The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine

Genre mesh-ups are pretty interesting specimens of film, especially when they pull off the tropes in their respective categories while pummeling you with something unique at the same time.  This is where the low budget spirit of The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine shines through.  While much of the film is unpolished and full of some basic performances, its intentions are there - even if it doesn’t always make the impact it wants to.

"has a lot of spooky stuff grinding away at its gears, it just doesn’t always nail that vibe as solidly as it thinks"


Part western and part horror, writer/director Paul Collett’s film - in spite of its budgetary limitations - pulls off a chilling tale of weary miners who do more than back-breaking work, especially when they awaken the Shakani, a dark supernatural being with more than gold on its mind.

What follows is a legacy of pain and suffering as the miners get trapped in the mine and a family is cursed for all eternity.  If only the curse could be lifted . . .

And that’s just the 1841 opening to this wild tale of a family curse passed down through the ownership of the mine.

Starring Tiny Lister (The Fifth Element), Sally Kirkland (JFK), and Tom Sizemore (Heat), The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine might be full of long sequences and not enough edits to keep the interest up, but its scares are definitely there as a deed to the mind featured at the beginning of the movie comes into the possession of Luke and Poni and, along with it, that strange family curse.The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine

Co-starring Rudy Youngblood (Apocalypto), May Myot Noe (Invincible), and David Fennoy (Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay), The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine pits a computer nerd against an angry supernatural being which can worm its way into your mind and appear as anything and anyone as his only remaining family member finds herself the target of this vengeful spirit.

With a gang of friends, Luke targets the inherited mine, hoping for a payday like none other.  What he discovers is the dance with the devil which must be endured in order for Poni to be released from the spell she’s under.  Co-directed by Tammy Massa and co-written by Robbie Trujillo, The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine has a lot of spooky stuff grinding away at its gears, it just doesn’t always nail that vibe as solidly as it thinks. 

The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine will arrive May 18th on digital platforms from Film Hub.

2/5 stars

Film Details

The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:

Director
: Paul Collett; Tammy Massa
Writer:
Paul Collett; Robbie Trujillo
Cast:
Tom Sizemore; Tom Lister Jr.; Sally Kirkland
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Some Evil Won't Stay Buried.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor:
Film Hub
Official Site:
Release Date:
May 18, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:

Synopsis: Inside a long-abandoned gold mine, lurks the Shakani, a dark supernatural being conjured by the Shanowah tribe ages ago to defeat their enemies. Not only ferocious and fast, but can appear as anyone and get inside your mind. Luke’s ancestors trapped it in the minebut each has also gone crazy. Now Luke’s niece Poni, has come down with “the family curse.” But Luke believes with the proper medical treatment she can be healed if only he can get the money to pay for it. So with a couple friends he tries his luck at the gold minebut gradually realizes he must defeat the Shakani and end the family curse.

Art

The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine