User Reviews

A group of models is seeking an apartment to live in, and are shown one by a local real estate agent. Unknown to the models and the agent, however, is that "hell's threshold" is in the apartment and when crossed, the demon "Dethman" is summoned to kill all those in his path. The story is told by Sam Bishop, a journalist who was accused of the murders.

Although I am a champion of low budget, microbudget, and independent films, I cannot praise this movie. The creators take pride in their 24-hour shooting schedule and at least one actor boasts on the DVD of his acting prowess, but I cannot wrap my head around this. Why make a film in 24 hours if an extra one or two hours of editing would make all the difference? And why pride yourself on acting that is poor, nonsensical and results in the bad delivery of a handful of lines?

Through much of the film, the models are being shown parts of an apartment by a real estate agent. The dialog is clearly ad-libbed because no scriptwriter could come up with such empty diction. The agent, also, clearly knows nothing about housing... she focuses on aspects of a home that no one could care about, incorrectly explains the heat source (didn't she see the radiator?) and says the vermin problem will be solved when they call "the terminator". Please, write a script -- some deviation is fine, but this was a mess.

And why were the girls moving in models? Their careers had no point in the plot, and this seems like a forced situation. At one point, an actress breaks character and says something to the effect of "dude, they're going to be (upset)" which sounded more natural than any other line, though out of place because of the other bad dialog.

The demon made no sense. I appreciated the attempt to explain how "hell's threshold" jumps to random places on Earth (including apartment fireplaces), but why not explain where the demon came from? His background involves a man whose love is killed by another man. How does this make you a demon? (Also, why did we need all these Victorian flashbacks with no dialog and glances across a field? It was overdone.)

The dramatic pauses between lines was awful. The Sam Bishop character was by far the worst, with the interviewer not far behind. Does every question require a pause, a funny face and a response... followed by a pause, a funny face and a response? I was so frustrated. To me, the only point was to drag the time out... but I'd rather have thirty minutes of good delivery than an hour of horrible delivery (and then more time is wasted by rolling through the same credits twice).

Who was the Sam Bishop character, anyway? Allegedly he "saw" all this and was accused of killing the girls, but yet at no point was he ever in the part of the tale with the girls. So how did he see them? And if he didn't, how did he know Dethman killed them? And if he didn't see Dethman, how does he know Dethman is the spirit of Apostoles? I was so lost... was there even an outline for a plot when this was written?

The only part I found enjoyable in this movie was a scene with one of the models in the bathroom. Not that it was really important or anything, but it was the only break from boredom I was given. I wonder what director Felix Diaz was thinking. His music is very good (see the DVD behind the scenes for his impromptu playing), but I wonder about his movie making skills. Although, by far the best part of the DVD was the trailer for his "Superhero Excelsior" (the trailer alone was better than this entire waste of time).

I am sorry I have to be so harsh. I'd like to think that this movie was a test of what can be done in 24 hours or maybe just an experiment for fun and the idea was never to make a quality film. But if "Superhero Excelsior" is any indication, Diaz can make quality... so why did he choose to avoid that here? Perhaps the world will never know.

Wow...OK. So, after reading the little feud on here, I decided I had to see this movie for myself. This movie is HORRIBLE. I stopped watching it. I strongly recommend cleaning a closet instead of watching this movie, you'll be more spooked/entertained.

It's low budget with bad acting.

Whoever is giving this movie 10s is completely incorrect and should be disregarded.

I am in no way connected to any of the other reviewers.

Simply put, this movie is not worth watching.

Very, very BAD MOVIE.

That's the question you have to ask yourself when you watch this movie "What was the point?" This movie was nothing but an hour and a half of confusion with completely unlikable people (not going to use the word actors) and a script that you could tell didn't exist.

One of the things that made me laugh the most about this movie was how it said "Victorian story written by" which means that there was actually a script to that part of the story. The entire victorian section had no dialogue, and was just comprised of shots of a guy staring at a girl and vice versa. Making that part of the movie as scripted as a camera left on at a train station.

OK, time for the story. It starts out with a guy sitting in a chair never once getting out of it. Oh blocking, who needs you? These newspeople come to his house and practically beg him to tell this story about these dead girls. So he starts off the story in Victorian times. and here's how the scene goes (Guy and girl are in a field. pretty music starts to play) (guy stares at girl) (girl stares at guy) (guy stares at girl) cut back to movie. That's pretty much all that happens for about half the movie.

The rest of the film is incredibly awkward dialogue about a bunch of models wanting to buy an apartment. So this real estate agent shows them one and when i say the dialogue is awkward i mean, if it were a dancer it would trip during the MACARENA. None of the characters in this movie are likable. The models are incredibly irritating, the victorian people don't talk, and the guy telling the story has the personality of a sack of onions. So eventually all the girls get killed off. and by killed off, i mean drug offscreen. ooh. you showed ONE death? and by death i mean holding her face till they put the blood makeup on? awesome.

HOW this guy even knows this story baffles me. He says it's because he saw it. but how? there was no guy in that apartment! the door was locked shut with no way out, the windows were attached to a fire escape that was too rotten to work, how the HELL did he see all that? Oh plot holes. we DO love you. So the movie finishes up with the newswoman saying "i think you made it up. you're wasting our time" despite the fact that she begged him for the interview in the first place. Whatever. This movie was stupid, pointless, and made no sense with a lot of plot holes. I could go on and on about this movie, but i don't see the need. i'd much rather spend my time doing something uselful. Like widdle something. "Hell's Threshold" more belongs in purgatory with 2 dumb models. out of 10.

I wrote Gavin about his review of Hell's Threshold, and what we were trying to do. Actually, he nailed it in his article about "experimenting". Gavin was kind enough to extend the following. Edited down for IMDb storage reasons. Please enjoy.

GS: So, you've read the review?

FD: Wow! What a scathing review of my film! Oh my God! It should have brought me to tears, but instead I truly enjoyed it. I can't stop laughing. Not at your review, but at the memories of the shoot that it brought back. THANK YOU!!

GS: I suggest in the review this film might best be thought of as an experiment...

FD: You are correct. This was an experiment in story telling. We just wanted to see if we could shoot a feature in under 24 hours. We never dreamed it would actually draw a crowd or get distribution so quickly. And foreign at that (Russia)! The US street date is 04/01/08, Brain Damage Films.

GS: I believe I also accused you of not writing an actual script.

FD: The entire script was improvised on-set. We only had a light skeleton outline (Romero loved that part).

GS: So we can't place the blame on the actors for anything lacking.

FD: Please don't blame my actors for their director being insane. They were really given no advance prep time at all. And we really pushed their buttons to get some true emotions out of them. They were given a world of story, but only a shoe box to perform it in. I'd put them up against any actor out there.

GS: There was some confusion about the origins of Dethman...

FD: We didn't explain where Dethman came from because we didn't want to reveal that storyline until Hell's Threshold II. Oh yeah, there's gonna be one! You see, the concept was to have the first confusing, the second OVER-explanatory, and then the third linking it all together dead on, with the first two coming out simultaneously, and the third a year later. But getting distribution so quickly kinda messed that up for us. So now we have to retool.

GS: What about the scenes with the long, silent stares? Was it just a way to waste time?

FD: Oh no. The Victorian flashbacks with the LONG stares and NO dialogue were very intentional. I wanted to push the audience to somewhere new. Not just give the usual blood here, sex there, crap. I wanted them to, well, do exactly what you did. Wonder what the F was going on. And I wanted to make the actors work. With no lines to hide behind. Only body language and reaction. Most actors don't use those tools much anymore. And that p*sses me off sometimes. So we made sure they had to get back to the basics. Those poor actors. We pushed the hell out of them, Gavin. And they were exhausted when the shoot ended. It was an intense shoot.

GS: The lines of dialog were very spaced out between a bunch funny faces and pauses. Again, was this necessary?

FD: Absolutely. To push the audience (any audience) sometimes you have to take real risks. King or fool risks. And also, this film was designed for a screening setting first, and TV second. And the credits played twice because I feel that independent actors don't get enough credit.

GS: You know the one thing I loved was the bathroom scene because I was wondering what you were thinking.

FD: I loved the bathroom scene! It's my favorite because NO ONE has ever done that. Other than fetish or porn maybe. And I wasn't thinking anything. In fact, someone else shot it. It was just improv happening that I built-up in Post. Nuance acting.

GS: I also liked you did your own music.

FD: Thanks. I wanted to do more, but I only had a day to score it.

GS: Tell everyone what your credentials are for being a film-maker.

FD: I don't have any. I never went to film school or anything. I just picked up a 35mm camera one day and started shooting. Next thing I knew, I started shooting other people's movies.

GS: You told me you didn't mind I considered the film to be a "waste of time"...

FD: Art doesn't always please everyone. And to me, that means you actually DID make art.

GS: I heard that something bigger has come out of "Hell's Threshold".

FD: Oh, some fodder for you. Our film festival "Terror Film Festival" is a direct result of our making of Hell's Threshold. It all came from this one little movie. How's that for synergy?

GS: That's amazing... and anyone within driving distance of Pennsylvania should do their part to check it out. Thank you, Felix, for sharing some insights into the film-making process with us!

FD: Thank you!

I don't know what all the hub-bub is about on this film. I mean it's a movie about a guy who gets killed and then later becomes an other-dimensional monster. I saw the film and I liked it. It does get confusing at times and pose some questions, but they get answered, and overall it was enjoyable to watch. I liked the old footage from the 1700's and I thought it was made with some real style and intelligence. It actually had a story. There's lots of films I've watched that I don't get at all. But this one I understood. And the part about apostleos becoming a demon but without a backstory isn't any worse than the Terminator crazy unexplainable loop. How can the Terminator's Dad (Reese) come back in time to save Sarah Connor when he hasn't been born yet? Unless you believe that all time is already laid out and everything has happened already. But what if you don't believe that? What if you believe that time unfolds every second of every day and the future is unwritten yet. In fact, Wouldn't that HAVE to be the case if Reese can come back and change the course of history? So the Termonator plot doesn't make any sense at all. But it didn't matter because people enjoyed watching the movie. Duh! I read the director's comment and I have to agree with him. They were trying to make a movie in 24 hours. I think that's amazing. From what I've ever heard, that's impossible to do. Yet these guys did it. So I say "more power to them"!Hey, give them some credit for pulling off an incredible feat, instead of bashing them for not making the movies YOU want to watch. I mean, come on! You make a great movie first, THEN you can bash someone else's. This movie was fun to watch. I'm giving it 10 stars because I think they deserve it. And you're right, the music and bathroom scene are really impressive.

Some guy gave me a copy of this movie at a film festival and I watched it that night. I loved it. I liked Peterson a lot. The stares, the dialogue, the whole premise gave me goose bumps and made me feel like I was watching Hellraiser for the first time. It actually had a story, and you had to figure it out. It was very inventive and fresh. I thought the girls were good too. When I watched the behind the scenes stuff I was blown away that they improvised the whole movie as they were shooting it. And in only one day. I was very impressed with the movie, especially after hearing that. I've watched it about five times now and I'll probably continue doing so. It has more than just blood and gore. It actually has guts. It's in my personal faves collection at home. I love it.

I thought this was a great film. Really suspenseful and thought provoking. And the scene with Bishop's wife...veeeeeery cool. I like the beginning too, with the house. Really cool. And GREAT special effects! The older era stuff was weird I have to admit, but I think the filmmaker was trying to do something like play with the audience or something. I mean it was like a ballet in a horror film. Really unusual. And I think the film has a little Hellraiser feel to it too. Also, when, well, I don't want to spoil it, so...uh...let's just say the part with the "stares"? Unusual and interesting. Never seen that before. I do agree too that the music is excellent. It should be on a CD for sale. Like a soundtrack from a movie. But all in all, I did enjoy it enough to go buy one. RicoAmerica

No it's not the best movie ever made. It's just a schlock horror movie, dude. It's like watching a Bruce Campbell movie. Good or bad, it's just fun to watch. If u want deep story with great effects this ain't it. But if u love watching cheap horror films with insanity all over it then this right up ur alley. Me and my friends have ball watching it. It does stretch everything a bit tho. But it's fun to watch . I liked it.