Gehenna: Where Death Lives

Gehenna: Where Death Lives is a 2016 horror film written and directed by Hiroshi Katagiri. An international co-production of the United States and Japan, the film stars Justin Gordon, Eva Swan, Simon Phillips, Doug Jones, Lance Henriksen, and Patrick Gorman.[1] It was acquired by Uncork'd Entertainment in 2018 and was released on May 4, 2018. An early screening was held at Saipan Regal Cinemas on June 30, 2018.[2][3]

Gehenna: Where Death Lives
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHiroshi Katagiri
Screenplay by
  • Hiroshi Katagiri
  • Nathan Long
  • Brad Palmer
Produced byKoodae Kim
Starring
CinematographyYohei Tateishi
Edited byYoshio Kohashi
Music byYuan Liu
Distributed byUncork'd Entertainment
Release dates
  • October 6, 2016 (2016-10-06) (Shriekfest Film Festival)
  • June 30, 2018 (2018-06-30)
Running time
105 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The film follows a group of five people exploring the remote island of Saipan, while scouting for a new resort location, who all become trapped in a hidden WWII bunker. The team encounter oddly dressed mummified bodies, a living corpse, and a Japanese man still in war uniform. With the help of a diary written in Japanese they begin to piece together the curse placed on the area, while attempting to survive supernatural and psychological attacks.[4][5][6]

Cast

Production and release

Gehenna: Where Death Lives is Katagiri's debut directorial feature.[7] Filming was completed in Los Angeles, California and Saipan and Tinian in 2015,[8] and traditional special-effects makeup was used to create all of the gory scenes at Spectral Motion in Glendale, California.[9]

It was the first feature film shot for a significant part in Saipan and Tinian, and was hailed as such as a significant contribution to the cinema of Northern Mariana Islands. Although the production and the directors were not local, the crew, extras, and some actors were from Saipan, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands supported the production, which was also helped by local citizens who participated in its crowdfunding. Locals hoped that the movie, as "the first film of its kind not only to be shot on Saipan but also for the plot to take place here," may encourage "Marianas-bred filmmakers" to start more ambitious local projects.[10]

The film premiered at the Shriekfest Film Festival in Los Angeles in October 2016.[11][12] It premiered in the United Kingdom at Bram Stoker International Film Festival on October 27, 2016, and in Australia at A Night of Horror Film Festival on November 24, 2016.[13] It also screened at New York City International Film Festival and Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival in 2016. In 2017, it screened at the Indie Horror Film Festival in Chicago, where it won Best Cinematography for a Feature Film.[14]

In 2018, the film was acquired by Uncork'd Entertainment. A limited US theatrical and VOD release was announced for May 4, 2018. An Early Screening of the movie will be at Saipan's Regal Cinemas starting June 30, 2018.[15][16][17]

Reception

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 50%, based on 10 reviews, and an average rating of 5.3/10.[18]

Noel Murray from the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Gehenna features impressive gore effects, but the plot's an uninspired hodgepodge of dozens of other "haunted structure" pictures, set at a plodding pace, in a gray, dim location. It peaks in its first five minutes. The remaining 100 go nowhere, slowly."[19] Dennis Harvey from Variety stated that the film's premise showed promise, and the performances were competent; but was undone by its underdeveloped script, and lack of actual scares.[20]

Norman Gidney from Film Threat wrote that, while the film is "Not perfect, not by a longshot," it is "too much fun not to see through to the end."[21]

Awards and nominations

In 2017, Gehenna: Where Death Lives won Best Cinematography for a Feature Film at the Indie Horror Film Festival in Chicago.[22]

See also
  • Gehenna – a historic valley surrounding Ancient Jerusalem, sometimes associated with a concept of divine punishment
  • Japanese horror

References
  1. Weiss, Josh (April 17, 2018). "Exclusive: Doug Jones delivers an eerie message in clip from horror film Gehenna: Where Death Lives". Syfy Wire. Syfy. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  2. Couch, Aaron (April 10, 2018). "Doug Jones Gets Creepy in Trailer for 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  3. "Gehenna: Where Death Lives on iTunes". iTunes. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  4. Webster, Christopher (April 12, 2018). "GEHENNA Trailer: Doug Jones Stars in Katagiri Hiroshi's Directorial Debut". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. Savage, Chris (April 12, 2018). "New Trailer for Doug Jones' 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". HorrorMovies.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. Harvey, Dennis (April 30, 2018). "Film Review: 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  7. Anderson, Derek (April 17, 2018). "Watch an Exclusive Clip from GEHENNA: WHERE DEATH LIVES, Co-Starring Lance Henriksen". Daily Dead. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  8. Anderson, Derek (September 4, 2017). "Q&A with GEHENNA: WHERE DEATH LIVES Director Hiroshi Katagiri & Executive Producer Saik Meng Kee". Daily Dead. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  9. Sprague, Mike (April 14, 2018). "Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen Join Forces in Hiroshi Katagiri's Gehenna: Where Death Lives This May". Dread Central. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. Vicente Ben Salas II (30 October 2016). "Gehenna: Where Death Lives - and new filmmaking opportunities begin on Saipan?". The Guam Daily Post. Guam. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  11. Billington, Alex (April 12, 2018). "Full Trailer for Extra Creepy Bunker Horror 'Gehenna' with Doug Jones". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  12. "Gehenna Where Death Lives". Shriekfest. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  13. Noonan, John. "Gehenna: Where Death Lives (A Night Of Horror Film Festival)". Filmink. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  14. "Home Page - Gehenna". Gehenna official website. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  15. Cranswick, Amie (April 13, 2018). "Trailer, poster and images for horror Gehenna: Where Death Lives starring Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen". Flickering Myth. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  16. Squires, John (April 10, 2018). "[Trailer] Doug Jones and Lance Henriksen Star in 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. McNeely, Kelli Marchman (April 23, 2018). "'Gehenna: Where Death Lives' Coming To Theaters And VOD This May". Horror Fuel. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  18. "Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  19. Murray, Noel (3 May 2018). "Tedium quickly overwhelms promising opening of horror flick 'Gehenna: Where Death Lives'". LA Times.com. Noel Murray. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  20. Harvey, Dennis (30 April 2018). "'Gehenna: Where Death Lives' Review: – Variety". Variety.com. Dennis Harvey. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  21. Gidney, Norman (3 May 2018). "Gehenna: Where Death Lives". FilmThreat.com. Norman Gidney. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  22. "2017 Season". Indie Horror Film Festival. Breaking Fate Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
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