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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Hell's Ground (2007)

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Van B

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Hell's Ground on DVD

A vanload of teens headed for a concert gets lost in the woods and stumbles upon zombies and an anonymous killer. Omar Ali Khan's film is apparently the first Pakistani "splatter" film, which is great. Unfortunately, it pays homage to many American films, namely The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Last House on the Left and George Romero's Living Dead series and comes across as nothing more than a copy of those, with little awareness (one character loves horror films but has no idea what's going on in the story). Still, Khan manages some impressive production values, including a unique use of light; the bulk of the film takes place in the woods at night, and there's always some kind of eerie light source. His cast is appealing as well, especially the beautiful Rooshanie Ejaz, playing the "virgin" character typical to the genre. Characters speak their dialogue in Urdu and English, effortlessly flipping back and forth between the two languages during single exchanges.

DVD Details: TLA released the DVD, with a commentary track, featurettes and other stuff.

Starring: Rooshanie Ejaz, Rubya Chaudhry, Ashfaq Bhatti, Sultan Billa, Osman Khalid Butt, Najma Malik, Salim Meraj, Haider Raza, Rehan, Kunwar Ali Roshan
Written by: Omar Ali Khan, Pete Tombs
Directed by: Omar Ali Khan
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Language: English, Urdu, with English subtitles
Running Time: 78 minutes
Date: June 24, 2008