Film Review: Hotel Inferno (2013)

SYNOPSIS:

The contract killer Frank Zimosa has just been hired for a ridiculously lucrative mission by the rich and powerful Jorge Mistrandia. The objective: to kill a couple of people hiding in one of his European hotels. What would look like one of the simplest jobs Frank has ever had is just about to turn into a living nightmare. He will soon realize he’s nothing more than prey for Mistrandia and his army of crazy henchmen that have hiding in the hotel along with an ancient and unstoppable Horror. In their hotels you can only rent rooms….in Hell! See everything through the eyes of the Anti-Hero Frank Zimosa and boost your mind with an overdose of: nonstop violence, adrenaline, and pure fear, surrounded in a mysterious, deep and twisted story. You won’t just watch it, you will experience it.

REVIEW:

By now, you should be familiar with this excessively dark and violent film studio. If not, they go by the name of “Necrostorm Studios“, one that I think you should take note of. Their latest release is a film titled “Hotel Inferno” directed by  Giulio De Santi. “Hotel Inferno” is Necrostorm’s 3rd release to date living up to radical reputation their films have garnered them.

While the style is well in line with Necrostorm’s usual practice of smashing, slashing, and exploding body parts, the film premise of “Hotel Inferno” is a slightly different experience than previous efforts.

Wearing a pair of modernized computer screen glasses, Frank Zimosa has been hired by the “Luman Corporation” to perform a simple but oddly violent hit on a presumed serial killer couple. After arriving at an upscale hotel sent by his new employer, Frank is informed that the hit will performed at the rooms next to his. Mr. Zimosa can only assume that the job is just another run of the mill “hit”. Financed by the wealthy corporation “Luman”, Frank is informed that they have been the “business” for quite some time dating back to the middle ages.

The details of the request are littered with odd peculiarities such as specific weapons of choice and a need for excessive violence caught on camera. The glasses Mr. Zimosa wears are equipped to capture everything he sees and recorded for the employer to view. This “POV” is how this film is presented with everything happening before the camera and main character’s viewpoint. One might compare the film’s POV style to that of a video game or even the style that was made famous in the film [REC].

Frank’s employer contact is presented as a polite but tense business man who goes by he name of Jorge Mistrandia.
Jorge communicates thru the glasses of which he is able to also send over video imagery. When Frank discovers that by offing the couple, he is replacing 2 of Lumen’s former agents, Frank becomes nervous and agitated with intent on getting as far from Jorge’s company as he can.

This sparks a retaliation against Zimosa who soon discovers that the hotel is filled with Lumen agents armed with an agenda to seek out and destroy Zimosa before he can leave the building. The “men” are oddly disfigured ailed with a form of disease that originates within them after serving the “agenda” for too long. Some bandaged, others rotting from within (inflicted with odd pustule growths) walk the grounds with intent to kill. Zimosa discovers odd corridors and “secret rooms” that leads to the shocking truth of this corporation.

They are servants to a dark presence called by the name of “Her” (but noted as being a immortal plague-spreader) who must be fed images of violence to keep her from awaking and embanking on a chaotic killing spree that leaves its victims within fiery infernos.

The premise here is fresh and inventive but second to the richly gory imagery that this movie subjects its viewers to. The strength of “Necrostorm” has always been this great and clever sense of FX work and editing chops which seem to run seamless at times between live action and prop-exchanges.

The result is a shocking screen performance that while rooted in “extreme cinema” often does so with a inherent tribute to the style of 80’s campiness. For review readers, you can expect to see alot of head explosions, eye stabbings, dismemberments, blood shedding, head smashing, body stabs, an elaborate hand crushing (I especially liked the spine reveal FX gag) and generally messy on-screen horrific circumstances. The frequency of FX gags presented here had to have taken the crew alot of time just in preparation alone.

The direction of the movie is to shock viewers which is done so immediately and continuously without breakaway that it’s enough to impress viewers on merit alone.

I have had the pleasure of reviewing 2 of their previous films, “Adam Chaplin” and “Taeter City“, also worthy of any gore hound’s DVD mantel. Summarizing “Inferno Hotel”, I’m calling this one a gory visual explosion of stylistic violence that is sure to please any serious horror fan. Viewers who seek out the work of Necrostorm are seeking something above and beyond, which is what Necrostorm does best. Inferno Hotel is pure demented nastiness plain and simple.

At the time of this review, it appears that a 4th film is already under production. Hopefully this talented team will be able to offer viewers its films in high res blu-ray soon?!!

You can pick up this release and others at http://www.necrostorm.com/