I hope this is widely released pretty soon. It should be effective enough to wipe out the headache and the sour taste a lot of people will have, after the 'twist' ending offered by HIGH (HAUTE) TENSION. Yeah, it's low-budget, the stars are practically unknowns, and with the heroes (and very likely the killer) of this piece all being gay, it's a miracle that HELLBENT even exists at all! But for what will more than likely be the very first slasher film with an all-gay cast of characters to hit the mainstream, it's pretty freakin' GREAT! <br /><br />Halloween in West Hollywood. For color and camp, debauchery and decadence of all kinds, this is a party probably only rivaled by Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Against this unique backdrop, HELLBENT places the story of four gay friends, ready to party and play the night away. Unfortunately for several of them, this night of celebration is about to be cut short. LITERALLY.<br /><br />Seems there's a serial killer on the loose, whose been looking for head at one of the nearby gay lover's lanes. And he's been finding a pretty good collection, one at a time, stuffing them into his trusty duffel bag after a quick removal with a wicked-looking sickle.<br /><br />Prior to partying, the four friends went to the site of the latest murder just for kicks, running into a tall, muscular guy in a devil's costume, complete with horns. Thinking he's just another cute but creepy party-goer, they taunt and tease him, hoping to leave him panting for more. Unfortunately for them, he was...and now he's after them, determined to give them all his undivided attention...one victim at a time.<br /><br />The death scenes in HELLBENT are just as stunning as the ones in HAUTE TENSION, though it leavens the horror with enough campy humor to put it in the 'typical slasher film' category, lacking TENSION'S brute-strength and pitch-black tone. Paul Etheredge-Ouzts definitely knows his horror just as well as TENSION'S creators, but the more positive take he puts on the 'gay' angle will make it more accessible to gay and straight audiences alike.<br /><br />And wait till you get a load of HELLBENT'S inventive and suspenseful "trick" ending. It's a deliciously nasty surprise, and just one of the many pleasurable jolts this has to offer.<br /><br />Can't wait to see what this director will do with "name" actors and a bigger budget...