Hellfire

...finish this. There are just some movies where you know that you can save that ninety minutes of your life for something more meaningful, and fifteen minutes into this craptacular debacle, I realized that this was indeed one of those cases.

Yes, Roger Corman and Company have to make a buck, and he has every right to remake any and every costume horror melodrama that ever helped make him a name. Especially the Vincent Price ones.

So what's wrong with HELLFIRE? Well, the storyline is good, and kudos to Corman for reaching out to work with Mosfilm. But the problem is what's missing here. And what's missing, you ask? How about Vincent Price's acting skills, Floyd Crosby's richly saturated visuals, Daniel Haller's art direction and the scoring by the irreplaceable Les Baxter? I know what you're going to say...most of these talented artisans are no longer with us, and the few that still are probably have retired from the business permanently.

Which is exactly my point.

Which I also know is moot, since this mess was cooked up over ten years ago now.

None of the other Corman classics have suffered lately from attempts to remake, revisit or 'redefine' them. Here's hoping it stays that way.