Film Review: 6 Degrees of Hell (2012)

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SYNOPSIS:

Six individuals are caught up in a supernatural perfect storm, as an evil lays claim to one of them while threatening to tear apart the soul of a small Pennsylvania town.

REVIEW:

While my original anticipations of this film were higher, I did find this film somewhat harder to review. Perhaps it was due to the premise being a bit fragmented on start that took me some time to adjust to where this was all going. I would suggest readers actually in this case reading thru the (extended) synopsis before taking this on so that you have an idea of how the pieces are designed to model together (you can find that elsewhere).

In that same statement, I actually had to restart the film over at about the halfway point to regroup my thoughts on the film. To send you in the right direction, it should be noted that this film has a “TV” ghost hunter who gets involved (local kid who runs his own show) AND Corey Feldmen who acts as the film’s paranormal investigator. Corey though (obviously featured on the cover) is restrained to a one on one police office-to-investigator-conversation. The ploy is one that’s used often in these kind of films, where the paid talent is left to a one-shot deal and then merged later into the premise. Though to point it out, Corey is not really part of the main action (with exception of 1 scene). The TV ghost hunter is dealing with his own past issues and seems to be brought on board more as a “matter of fact” (an aid to paranormal events in the film???). I thought his role in the script could have been trimmed off entirely.

In summary, the action of this film doesn’t start till about the 60 minute mark, of which before hand is a bit muddled between the jumping back and forth of plot lines. Often, you are dropped into characters sub stories without any proper introduction that seems like you’ve walked in on something already in progress. It’s a good thing that the last act brings the horror, or I would have had to use this release as a quick Frisbee out the door.

While it’s standard for me to give plot details, I actually feel better starting with some groundwork plot points. The hotel of horrors is a haunt that brings in a decent return for “Uncle Jack” who is a bit of a entrepreneur. The local cop, Chief. John Hansen is the films “d*ck on patrol” that does his best to really piss of everyone else in the town. Though the real story here is the Mary Riley collection of supernatural crime items that she has offered to showcase at the hotel of horrors this year (for a fee). June, a local teen is a psychic who seems to attract paranormal energy herself. The 2 factors existing at this hotel or horrors unleashes a “hell on earth” reality that brings forth demons into the hotel’s acting staff (thus the customers think it’s acting when the demons start to kill off folks for real…get it!) Midway, we are brought into even another plot point, a possessed teen? Sorry folks, I didnt get this inclusion either (my takeaway was that he was a warning, maybe???? Satan maybe…. or an omen???)

Ok, now a little back story introduction:

We begin at a “haunt” by the title of “hotel of horrors” run by Jack, a local business man who delights in his haunt revenue while trying to deal with a local ass hole cop who thinks he runs the town.

The crap hits the fan when a collection of paranormal artifacts are transported from lead psychic Mary Wiley’s personal collection and put on display at the “Hotel of Horrors”. As they say, this could end badly.

June, is a local teen who also possesses the gift of being a psychic. It’s one that she doesn’t like to use, but when she does seems to draw paranormal energy to her.

“6 Degrees of Hell” is the term used to describe the paranormal levels its take to connect one with “Hell” itself. Sort of referred to as in the “Kevin Bacon” kind of degrees between supernatural levels (I assume)

The 3rd act is really the only redeeming factor that has a variety of made up characters becoming real demons. Even the customers are confused at this point as they smile to potential executions. Black eyes transformation provides the giveaway factor that the staff has become possessed. As customers continue to walk thru the haunt, they are also decapitated, killed and tortured (much to the amusement of naive customers)..

It would appear that as all this is going on, that it “might” be quite the frightful experience. My own reactions were lessened cascading into a drag with so much trying to integrate before hand. With the exception of a few creepy characters….this movie just bored the crap out of me. On closing, this isn’t really a Corey Feldman film, and “might” even pull in viewers with some decent marketing and scary stills (like the ones above). Suggestion? My take away here  is simply walk away, enuff said. (6 degrees of boredom……)

6 Degrees of Hell (2012)