Date From Hell
Indie Horror Film
Release Date: 2019
Running Time: 11:36
Review by Rick Tilley
7/10
Two years ago, Dawn and I teamed up to bring Ever Metal to a wider audience in the hope that we could promote some of the smaller bands, labels and PR companies and get a few more of you to realise that there is a whole world of fantastic Metal & Rock music out there that deserve serious attention. If you had told me back then that I would be sitting at my desk with three independent short horror films to review (all with a metal music connection) I would have laughed at you, but I have!
First up is “Date From Hell” the directorial debut of award winning, Texas Heavy Metal vocalist Ven Scott (Runescarred, ex Dead Earth Politics). Not only am I a fan of both those bands but I’m a Horror/Sci-Fi book & film nutcase and have been for about 40 years.
There has always been a strong link between Metal and Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi so to receive these to watch and review is something of an honour and a bit of a no-brainer!
“Date From Hell” runs at just under twelve minutes and has the following synopsis; “Bobby and Susie find themselves on the worst date ever, pursued by a lone drifter with murder on his mind. The drifter is unrelenting, relishing the hunt and claiming his victims.”
My initial thought was “yeah okay, it’s been done a thousand times before” but, almost immediately, two things happened which made me forget my reservations about the plotline. Firstly, it is very apparent, that the two lead actors Ava L’Amoreaux (Susie) and Samuel Brett Howard (Bobby) have great on-screen chemistry and, considering the short running time and low budget of the film, it is also apparent that Ven Scott is extremely assured behind the camera. This all looks and feels a lot more polished and expensive than it should do.
I then found myself smiling, not because it’s funny, but because I was being pulled into the story. There is a definite homage to 80’s horror/slasher movies on the screen and by the three-minute mark I was hooked and sat back in my chair perfectly willing to accept a ‘seen it before plot’ because of the performances and directing.
I started to get the feeling there was going to be a twist and, in that respect, I was correct… BUT when it arrives, bearing in mind I’ve watched thousands of horror and slasher films over the years, it is a refreshing and unexpected one that makes you look at the lead characters in a completely different light! On top of that the make-up, special effects and lighting are very good!
Currently being submitted to Film Festivals in the U.S., Canada and beyond, Scott hopes to make the film available for public viewing late in 2019 and I very much hope that anyone who has a love of horror/slasher films gets a chance to see it because “Date From Hell” is well worth twelve minutes of your time!
Runescarred are currently writing a new album but believe me when I say that Ven Scott certainly has a future career as a film director if he wishes to continue down this path!
Check out the trailer to “Date From Hell” below:
Further Links:
http://www.datefromhellmovie.com/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7975200/
https://www.facebook.com/datefromhellmovie/
https://www.instagram.com/datefromhellmovie/