You know that old saying, "Looks can be deceiving"? I think that can apply in almost any aspect of life. Someone puts a great plate of food in front of you and you think it HAS to taste good, then when you taste it, it's utterly disgusting. You meet a person and for all intents and purposes, they look like they'd have to be a decent human being, then you find out that they're detestable to say the least. Or, you watch a movie trailer and think, it's gotta be impeccably done, then it's not. And of course the opposite is always true. So, which category does Bad Kids Go to Hell fall in? I'll get to that...
Six prep school kids from Crestview Academy, home to the spoiled
offspring of society's elite, find themselves stuck in detention on a
frightfully dark and stormy Saturday afternoon. During their 8 hour
incarceration, each of the six kids falls victim to a horrible
"accident" until only one of them remains. As each of these spoiled rich
kids bites the dust, the story takes on a series twists and turns. Is one of the kids secretly evening the
school's social playing field? Or have the ghosts of prestigious
Crestview Academy finally come to punish the school's worst (and
seemingly untouchable) brats? One thing is for sure...Daddy's money
can't save them now.
When you promote your film as "The Breakfast Club meets The Grudge" you're gonna end up with some pretty big shoes to fill. Yes, that juxtaposition alone is enough to entice an audience, but you're opening yourself up to some major criticism. I mean you're talking about one of the greatest most beloved films of the 80's! Superb acting, phenomenal writing and a killer soundtrack. In comparison, BKGtH doesn't even come close to measuring up. The acting was, for the most part satisfactory. Not one person or character really stood out for me. Judd Nelson makes an appearance as uptight Headmaster Nash and even his performance was... less than gratifying. The main problem is that the characters written simply weren't desirable enough to make them likeable in any way. Without a character to root for, the film simply becomes placid and monotonous.
These days I tend to blank out when the description of a film starts with "A group of teenagers" or "Six prep school kids" or "Five friends set off on". While it's a successful scenario, especially for the teenage crowd, most seem to fall flat. Where BKGtH goes wrong is it's pacing. There is so much going on in such a short amount of time that the whole film seems hurried and could in turn leave an audience indifferent and feeling like they've missed something. Inevitably it ends up being a jumbled, overly done mess that needed more time to be properly developed. I am a fan of independent films and I can appreciate the effort and time that goes into them but the constraints that come with having a small budget don't excuse any of the mistakes that ultimately make this one to skip.
I'm glad you reviewed this movie. My blog partner Boonsweet wanted me to watch this with him, but as you so perfectly put it, "These days I tend to blank out when the description of a film starts with 'A group of teenagers' or 'Six prep school kids' or 'Five friends set off on'." I've always felt the same way about those kind of movies.
Now that I've read your review, I think I'm gonna have to take a pass on this movie. I doubt I'll be able to enjoy myself. Unless there's a copious amount of alcohol involved, lol.
When you promote your film as "The Breakfast Club meets The Grudge" you're gonna end up with some pretty big shoes to fill. Yes, that juxtaposition alone is enough to entice an audience, but you're opening yourself up to some major criticism. I mean you're talking about one of the greatest most beloved films of the 80's! Superb acting, phenomenal writing and a killer soundtrack. In comparison, BKGtH doesn't even come close to measuring up. The acting was, for the most part satisfactory. Not one person or character really stood out for me. Judd Nelson makes an appearance as uptight Headmaster Nash and even his performance was... less than gratifying. The main problem is that the characters written simply weren't desirable enough to make them likeable in any way. Without a character to root for, the film simply becomes placid and monotonous. 
I'm glad you reviewed this movie. My blog partner Boonsweet wanted me to watch this with him, but as you so perfectly put it, "These days I tend to blank out when the description of a film starts with 'A group of teenagers' or 'Six prep school kids' or 'Five friends set off on'." I've always felt the same way about those kind of movies.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've read your review, I think I'm gonna have to take a pass on this movie. I doubt I'll be able to enjoy myself. Unless there's a copious amount of alcohol involved, lol.