel Beer	...	Tristan Sears
Rick Herod	...	Gen. Kenneth Lavigne
Joshua Rollins	...	Kermit Shourt
Darlene Kegan	...	Elenore Sears
Diego Joaquin Lopez	...	Pvt. Zaremba

Also Known As:

Living Hell (USA) (working title)
Organizm (USA) (DVD title)
The Living Hell (Australia)
Untitled Richard Jefferies Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence, sci-fi horror visuals and brief language.

Runtime:

Netherlands:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Belen, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Odd Lot Entertainment

Trivia:

Shot in only 29 days.

Movie Connections:

References The Blob (1958)

actually pretty darn good

I insist on watching the movies on Sci-Fi because, well, I have to. I keep hoping someday there will be a hidden gem, or at least one with some cool special effects. This one was a little of both. While overgrown with B-movie clichés and iffy CGI effects, there were still some pretty interesting twists, and some genuinely creepy moments. I did get caught up in the race to defeat the -ah- monster (?), and I liked the acting of the two main characters, even if the dialog left them pretty thin. The story was a very nice diversion from the usual sort of humanoid-alien-or-zombie run wild. It was fun to watch. I thought the solution was maybe a little trite, but I enjoyed the film enough that I was OK with it. There were little glimpses of pretty intelligent writing sprinkled through the movie. It almost felt like a decent script that got stretched and produced and Sci-Fi-ized into a B-movie (C-movie?). But I think it still maintained some of the interesting parts of the premise, and played them out well. All in all, I enjoyed watching it, and it held my interest all the way to the end. I wonder why the Sci-Fi channel insists on matching cheesy special effects with cheesy acting and cheesy writing. Dr. Who is proof that good writing can carry really cheap effects. I think this movie was a big step in that direction, and I hope they go with it more.