Color | Stereo | 4:3 | NTSC | 85 min | DVD/DownloadHell Houses are a distinctly American phenomenon which began in 1990
just outside of Dallas, at the Trinity Assembly of God Church. The
original Hell House was conceived as a modern-day fire-and-brimstone
sermon. Today, this religious ceremony of sorts is replete with actors,
extensive lighting equipment and full audio-visual tech crews.
Inside the Hell House, tour guides dressed as demons take visitors from
room to room to view depictions of school massacres, date rape,
AIDS-related deaths, fatal drunk driving crashes, and botched
abortions. Hell Houses have now spread to hundreds of churches
worldwide. With full access to the behind-the-scenes action, HELL HOUSE
follows the process from the first script meeting until the last of the
10,000 visitors passes through the Hell House doors. The movie gives a
verite window into the whole process of creating this over-the-top
sermon, while showing an intimate portrait of the people who fervently
believe its message. The film also features a score by Bubba and
Matthew Kadane, formerly of the band Bedhead.