There’s something so interesting about watching how each country takes on a genre. You get so many local fears, legends, and quirks thrown into the mix, and while a lot of times they steal from other classics there’s usually a nice twist on it.
Take, for example, the upcoming gore flick Hell’s Ground, which was not only shot entirely in Pakistan without government assistance but banned in its own country!
In the spirit of the old EC comics, the film tells the story of five teens who get lost on their way to a rock concert, are menaced by flesh eating mutations and then fall into the clutches of a family of back woods killers. The film includes copious amounts of gore alongside a splattering of social commentary and several slices of dark humour. It’s best seen as a tribute to the cinema of Lucio Fulci and George Romero, but viewed from a distinctly Pakistani perspective.
It’s not a genre Pakistan is especially known for… in fact, this title has the dubious claim of the first one ever made in the country. It’s interesting to see, as the trailer above clearly shows some trappings of some American films (Texas Chainsaw’s crazy hitchhiker, anyone?) but with plenty of local flavor. The gore was probably helped along with co-writer and co-producer Pete Tombs, who you might know as the guy who owns Mondo Macabro.
Hell’s Ground has received a ton of praise, as well, and appeared in over 20 film festivals, winning BEST GORE in one case. The dvd is going to be released by the awesome fellows working on TLA’s Danger After Dark label, hitting stores on June 24th with this awesome art.
It’s also playing at festivals all over the world- check their MySpace page for more info. Let’s hope this is as much fun as it looks!