Search - Hellhounds on DVD

This movie is good...

T. Thomas | TX | 05/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know where one gets that Lou Diamond Phillips is in this, because he isn't. However the storyline is set as it is in the old myths...The bride is poisoned on her wedding day by the main character's rival and he goes into Haedes to bring her soul back. They fight ***yes Hellhounds*** and such along the way, and it does have a lot of action in it. Yes, there are gory scenes so it's not for the kiddies...If you remember the song "Don't Pay the Ferryman" from the '80's you will have a good idea what myth that this film originates from. The acting was well done in it, and I enjoyed seeing Ben Cross in this one. He played the part of the king well. I guess the other reviewer didn't get into it because he didn't get the plot. Those of you who are into the Greek Mythology and such will like it, I think...Rick Schroder did an excellent job directing these actors too. There was no overacting. The make up and costumes were good as well."

Canines From Hell

The Movie Man | Maywood, New Jersey USA | 04/23/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Sword-and-sandals meet horror in "Hellhounds." After his young bride is poisoned on their wedding day, a brave warrior and his loyal comrades descend into the underworld to retrieve her soul. Challenged at every turn by one horror after another, they return from their chilling journey to find they are not alone; they've been tracked by a pack of snarling, savage beasts that kill everything in their path. Lou Diamond Phillips stars.

The only interesting thing about this low-budget flick is the combination of ancient times with modern, grisly special effects. The movie is not for those easily turned off by the sight of blood -- a lot of it. There are no bonus extras."

Greek tragedy

Michael J. Tresca | Fairfield, CT USA | 08/23/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you look at the cover of Hellhounds, you will see three - count 'em, THREE - devil dogs. And understandably, if one were to watch a film about monstrous dogs, one might consider a pack of dogs to at least consist of three if not more of them. When it comes to Hellhounds, one would be wrong.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. You may be familiar with the tale of Persephone of Hades, wherein an innocent demigoddess is abducted by Hades to become his queen. Demeter, Persephone's mother and personification of Mother Nature, was outraged enough to plunge the world into eternal winter. Hermes was sent to the underworld to retrieve her, but Hades tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds which bound her forever to the underworld. Zeus split the difference so that Persephone shuttles between the two realms, which is why we have the changing seasons when Demeter mourns for her missing daughter (winter) and rejoices upon her return (summer). You can find all of this out by perusing Wikipedia.

Director Rick Schroder - yes, THAT Ricky Schroder -- does not read Wikipedia.

Instead, we have Kleitos (wooden Scott Elrod) what has just married princess Demetria (only slightly less wooden Amanda Brooks). When she rejects the advances of Kleitos' best friend Theron (James A. Woods, the only good actor in the bunch), Demetria is mysteriously assassinated. Convinced that he can save Demetria from death itself, Kleitos marches off to Tartarus to retrieve his maiden fair, all the while unaware that there's a traitor in his midst.

Beyond the similarities between the names Demeter/Demetria, this tale has nothing much in common with Greek myth. Or any myth for that matter, unless those myths involve walking down poorly lit hallways, wandering around in the forests, and swinging torches in fog.

Hellhounds wants to be so much more, and it gets props for a unique setting for a monster movie. But if the script has ambition, it lacks just about every other successful ingredient. The rivalry between hero and villain plays out like a schoolyard brawl. The adventuring party spends way too much time wandering around in confusion and arguing about which way to go without ever speaking in contractions (because that's how the Greeks spoke, right?). This film could easily be shortened by twenty minutes.

The actors try hard to convince us there's a whole pack of hellhounds off screen, referencing an "alpha male" which has glowing red eyes, but when it finally does show up they couldn't even afford the red eyes. Apparently Rick didn't have enough money to render a whole pack of hellhounds. So we get exactly two - not even the three promised on the cover. The real Greek tragedy is a distinct lack of the namesake monsters.

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