My boyfriend was in the 3rd Hell House movie. He plays the waiter that appears 54:00 minutes into it. He says that his direction was to be sort of a super fan of the main guy, lol.
Oh, are you talking about the last supper scene? Yeah, not a lot of people have made this connection but that scene is a direct reference to the last supper. I mean Wynn, who is later revealed to be an angel, literally asks your boyfriend for bread and wine. And then he shares his bread and wine with "his people" the night before he's about to sacrifice himself for them.
The first one was filmed like 5 minutes from my house. It's a great movie, that is actually creepy. It proves that a little bit of subtlety goes a long way.
Fun Fact: In the first movie, after one of the scares Paul runs out of the strobe light room and throws up. That was not scripted and the actor threw up for real on camera.
I've heard that strobe lights does sometimes induce nausea (I've heard police used to use strobe lights to disorientate people, but I don't know if it's still used or not though).
And the camera operator is an avatar for the viewer, making it a first-person perspective to be really immersive. VR FFFs would be the ultimate scare-fest. 🤔
the first Hell House LLC film is one of the scariest movies I've seen. The entire build-up the basement is incredibly anxiety-inducing, the scenes with the clown, and the bedroom scene with the woman appearing sitting against the wall and staring at us, that's one of the scariest moments I've ever seen in a film and one of the only times I have had to shield my eyes and peek through my fingers while watching a horror movie.
I didn't expect much going into it but was very pleasantly surprised at how well done it was. Despite considering myself largely desensitised when it comes to a lot of horror, it got me in a few spots ngl, the ghost woman in Paul's bedroom being one of them.
I fell asleep watching the movie and woke up during the scene with the woman... bro I didn't sleep for a couple nights in a row. I had to rewatch the scene multiple times to get over the fear
The performances are really what make these films for me, the first one especially, whether or not things feel tense and grounded or goofy and scripted I almost never stop believing that I’m watching real people with genuine relationships to one another and goals driving them forward, it’s honestly refreshing to see that kind of authenticity in a subgenre where trying to seem authentic can matter more to the filmmakers than telling a solid story
Gore Abrams as Paul was particularly good in my opinion. He starts as this obnoxious pervert guy that cracks jokes at everything, but then the hotel pulls a "and fuck this guy in particular" on him and he just starts breaking. And for the most part, he's basically alone to deal with it, because although the crew likes him a lot, he already established himself as a somewhat unreliable person, so no one really believes him until it's already too late.
Fun fact time! In the strobe lighting, seen the actor who was screaming his head off, then ran out of the room and threw up. That was actually a real reaction. Well, the guy knew what was happening. The whole thing freaked him out so much that he genuinely got scared and puke.
Honestly, I like that the story was wrapped up and thoroughly explained. Too many found footage films all follow the same tired formula: mysterious disappearance/accident, investigation, mysterious unexplained incidents, jump scare, jump scare, jump scare, frantic shaking camera during the final scenes, character dies, camera drops showing a brief glimpse of…..something, the end. Hell House bucks that trend by thoroughly explaining the story and giving us a good look at the actual monsters that infest the hotel. And sure, the angel/demon fight at the end of part 3 seemingly comes out of nowhere, but it’s a logical conclusion to where we already knew the story was heading anyway, so why not treat the audience to it? Overall, I like them. It’s one of the better found footage films and series available right now.
I actually enjoyed the entire trilogy even though it got more campy and bonkers as it progressed. The first film is legitimately terrifying. The clips of others exploring the hotel in part two were unnerving. Part 3 was the first to actually have some laughs (the line “this is the scariest job I’ve ever had and I worked children’s theater in Alabama” is comedy gold). All in all, I had fun with all three and actually left me wanting more of the Abbadon Hotel.
the only reason I like part 3 over part 2 is because of this one reference to the last supper where Russel orders bread and wine the night before Insomnia opens, and the reason its done so well is because they didnt call any attention to it.
Yes exactly! This has actually wound up being my fav horror movie ever (the sequels aren't my favs especially the second one, but I love them in connection to the first one).
The directors cut has a scene in it where while they're trying to hang a noose on the ceiling, there's an open door to blackness in the background where you can see a set of eyes in the dark. Then as the cameraman moves back to the camera to pick it up, his body briefly passes in front of the door and now the doorway is full of eyes. That scene really stuck with me specifically because that's an invasive fear of mine whenever I sleep with the door open 😂
The bedroom girl ghost is genuinely one of the most spine tingling things I’ve seen in movies. I’ve seen that bit numerous times by now and it still creeps me the fuck out. Something about her being chill and not over the top, plus those small snake-like pupils make her so goddamn terrifying
@@rhetiq9989 yea for me it's the subtlety of the jumpscare - no big build up, nothing to drum the scene up otherwise. It just happens and it's fkn awesome.
Both the Clown one and the bedroom scene was absolutely well shot and well done. Like i wasn't even anticipating anything and boom a solid jumpscare. Loved it.
Despite how convoluted the series became, I really appreciate how much the creators cared about the main cast. I really enjoyed all the callbacks and even that final send off in the aftermath of Russell's battle. Overall a really cool watch.
My favorite found footage film to come out in the past few years is Butterfly Kisses. I personally really love how the two stories of the "actual" found footage and the man who found the footage trying to restore it play out in the film and think they mesh really well. It's just such an interesting idea for a found footage film to me.
Oh, so, so happy that you finally covered this! Love the simplicity of the first movie in particular, the little foreshadowings were great (Sara saying she's "at a better place" during the interview, Alex commenting on how they couldn't move the clowns' necks, Tony mumbling he would end up dying on the basement's stairway...) and the acting was just so organic - with the light exception perhaps of that Robert Lyons author they interview, that guy's so dramatic with his expressions 😅. Paul was, surprisingly, my favorite character: I usually have zero patience with perverts like him, but I just love how his character loses his jokey and laidback persona, and by the end I ended up feeling worse for him than for the others, it really felt like the hotel was coming for him in particular.
Someone has probably already mentioned this, but there are actually two versions of the first Hell House film. One version, I think the Directors Cut but I'm not for sure on that, adds in a few more minor scenes, but more importantly it actually shows what happens in the basement with the girl tied up as a sacrifice. It gives just a little more clarity for those who were left feeling like the payoff wasn't as satisfying as it could've been.
I watched the entire Hell House trilogy a couple years ago, and you absolutely nailed what works and doesn’t work about it. Cheers, Ryan - another top tier video, like always
I agree that the element of the Abaddon Hotel trying to attract random people to it so that it can procure more souls is definitely one of the more creepier aspects of the series. It reminds me of how most of the Silent Hill franchise sometimes involves the town "calling out" to people to lure them to SH... 0_0
The creators are so awesome too. They respond to my DMS which is crazy to me. They discuss there film with me because I had some questions about the lore. I fell in love with the first one. The other two are good but the first one is the best I think.
This and Grave Encounters are my two favorite found footage horror flicks. Afflicted and As Above So Below are fun too. There really are some gems in the FF Horror genre!
I love this trilogy and how it subverts horror franchise trends by introducing the Holy/ Angelic force in the final film, thus adding a new element that it refreshing and hopeful instead of being bleak and open to subpar sequels. Happy to see this being covered here.
The first hell house might be one of my favourite horror movies period. The scene when all hell breaks loose and everyone starts panicking, the feeling of discomfort and panic is infectious
Found this trilogy one late night on Prime, just scrolling for something to watch. I was pleasantly surprised. Really enjoyed it, honestly some of the better Found Footage films that are out nowadays. Might have to rewatch it now.
As per usual, you knocked it out of the park Ryan!! I watched this trilogy last year to add to my 31 days of Halloween movies. I try to watch at least 15 new halloween/Halloween adjacent movies d then the last 10 or so days I watch my favorites. This trilogy is such a wild ride and the end is bat-shit crazy but I still love it! I was genuinely freaked by a few of the moments in this series. So glad you covered them!!! Love ya RH!!!
The first is one of my favorite found footage films ever! Really glad the horror community has taken such a fond love to it. That’s scares really get under my skin and the cast seems so close and has so much chemistry. The sequels are so fun and it feels like a complete trilogy. Excited for more from this director.
Yay!!!! Hell House LLC is a lowkey comfort movie for me because it’s a combination of my favorite horror tropes (found footage, the supernatural, haunted houses 🥰). Love seeing Mr HOYEVER cover it!
I absolutely love this film and it's become one of my October essentials along with the inferior but enjoyable House that October Built. There's plenty of very creepy aspects of Hell House LLC. The clown's iconic and the location is perfect.
This is the only found footage movie I like, and I think it has a lot to do with showing the ending first, giving you the entire geography of the house and letting you know what it's building toward. Lauren Kennedy's performance as Melissa is incredible. I love how she calls for the dude who is running away. She really captures the fear/"are you kidding me" thing!
Yes bro! I remember asking for this one forever ago. I love this trilogy so much. I'd love to see you do a vid on Devil's Pass (2013), thoroughly enjoy that movie.
I love the Hell House trilogy. It's so bizarre and had the wildest ending ever. The first one is straight up just a great found footage flick. You can just watch that one and be done if you don't want to go into...strange territory.
I’m a found footage fan anyway, and Hell House LLC is up there as one of my absolute favourites. It genuinely feels like a documentary, the talking heads they’ve got in the framing narrative all seem really genuine (the reporter who broke in and took photos especially), the Hell House crew are all surprisingly likeable for horror protagonists. Great scares, an overall sense of dread. The long take at the beginning, with the couple trying to escape a crowd crush, is horribly realistic and claustrophobic. It’s not perfect, no, but it is excellent
i got so excited when i saw the thumbnail, and then gasped when i saw it was you who posted it. 😭 i absolutely love these movies! i think the first one is the clear standout of the trilogy, but i always tell people it’s still worth watching the other two so you get the whole story. they’re scary and fun, which is exactly what i want from these kinds of movies!
I remember suggesting you to look into this movie for a while now, and I'm glad you've finally covered it. While I'm 100% with anyone who claims this series suffers from heavy sequelitis, I still found it enjoyable all throughout. The first Hell House LLC seemed extremely competent in its storytelling and direction, showing exactly enough to give you the general picture, but omitting just the right details to allow your imagination to run rampant. The subtle background scares really make you second guess yourself and throw you off balance perfectly. THe second one has probably one of my favorite horror movie moments in recent history, the "I'm sorry, I will go now" scene, that is so tense, it wouldn't feel out of place in Skinamarink. Third one is 100% camp and should not be taken too seriously. Overall, yeah, it's one of the finer "found footage" horrors of recent memory, and definitely feels like a breath of fresh air.
Ryan you just inadvertently solved a years-long personal lost media mystery! I saw the first movie years ago and every now and then it pops into my head and for the life of me I couldn't remember enough about it or its title (I saw it at a party, I was quite drunk at the time haha) - good to finally be able to go back and watch it again now!
I actually love it when a horror movie series starts full blown serious and gets more camp / fun as it progresses, like the Evil Dead trilogy. You should check out Horror In the High Desert, they're working on film 3 and the first two are legit terrifying part found footage, part documentary.
I fell asleep to this video up on the TV the other night, meaning now I have to come back and *actually* watch it, but I cannot believe I slept through the strobing lighting up the entire room
I loved this series. It certainly isn't perfect and probably didn't really need to be a trilogy but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been a Haunted House performer for nearly a decade, so a horror that takes place within one, like Houses October Built, is just so good to me.
Been a fan of horror movies since I was a kid and nothing had scared me in a while till I watched the first hell house. Such a great take on found footage and subtle horror
This whole series is fantastic. Me and my sister always watch horror for the laughs and we chose this one randomly. Ended up loving all of the Hell House films and brainstorming the lore about them!
Ever since I saw the tv show Gargoyles as a kid, I've had a fondness for interconnected stories where there is something bigger happening in the background that ties it all together. It's why I liked Trick or Treat and Southbound. Details that you may or may not have noticed from a previous story is interwoven with other stories to indicate the general world building. Now I can't say it works every time or was an idea that was planned from the start, but it's an aspect of storytelling that greatly appeals to me.
The first Hell House LLC scared me so badly that I couldn't sleep well for a few days. Legitimately gave me my first ever insomnia problem, and I held a grudge for it for the longest time because I never suffered from lack of sleep like that haha. It's a really good movie, and I always love to rewatch it when I can!
The first one is a huge comfort movie for my sister and I, I can’t count how many times we’ve watched it just to chill out before bed haha. It’s got this cozy vibe mixed with some great scares.
Despite the decline in quality, it's just hard not to love this series as a whole. The first is an unabashedly charming, creepy found footage with just the right amount of unique lore and backstory to sink its meat hooks into your attention. With the second and third the cast and crew got to basically have fun and fill out the vision of their story all on their own. It's an accomplishment by the first film that this fact never sinks either of the sequels where a lesser original film followed up similarly would leave a huge bad taste in your mouth by the final credits.
Holy crap. That gets so crazy that I think I have to watch the other two. "Watching an angel and demon battle in a basement in front of the gates of hell in the least action packed way imaginable" sold me lol
One of my favorite “hidden shadow” moments was in I think the grudge 2 (the US version) where she’s at school and the ghost is inside of the cubby that’s underneath her desk. I saw it and immediately made my grandpa rewind to see it himself after he had missed it.
I mean, it’s most effective in the first film, but I think the aim in providing so much information is to ramp up the anticipation for what the audience knows is coming
Really wish all 3 would get a blu-ray box set (with the Director’s Cut of the 1st on DVD as mine is nearly ruined for lending out to friends). I’m a diehard physical media collector & it’s one of my biggest wants. I’d also love an Empty Man Blu-ray!
I’ll be honest I’ve always loved found footage films that starts off with people mentioning that something horrible and unspeakable happened one random night and to this day, no one knows what happened. Only that it was a bloodbath.
I’ve been meaning to watch these for awhile. THANK YOU, so very much, for the strobe light warning. I’ll watch these during the day with the lights on. I prefer my horror in the dark, but not at the risk of a seizure, eh? ❤❤❤❤❤
I think it’s comparable to the hobby trilogy. One film too many. You could take 2 and 3, shorten all of 2’s storyline to be part of the opening and cut out the reporter from 3 and put Mitch from 2 in her place paired with Russell’s storyline to end.
When I found your channel I thought "I hope he covered Hell House LLC" its one of my favorite horror movies. That scene with the clown on the stairs messed me up (I had multiple full size clown figures in my apartment at the time lol)
I have a secret love and appreciation for these movies, mostly 1 and 2. But I’ll still watch them all occasionally 😊 also, the creepy music playing in the background during the interview scenes never fails to creep me out every watch.
I'm sure that by now this can't be an original comment but I'm curious what you think of The Outwaters? I'm absolutely fascinated by that movie and what Robbie Banfitch was able to accomplish in the desert and with an incredible sound design. Was such a unique theatre experience and possibly my favorite example of found footage done right.
I grew up around where they filmed the first one and went to the house when it was an actual haunted house sometime in the early 2000's. It was such a crazy feeling when I first watched this movie and saw the house and surrounding area. I didnt immediately recognize it but it felt familiar so it gave the movie this eerie sense of deja vu and recognition that I couldn't place.
It was a-lot creepier than most horror, because I was constantly waiting for one of the demon-clowns to do a jump-scare. What they realised, is that it's a lot scarier wafting for the Boo! moment, that actually experiencing it. It's amazing the mileage you can get from some stuffed clown-demons, lying around in a dank basement..
Love that you covered this series. While yes, the first was best and could have stayed a stand-alone film, I feel that the sequels served their purpose and fulfilled the need for closure and tied up the loose ends (unlike 80% of films now) no matter how convoluted. With that being said if you keep following the found footage/mockumentary trend I suggest covering "Man Bites Dog"!! An absolute classic
I like to think of the whole "rebranding Hell House into a more cerebral artistic experience" a sort of meta-commentary on the current state of horror films.
These sets of films were a pleasant surprise, especially the first up to the last few minutes. Genuinely scary, captivating and keeps you watching. They really need to be higher on folks found footage horror watchlist.
You are 1000% correct in your assessment of the movies getting sillier as they go on. However - I found the whole 'give my goddamn characters a happy ending' thing to be more charming than annoying. It's not often we get to see characters in horror films that the creators went to any lengths for at all. Much less that the creators would dedicate an entire trilogy to saving.
I'm not a professional, nor does my opinion actually matter, but my horror experience has taught me that the best answer in the "Ambiguity vs Answers" question is the same answer as the "Terror vs Horror" question. Mystery without any kind of answer is really just a let down, and we need some kind of payoff to make the mystery actually work (subtle Lovecraft dis achieved). Nope (2022) (spoiler warning) does this very well, as the ambiguity and mystery, the "terror" dominates the first half until we get to the digestion scene, where the terror becomes horror. I guess what I'm trying to say is: Yes, ambiguity is good, and revealing everything isn't always a good thing for the story, but we need some kind of payoff.
What should I cover next?
The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare skl.sh/ryanhollinger07231
It would be cool to see you cover train to busan, i find it interesting how different it is from us based zombie stories
I would like to see a video about TEETH.
Fear Clinic
The Houses October Built!
Quarter mass the pit the black and white tv version
Whose ready to enter the HOYEVER HOUSE?
I would be...
HOYEVER
I always hear it as "hiyever".😂
This is the best comment ever 😂😂
@@vibethecat4194shit you beat me to it.
@@lautaroespora4920 I may of beaten you....
HOYEVER
My boyfriend was in the 3rd Hell House movie. He plays the waiter that appears 54:00 minutes into it. He says that his direction was to be sort of a super fan of the main guy, lol.
Awesome!
@@HorribleProgram-ew6eiyou're funny
Oh, are you talking about the last supper scene? Yeah, not a lot of people have made this connection but that scene is a direct reference to the last supper. I mean Wynn, who is later revealed to be an angel, literally asks your boyfriend for bread and wine. And then he shares his bread and wine with "his people" the night before he's about to sacrifice himself for them.
🤪
@@illwill1991I always think he wasn't an angel but was resurrected to take down Tully.
The first one was filmed like 5 minutes from my house. It's a great movie, that is actually creepy. It proves that a little bit of subtlety goes a long way.
Were the other movies filmed elsewhere?
Would love to see some pics of where it was filmed.
Y don't they leave after seeing evil clowns? I'm not sure that's explained in this breakdown? Also where da phone's? Lol
It really is a solid found footage flick.
@@calebmarmon1310 the other movies doesn't exist, are just product of ur collective imagination.
Fun Fact: In the first movie, after one of the scares Paul runs out of the strobe light room and throws up. That was not scripted and the actor threw up for real on camera.
I've heard that strobe lights does sometimes induce nausea (I've heard police used to use strobe lights to disorientate people, but I don't know if it's still used or not though).
@@Scarshadow666also used by police to make it harder for people to film their activities when they’re gonna violate someone’s human rights
hot
@@zekewalker1350 *massive eye roll*
@@jamesgatz5301it's true tho
Found footage horror has a special charm where cameraman is actually vulnerable
And the camera operator is an avatar for the viewer, making it a first-person perspective to be really immersive.
VR FFFs would be the ultimate scare-fest. 🤔
And that's what makes found footage so unrealistic. It's hard to suspend my disbelief when a cameraman can be harmed.
do yall not watch found footage movies, cuz its called found footage for a reason
@@retorikhal nah i was just really tired, its gone now lol
@@retorikhalI like Found Audio where it's the boom operator that died.
the first Hell House LLC film is one of the scariest movies I've seen. The entire build-up the basement is incredibly anxiety-inducing, the scenes with the clown, and the bedroom scene with the woman appearing sitting against the wall and staring at us, that's one of the scariest moments I've ever seen in a film and one of the only times I have had to shield my eyes and peek through my fingers while watching a horror movie.
Was hoping someone would mention the scene with the woman/Paul. Literally gave me, an entire ass grown adult, nightmares lol. Such a good ass movie
I didn't expect much going into it but was very pleasantly surprised at how well done it was. Despite considering myself largely desensitised when it comes to a lot of horror, it got me in a few spots ngl, the ghost woman in Paul's bedroom being one of them.
I fell asleep watching the movie and woke up during the scene with the woman... bro I didn't sleep for a couple nights in a row. I had to rewatch the scene multiple times to get over the fear
the scene with the woman in the room quite literally made me lose sleep
The scene with the clown on the stairs scared me the most (it _would_ be the 'girl in the room' scene, but then Id have to think about it)
The clown at the top of the steps moving it’s head might be up there with one of my favourite horror film moments ever
The performances are really what make these films for me, the first one especially, whether or not things feel tense and grounded or goofy and scripted I almost never stop believing that I’m watching real people with genuine relationships to one another and goals driving them forward, it’s honestly refreshing to see that kind of authenticity in a subgenre where trying to seem authentic can matter more to the filmmakers than telling a solid story
Gore Abrams as Paul was particularly good in my opinion. He starts as this obnoxious pervert guy that cracks jokes at everything, but then the hotel pulls a "and fuck this guy in particular" on him and he just starts breaking. And for the most part, he's basically alone to deal with it, because although the crew likes him a lot, he already established himself as a somewhat unreliable person, so no one really believes him until it's already too late.
Like Oscar worthy performance? Of authenticity?
Fun fact time!
In the strobe lighting, seen the actor who was screaming his head off, then ran out of the room and threw up. That was actually a real reaction.
Well, the guy knew what was happening. The whole thing freaked him out so much that he genuinely got scared and puke.
He said in an interview that it was also from bad food earlier not agreeing with him.
Honestly, I like that the story was wrapped up and thoroughly explained. Too many found footage films all follow the same tired formula: mysterious disappearance/accident, investigation, mysterious unexplained incidents, jump scare, jump scare, jump scare, frantic shaking camera during the final scenes, character dies, camera drops showing a brief glimpse of…..something, the end.
Hell House bucks that trend by thoroughly explaining the story and giving us a good look at the actual monsters that infest the hotel. And sure, the angel/demon fight at the end of part 3 seemingly comes out of nowhere, but it’s a logical conclusion to where we already knew the story was heading anyway, so why not treat the audience to it?
Overall, I like them. It’s one of the better found footage films and series available right now.
Whatever you think about the movie, you gotta give the guy some props. He went in with a story to tell, and he saw it through
I actually enjoyed the entire trilogy even though it got more campy and bonkers as it progressed. The first film is legitimately terrifying. The clips of others exploring the hotel in part two were unnerving. Part 3 was the first to actually have some laughs (the line “this is the scariest job I’ve ever had and I worked children’s theater in Alabama” is comedy gold). All in all, I had fun with all three and actually left me wanting more of the Abbadon Hotel.
the only reason I like part 3 over part 2 is because of this one reference to the last supper where Russel orders bread and wine the night before Insomnia opens, and the reason its done so well is because they didnt call any attention to it.
Yes exactly! This has actually wound up being my fav horror movie ever (the sequels aren't my favs especially the second one, but I love them in connection to the first one).
They have a 4th installment coming.
The directors cut has a scene in it where while they're trying to hang a noose on the ceiling, there's an open door to blackness in the background where you can see a set of eyes in the dark.
Then as the cameraman moves back to the camera to pick it up, his body briefly passes in front of the door and now the doorway is full of eyes.
That scene really stuck with me specifically because that's an invasive fear of mine whenever I sleep with the door open 😂
The first Hell House without a doubt has one of the best, most tasteful jumpscares I've ever seen in a found footage horror.
The one with Paul and the Woman or the standing Clown? Cause both scared the shit out of me
@@thingusbingus8181 that bedroom jumpscare really got me - when he's heading to bed by himself
The bedroom girl ghost is genuinely one of the most spine tingling things I’ve seen in movies. I’ve seen that bit numerous times by now and it still creeps me the fuck out. Something about her being chill and not over the top, plus those small snake-like pupils make her so goddamn terrifying
@@rhetiq9989 yea for me it's the subtlety of the jumpscare - no big build up, nothing to drum the scene up otherwise. It just happens and it's fkn awesome.
Both the Clown one and the bedroom scene was absolutely well shot and well done. Like i wasn't even anticipating anything and boom a solid jumpscare. Loved it.
I freaking love this trilogy. The first one is definitely the strongest, but they really threw their all into the whole story.
HE DID IT!!!! THANK YOU RYAN!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR YOU TO COVER THIS!!
Me too!!!
Despite how convoluted the series became, I really appreciate how much the creators cared about the main cast. I really enjoyed all the callbacks and even that final send off in the aftermath of Russell's battle. Overall a really cool watch.
My favorite found footage film to come out in the past few years is Butterfly Kisses. I personally really love how the two stories of the "actual" found footage and the man who found the footage trying to restore it play out in the film and think they mesh really well. It's just such an interesting idea for a found footage film to me.
So happy to see other Butterfly Kisses fan! It's such a great found footage movie!
Oh! Butterfly Kisses was so much fun! I really enjoyed that one.
I just discovered it a few months ago and was blown away.
Great found footage film!
Criminally underrated.
RIP to the director. He deserved acclaim for this film.
FRist "hoyevver"drops at 0:56. We are blessed with His munificence.
These are way better than they should be. A great example of the genre.
Oh, so, so happy that you finally covered this! Love the simplicity of the first movie in particular, the little foreshadowings were great (Sara saying she's "at a better place" during the interview, Alex commenting on how they couldn't move the clowns' necks, Tony mumbling he would end up dying on the basement's stairway...) and the acting was just so organic - with the light exception perhaps of that Robert Lyons author they interview, that guy's so dramatic with his expressions 😅. Paul was, surprisingly, my favorite character: I usually have zero patience with perverts like him, but I just love how his character loses his jokey and laidback persona, and by the end I ended up feeling worse for him than for the others, it really felt like the hotel was coming for him in particular.
Someone has probably already mentioned this, but there are actually two versions of the first Hell House film. One version, I think the Directors Cut but I'm not for sure on that, adds in a few more minor scenes, but more importantly it actually shows what happens in the basement with the girl tied up as a sacrifice. It gives just a little more clarity for those who were left feeling like the payoff wasn't as satisfying as it could've been.
The scary thing is that the Tully's minions *can* exit the hotel and *be* outside the haunted place.
I watched the entire Hell House trilogy a couple years ago, and you absolutely nailed what works and doesn’t work about it. Cheers, Ryan - another top tier video, like always
I agree that the element of the Abaddon Hotel trying to attract random people to it so that it can procure more souls is definitely one of the more creepier aspects of the series. It reminds me of how most of the Silent Hill franchise sometimes involves the town "calling out" to people to lure them to SH... 0_0
The creators are so awesome too. They respond to my DMS which is crazy to me. They discuss there film with me because I had some questions about the lore. I fell in love with the first one. The other two are good but the first one is the best I think.
15:30 is genuinely a terrifying shot. It takes a lot to unsettle me but that strikes right to my core.
This and Grave Encounters are my two favorite found footage horror flicks. Afflicted and As Above So Below are fun too. There really are some gems in the FF Horror genre!
Watch Noroi.
I love this trilogy and how it subverts horror franchise trends by introducing the Holy/ Angelic force in the final film, thus adding a new element that it refreshing and hopeful instead of being bleak and open to subpar sequels. Happy to see this being covered here.
The most unrealistic part of this series is a show about "mysteries" airing in the morning.
The first hell house might be one of my favourite horror movies period. The scene when all hell breaks loose and everyone starts panicking, the feeling of discomfort and panic is infectious
Found this trilogy one late night on Prime, just scrolling for something to watch. I was pleasantly surprised. Really enjoyed it, honestly some of the better Found Footage films that are out nowadays. Might have to rewatch it now.
As per usual, you knocked it out of the park Ryan!! I watched this trilogy last year to add to my 31 days of Halloween movies. I try to watch at least 15 new halloween/Halloween adjacent movies d then the last 10 or so days I watch my favorites. This trilogy is such a wild ride and the end is bat-shit crazy but I still love it! I was genuinely freaked by a few of the moments in this series. So glad you covered them!!! Love ya RH!!!
was so excited to see you were covering these movies!
When I first heard about this movie, I thought the plot revolved about one of those Christian scare houses. This was an interesting horror movie.
Me too! I thought it was going to be a documentary 😅
There is actually a documentary about what both of you are talking about. It’s called Hell House (2001).
@@SuspiciousS. thank you!
"Premarital sex!" BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!"
@@etinarcadiaego7424 that's legitimately what it's like 🤣 the documentary on it is great
First two are still some of my favorite found footage movies.
First one really did do some magic for how little there is.
The first is one of my favorite found footage films ever! Really glad the horror community has taken such a fond love to it. That’s scares really get under my skin and the cast seems so close and has so much chemistry. The sequels are so fun and it feels like a complete trilogy. Excited for more from this director.
Yay!!!! Hell House LLC is a lowkey comfort movie for me because it’s a combination of my favorite horror tropes (found footage, the supernatural, haunted houses 🥰). Love seeing Mr HOYEVER cover it!
I absolutely love this film and it's become one of my October essentials along with the inferior but enjoyable House that October Built. There's plenty of very creepy aspects of Hell House LLC. The clown's iconic and the location is perfect.
great work as always.
This is the only found footage movie I like, and I think it has a lot to do with showing the ending first, giving you the entire geography of the house and letting you know what it's building toward.
Lauren Kennedy's performance as Melissa is incredible. I love how she calls for the dude who is running away. She really captures the fear/"are you kidding me" thing!
The first hell house LLC made me relove horror omg I love that it just looks so cheap but add to the realism.
Yes bro! I remember asking for this one forever ago. I love this trilogy so much.
I'd love to see you do a vid on Devil's Pass (2013), thoroughly enjoy that movie.
I love the Hell House trilogy. It's so bizarre and had the wildest ending ever. The first one is straight up just a great found footage flick. You can just watch that one and be done if you don't want to go into...strange territory.
A personal favorite and great hidden gem of a series...gets a regular viewing every year especially for Halloween.
I’m a found footage fan anyway, and Hell House LLC is up there as one of my absolute favourites. It genuinely feels like a documentary, the talking heads they’ve got in the framing narrative all seem really genuine (the reporter who broke in and took photos especially), the Hell House crew are all surprisingly likeable for horror protagonists. Great scares, an overall sense of dread. The long take at the beginning, with the couple trying to escape a crowd crush, is horribly realistic and claustrophobic.
It’s not perfect, no, but it is excellent
i got so excited when i saw the thumbnail, and then gasped when i saw it was you who posted it. 😭 i absolutely love these movies! i think the first one is the clear standout of the trilogy, but i always tell people it’s still worth watching the other two so you get the whole story. they’re scary and fun, which is exactly what i want from these kinds of movies!
I remember suggesting you to look into this movie for a while now, and I'm glad you've finally covered it.
While I'm 100% with anyone who claims this series suffers from heavy sequelitis, I still found it enjoyable all throughout. The first Hell House LLC seemed extremely competent in its storytelling and direction, showing exactly enough to give you the general picture, but omitting just the right details to allow your imagination to run rampant. The subtle background scares really make you second guess yourself and throw you off balance perfectly. THe second one has probably one of my favorite horror movie moments in recent history, the "I'm sorry, I will go now" scene, that is so tense, it wouldn't feel out of place in Skinamarink.
Third one is 100% camp and should not be taken too seriously.
Overall, yeah, it's one of the finer "found footage" horrors of recent memory, and definitely feels like a breath of fresh air.
Ryan you just inadvertently solved a years-long personal lost media mystery! I saw the first movie years ago and every now and then it pops into my head and for the life of me I couldn't remember enough about it or its title (I saw it at a party, I was quite drunk at the time haha) - good to finally be able to go back and watch it again now!
I actually love it when a horror movie series starts full blown serious and gets more camp / fun as it progresses, like the Evil Dead trilogy.
You should check out Horror In the High Desert, they're working on film 3 and the first two are legit terrifying part found footage, part documentary.
I fell asleep to this video up on the TV the other night, meaning now I have to come back and *actually* watch it, but I cannot believe I slept through the strobing lighting up the entire room
I loved this series. It certainly isn't perfect and probably didn't really need to be a trilogy but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been a Haunted House performer for nearly a decade, so a horror that takes place within one, like Houses October Built, is just so good to me.
One of the best found footage horror film trilogy ever made.
This movie has been on my list for a while. This very well might spark me to watch it.
Been a fan of horror movies since I was a kid and nothing had scared me in a while till I watched the first hell house. Such a great take on found footage and subtle horror
This whole series is fantastic. Me and my sister always watch horror for the laughs and we chose this one randomly. Ended up loving all of the Hell House films and brainstorming the lore about them!
Ever since I saw the tv show Gargoyles as a kid, I've had a fondness for interconnected stories where there is something bigger happening in the background that ties it all together. It's why I liked Trick or Treat and Southbound. Details that you may or may not have noticed from a previous story is interwoven with other stories to indicate the general world building. Now I can't say it works every time or was an idea that was planned from the start, but it's an aspect of storytelling that greatly appeals to me.
I'm so happy you covered this trilogy! I loved the first movie especially!
The first Hell House LLC scared me so badly that I couldn't sleep well for a few days. Legitimately gave me my first ever insomnia problem, and I held a grudge for it for the longest time because I never suffered from lack of sleep like that haha. It's a really good movie, and I always love to rewatch it when I can!
I have so much passion and knowledge for the horror genre my whole life and it’s videos like this that make me realize it
I LOVE this series, the resolution is so wild it's perfection
The first one is a huge comfort movie for my sister and I, I can’t count how many times we’ve watched it just to chill out before bed haha. It’s got this cozy vibe mixed with some great scares.
Loved this movie, thanks for covering it!
Despite the decline in quality, it's just hard not to love this series as a whole. The first is an unabashedly charming, creepy found footage with just the right amount of unique lore and backstory to sink its meat hooks into your attention. With the second and third the cast and crew got to basically have fun and fill out the vision of their story all on their own. It's an accomplishment by the first film that this fact never sinks either of the sequels where a lesser original film followed up similarly would leave a huge bad taste in your mouth by the final credits.
Glad you covered this one! I actually really loved this one!
I absolutely love these movies!! So glad you're talking about it!
Holy crap. That gets so crazy that I think I have to watch the other two. "Watching an angel and demon battle in a basement in front of the gates of hell in the least action packed way imaginable" sold me lol
One of my favorite “hidden shadow” moments was in I think the grudge 2 (the US version) where she’s at school and the ghost is inside of the cubby that’s underneath her desk. I saw it and immediately made my grandpa rewind to see it himself after he had missed it.
I love the first one. It's like someone made a movie specifically to creep me out.
One of my favorite horror movies out there, I love your coverage of the movies!!!
Been waiting for you to do this!! Very excited
I mean, it’s most effective in the first film, but I think the aim in providing so much information is to ramp up the anticipation for what the audience knows is coming
Really wish all 3 would get a blu-ray box set (with the Director’s Cut of the 1st on DVD as mine is nearly ruined for lending out to friends). I’m a diehard physical media collector & it’s one of my biggest wants. I’d also love an Empty Man Blu-ray!
I’ll be honest I’ve always loved found footage films that starts off with people mentioning that something horrible and unspeakable happened one random night and to this day, no one knows what happened. Only that it was a bloodbath.
I’ve been meaning to watch these for awhile. THANK YOU, so very much, for the strobe light warning. I’ll watch these during the day with the lights on. I prefer my horror in the dark, but not at the risk of a seizure, eh? ❤❤❤❤❤
YES I’ve been waiting for you to cover this!!
Hell House 3 has to be MY FAVORITE. It's my favorite found footage series rhat has genuine scares and a good, thought through ending. I adore it.
You HAVE TO ADMIT this was a fun franchise. Many horror franchises are missing this!
This is one of my favorite found footage series. I don't know why, it just hit me at the right time.
The problem with being too in love with an idea is that you don't know how to let go. The series would have been enough if it had stopped at one
I think it’s comparable to the hobby trilogy. One film too many. You could take 2 and 3, shorten all of 2’s storyline to be part of the opening and cut out the reporter from 3 and put Mitch from 2 in her place paired with Russell’s storyline to end.
This is one of my go to horror movies I can watch again and again, the first one specifically.
When I found your channel I thought "I hope he covered Hell House LLC" its one of my favorite horror movies. That scene with the clown on the stairs messed me up (I had multiple full size clown figures in my apartment at the time lol)
I have a secret love and appreciation for these movies, mostly 1 and 2. But I’ll still watch them all occasionally 😊 also, the creepy music playing in the background during the interview scenes never fails to creep me out every watch.
I'm sure that by now this can't be an original comment but I'm curious what you think of The Outwaters? I'm absolutely fascinated by that movie and what Robbie Banfitch was able to accomplish in the desert and with an incredible sound design. Was such a unique theatre experience and possibly my favorite example of found footage done right.
The first movie legit haunted me for days after i watched it. The others....are certainly there
I’m so glad you covered this, this is one of my favorite horror movies ever I’ve been waiting for you to cover this?
I grew up around where they filmed the first one and went to the house when it was an actual haunted house sometime in the early 2000's. It was such a crazy feeling when I first watched this movie and saw the house and surrounding area. I didnt immediately recognize it but it felt familiar so it gave the movie this eerie sense of deja vu and recognition that I couldn't place.
It was a-lot creepier than most horror, because I was constantly waiting for one of the demon-clowns to do a jump-scare. What they realised, is that it's a lot scarier wafting for the Boo! moment, that actually experiencing it. It's amazing the mileage you can get from some stuffed clown-demons, lying around in a dank basement..
The clowns were absolutely perfect in the 1st one. Still give me chills. I enjoyed the practical effects. I throughly enjoyed them.
Hell House LLC is not only my favorite found footage horror movie, but in my top 10.
Love that you covered this series. While yes, the first was best and could have stayed a stand-alone film, I feel that the sequels served their purpose and fulfilled the need for closure and tied up the loose ends (unlike 80% of films now) no matter how convoluted.
With that being said if you keep following the found footage/mockumentary trend I suggest covering "Man Bites Dog"!! An absolute classic
Been waiting a long time for you cover this one :)
I like to think of the whole "rebranding Hell House into a more cerebral artistic experience" a sort of meta-commentary on the current state of horror films.
These sets of films were a pleasant surprise, especially the first up to the last few minutes. Genuinely scary, captivating and keeps you watching. They really need to be higher on folks found footage horror watchlist.
6:09 i didnt know someone could look like john bernthal and markiplier at the same time
LETS GOOOOOOO! I JUST rewatched the series twos nights ago! I'm so pumped that you made this ❤️❤️❤️
Glad you're covering this! I found hell house to have a really unique charm compared to other found footage movies
You are 1000% correct in your assessment of the movies getting sillier as they go on. However - I found the whole 'give my goddamn characters a happy ending' thing to be more charming than annoying. It's not often we get to see characters in horror films that the creators went to any lengths for at all. Much less that the creators would dedicate an entire trilogy to saving.
I'm not a professional, nor does my opinion actually matter, but my horror experience has taught me that the best answer in the "Ambiguity vs Answers" question is the same answer as the "Terror vs Horror" question. Mystery without any kind of answer is really just a let down, and we need some kind of payoff to make the mystery actually work (subtle Lovecraft dis achieved). Nope (2022) (spoiler warning) does this very well, as the ambiguity and mystery, the "terror" dominates the first half until we get to the digestion scene, where the terror becomes horror. I guess what I'm trying to say is: Yes, ambiguity is good, and revealing everything isn't always a good thing for the story, but we need some kind of payoff.
This was one of the best found footage films I have seen.
This trilogy was a lovely little romp! A real surprise for an "eh, I just need background noise" choice. Safe to say, it soon became foreground.