The Horror Returns - THR Bonus - Ep. Hellkat (2021)

Episode Date: February 3, 2021

This bonus episode Brian and Nez review the new 2021 Uncork'd Entertainment MMA/action/horror film HELLKAT.    Listen and follow Brian and Nez's other show The Action Returns. Join The Action Returns Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/841619946357776   Follow The Action Returns on IG and Twitter: Instagram: @theactionreturns Twitter: @action_returns

Where you're headed? I'm not sure. Oh, you like guns? So, what's the next move, Drifter? I don't have any more moves. You already did, Elkat? You made it to the big leaf, but you couldn't close the deal, could you?

I own your entire world now, I could drink. You signed up for this, so let's not make a bigie out. You are here if you're on doing. Your action Bort you here What could I do? You gotta win The Torn

Back everybody This is a very special edition Of the horror returns This is a bonus episode Tonight we are going to be talking about The MMA Horror Action movie That just by the time you hear this

It'll be out on VOD and the movie is called Hellcat. But first, I'm your host, Brian, and you know the guy that's always with me. My brother Nez, what's up, man? All right, man. Let me put on my fighting gloves and get ready. But, yeah, I'm good, man.

Just same old, same old. Here to review this film, Hellcat, which is... Hellcat. Awesome, thank you for letting us see this. and this is I've seen screeners before when I was dealing with Jesse for the horacopoeia and I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that again but this is this is definitely a treat for us as well as the listeners here so yeah man just let everyone know what uh what hellcat is about yeah real quick big shout out to Ali Cortez I hope

I say your name right over there, hooked us up with the screener. Shout out to uncorked entertainment for just working with us here. And I'd love to continue to work with you guys. So thank you for that. Let's get into, let's see if I can pull something up here. Hellcat. A quick synopsis on Hellcat. This is a 2021 movie.

A washed up MMA fighter returns to the ring to try to. to save her son's life in hell by fighting against man, beast, and the demons that haunt her within. Let's go to, you know, how we do it here. We got to go to IMDB. A fallen MMA fighter must win in the Netherlands. A Netherworld's no-holds bar death tournament against man, beast, and demon to save her soul. This is directed by Scott Jeffrey, Rebecca Matthews, and Michael Hode. He was the action director, and this was written by, oh gosh, Michelle Caccio and Jordan Rockwell.

This stars Adrian Butchute. Apologies to anybody. I book your names, so I'm going to try my heart. is here. Sarah T. Cohen, Richard D. Myers, Abby Casson Thomas, Thomason,

Michael Hode, Ryan Davis, Lewis, Sycamore, Ricardo O'Fritus, Surratt, Matine, Francis Katz, and so on.

Nez, what did you think of this? I guess you would call an action horror mashup? Okay. I did not read into this and I didn't watch any trailers. I just pressed play and let it go. I wasn't unsure what kind of film this was going to be.

But as it got going, I was like, oh, okay, we're going into the horror realm. Right on. Cool. And then next thing you know, it was dramatic as well. And then the fighting started. And I was like, okay. I mean, I was still kind of unsure on what was happening in this. But as the film went on, listening to the dialogue and watching the flashbacks.

And I was like, ah, okay, I get what's going on here. I really liked the story. It was a little slow out the gate. But I think once it got going, once the fighting started, I was like, oh, okay. I mean, I saw. And then as each fight went on and they were explaining more of the story, I was like, oh, right on.

Cool. I really liked what was going on. What was the guy's name that was some... Like the kind of like the narrator or something. Yeah, I'm trying to find him because I kind of thought he was to standout in this because he was just... really laying it on and just came off very creepy when you first, you know, meet him because he's kind of, you don't know if he's like one of those like overly religious guys. And then

you kind of find out what he really is. And I just, I kind of liked his character in the movie. So trying to find his name here. I think he's, uh, Ryan Davies. Yeah. Ryan, that's who. Okay. There you go. So he was that guy. So he played Jimmy Scott. Yeah, I was When he first comes on on the scene We're gonna try not to spoil this everyone Because this is this is new brand new Yeah

So I was kind of like Well who is this guy And like as the beginning I mean in the beginning with the story with Katrina She's Hellcat Bash Because in the very beginning You do hear sounds of a fight

Which we don't see So I was kind of like Well what's going on? on here and then we see her walking down the road and she gets picked up by uh ryan davy's character and then i was kind of wasn't really too sure on on where it was going to go i thought it was more of going to be kind of like a like like a rapy situation which which it didn't so i was i was kind of glad that didn't happen but um but as a story went on about katrina on uh her what happened to her and why she's doing what she's doing.

I really like that. But when we find out her backstory, for me personally, I was kind of like, oh, my God. But it was, it was sad. There was a couple times where I did tear up in this film dealing with the subject matter. But for me, the rest of the time, I was trying to figure out why this was happening and and where it was happening. But when we get to the end, I was kind of, I did figure it out before I got,

it got to the end. Yeah. And I was like, oh, okay. So I really liked what they were trying to do. The movie isn't very long. It's like an hour and 18 minutes. And, uh, yeah, it once,

I think once it got going, I, I was glued to it. And, I mean, because like I said, the beginning was a little bit slow. But once,

uh, it got, got going to where we find where where Katrina ends up in this bar and then has to go into this fighting tournament down in the basement. I was like, oh, okay, cool. So I liked it was going on. Again, I didn't know this was going to be like a horror themed film as well. As far as the effects, I thought the effects are really good.

That one weird dude, I assume, I'm not sure if it was Ryan Davies because there was a guy that had a mask on. I wasn't sure if that was him the whole time, but it was, it was creepy. I mean, I liked what that was. I mean, there was some CGI in this.

You can, you can see where it is. It wasn't, like, thrown down your throat with the CGI. So to me, I think when low budget films like this, or indie films,

I'm sorry, uh, I know it's hard to get that funds to, to have CGI in your films. Yeah. So as, as far as the practical, effects in this? I thought it was awesome.

So whoever did all the makeup and when it got bloody and everything, I thought that looked really good. This Katrina, Sarah T. Cohen, I thought she was really good, but I think the one that stood out the most was Ryan Davies. I thought his character

was just weird and creepy. And I was, I was more just like, what the hell is happening in this film? And then, but as I'm listening, And like I said, when they're showing the flashbacks, you get what's going on and you find you know where she's at in the film. So I was kind of like, ah, okay, I see where they're going and what they're trying to do. And overall, I really did enjoy the film.

Again, the beginning was slow, but once it got going, it got going all the way to the end. So, I mean, I really enjoyed this film. I would definitely watch it again. And for all of you that are interested, or who are listening to this review and you do want to see it, definitely seek it out because I think it's well worth your time to watch this film. Yeah, I agree. I agree with most of what you're saying. It did start out fairly slow. And once we start to figure out what's happening, that's when I feel like it starts picking up.

the guy that played like the main I guess I don't want to I don't know if he's the devil or whatever he was the character Jimmy Scott he was the standout for me I just felt like he kind of was I felt like the actor was having fun with this character and I just liked the progression of when you first meet him

to the end of the main actress let me pull up her name Sarah T. Cohen who played played a Hellcat. I thought she did a decent job. I would have liked to see more of her character because I kind of want to see a little bit more of the flashbacks because it kind of showed you little things here.

I kind of wanted a more fuller story on why she was doing what she did and how did she end up there. And I just, that I could have did a little bit more. The fighting I thought was pretty good. I'm if you guys listen listening this first time, I'm a big MMA fan. They did mix it up. They mixed it up in there. No spoilers, but I liked how they said they were going to,

they were going to fight old school UFC style. If you guys know what old school UFC, that that was the all or nothing days when they were just head button and dick punches and whatever was hair pulling. Oh, back in the good old days. But I thought I liked the mix of styles in there. You got some Capoeira, some Muay, some boxing, some grappling. I thought it was a good mixture. The CGI, it was what it was.

I mean, when you are working on a specific budget, you got to, you know, work with what you got. But the standout for me as far as effects were the, the practical and makeup effects. I thought they were awesome. And I liked the different look of the, the creatures as you get more into the movie. And yeah. And then the other guy,

what was his name? Adrian Bouchute, was that the, I don't think that was the main guy fighting. Sorry, everybody. Oh, Sir Hot Mateen, who played Gris. I thought he was awesome.

And you can tell that that was him in there fighting. And I'm not sure if the other actress, Sarah, if that was all her. Because it kind of looked like maybe there was a stunt double in for her. But as far as him, he was pretty good in there. And I like that he was doing his own stunts from what I've seen. Yeah. I mean, I was unsure if that was Katrina or. Sarah T. Cohen, I wasn't sure if that was her.

I mean, there was some parts of the, of the fighting where you can clearly see it was her. But when she put her little mask on, I wasn't sure if that was her or not. Yeah. At times, I kind of felt like they did that so they can have the stunt double in. Okay, I was kind of wondering, yeah, I was wondering like, is this in the COVID area? Why are you wearing a mask? But I mean, it didn't take anything away from the performance. I mean, if it was Sarah, she did her. When you can see that it was her, I thought she really did a good job.

She sold all her moves when she was fighting. But if there was a stunt double that was doing the more extreme fighting, whoever that was, I thought she was awesome as well. Other than Ryan Davies, to me being a standout character, the um the i don't know what he was was he like just the guy that fixed him up after each fight and i was kind of wondering why he was using um not really torture devices to to fix them up um i could i could see him using that little flame thing to carterize wounds i can i can see that but there was a part with a power tool i was kind of unsure uh no why yeah

that was happening. I kind of got a hellraiser type of vibe because you know their whole thing in hellraiser is pain is pleasure. So I kind of figured maybe him using those kind of torture devices to heal them, even though it was healing them and causing the pain at the same time. I kind of felt like maybe he was getting some sort of joy out of it. Yeah. I think so.

I mean, I don't know. I mean, I think that mask, that mask he was wearing was creepy. It kind of reminded me of like those steampunk type of masks. I mean, I thought that character was, he just looked creepy. So, as well as the, the demons and the creatures that were during the fighting. One of them kind of reminded me of one of those little cave goblins in the descent. Yeah.

I thought I looked, I thought it looked just like that other than it was just big and buff, but whoever these guys that were the fighters, uh, when they, when they were the monsters or the demons, I thought they were doing really good job. The,

I think the only one that to me that didn't really, I mean, I liked the fighting in it, but it just kind of, it took me out of it a little bit. It was the, the, the werewolf looking one.

Yeah. I can, I can kind of see, see that. That one, that one was, I mean, he was the big dude,

whoever that gentleman was, but I think that werewolf mask kind of it just made me laugh I mean I like the other ones I thought those were really cool on the makeup and but I mean yeah I don't want to spoil this for everyone but I had a had a good time watching it I mean I wasn't really sure what what I was watching at first until it got going but a little criticism I've said this before on our show on East Society when it comes to trailers that they show too much much in the trailers.

I don't know if you watch the trailer or not, but they, I thought they showed just, not to spoil it, but I thought they showed just a little too much, uh, in the trailer. I mean, they do it in these big, huge giant blockbuster films as well. Yeah. Sometimes they show the whole movie in the trailer. Yes, especially when, especially when you are about to watch a trailer and you see the runtime is like over three minutes and like that is that is too much for a trailer. Yeah, I mean, the trailer in this one was only like a minute and something, but there was just something they showed in it.

And I was like, I didn't see, I didn't watch the trailer until after I watched the movie. And I was kind of like, oh, man, really? But again, it doesn't take much. It doesn't take anything out of the film or any of the performances in this. I mean, this film, it's the first time I had seen any of these actors. and I mean, I had nothing bad to say about any of them. I thought they all did an amazing job. The dude I liked was the drunk guy that was in the bar.

I liked his character and as well as the bartender. I thought he was pretty cool. Yeah. Do you know where this was filmed? Was it filmed in America? For some reason, I'm thinking Canada, but I'm not sure. I Can not find where it was filmed

But I would assume It seems like a lot of stuff So filmed in Canada It says it's a U.S. film, so Okay Yeah, probably filmed in America somewhere I mean

Obviously maybe in a warehouse Especially during the fight scene Because that looked like it was a big set Yeah On where they were I'm what what I I think what I really really loved about this whole film is I'm glad I didn't watch the trailer and I'm glad I didn't read into it

I just turned it on and and let it go and I was going to take it for for what it was so again I wasn't sure which direction or how it was going I didn't realize I didn't know it was going to be a horror kind of a horror film as well I mean because there was one scene in the beginning

where that weird Ryan Davies when he's picked up Katrina before she got out of the car, I was like, whoa, wait a minute, what's happening here? So I wasn't really sure. I was kind of thinking of more of a vampire type of film, but as the film goes, you realize like, oh, they're not vampires, you realize who and what they are. So I thought that was really cool. so I think that was my only complaint was they showed something in the trailer which I wish they didn't so but if you if you haven't seen the movie you you won't know what that is

but after you watch the movie then go watch the trailer then you'll figure out what I'm talking about but again overall I thought this was a good movie and that's all I can say I'm looking at pictures right now there's a picture of um was she fighting i mean it was one of the she's got a cigarette in her mouth and her hands are wrapped up i know i don't think that was the blonde girl that was fighting unless they showed someone else uh no uh the blonde girl well i was about to say something spoilery but yeah i don't definitely don't think it was her okay um yeah the blonde girl was Abby is it Casson Thompson?

Yeah. Yeah, her. She played salt. I didn't really get anyone's names in this, but Katrina. And then they kept calling her Hellcat. I didn't. I know everyone's got names on their movies, but I must have just been missing everybody's names.

Yeah. They, everybody else kind of seemed like side characters, because you definitely knew Katrina, a Hellcat bash and they even said her last name is short for Bashir. So they said her name a lot. So it's definitely her movie. Well, she's right on the poster. And I really like how this poster looks.

What does it say at the top? Let me fight. Fight your demons. Save your soul. Hellcat. Yeah, I like this poster. It's got her standing there in a fighting stand. It looks like she's looking to her left.

I can't really sell. And there's some creepy ball-headed, I assume demons or something with glowing eyes. Yeah. And then at the bottom, it's got her doing a kick. And see, this guy looks like he's flying in the air, getting ready to give her a super punch. Yeah.

Superman or Superman punch. Yeah, they mixed it up pretty good in there. There was some spinning. There was a Van Dam kick in there. So all you Van Daman fans that have been complaining in his later movies that he doesn't do the Van Dam kick. You get it in here.

Yeah, everyone, I mean, that's what my review of this film. It's definitely worth a watch. So definitely seek this film out. I know I got more to say, but then I don't want to spoil it for everyone. So we'll come back later on after everyone's seen this and then we'll talk about spoilers Yeah, I agree with again, I agree with a lot of what she said I don't really have any complaints about it I think everybody did a good job

I think the practical effects were standout Compared to the the CGI stuff and Yeah, the guy that played the main I guess villain of the movie I just, I really liked his performance in it. And I would definitely like to see him in something else. And they got me. They got me with the MMA stuff. I'm a sucker for that.

If it's an MMA movie or action movie and there's MMA fighters in it, I'm going to check it out. So yeah, definitely people should check this out. It will be available February 2nd, on-demand DVD. and digital. So definitely check that out. And again, big shout out to uncorked entertainment. Yes.

Thank you guys so much for letting us see it. I mean, like I said, it was definitely worth your time to watch this. And Sarah T. Cohen, if you're listening, I loved your character

and you are beautiful. Even when you were all beat up. I still thought you were hot. So right on. And Ryan Davies, you rocked, man. keep it up. All right, man. Anything else before we get out of here?

No, that is it. Again, everyone, seek out this film. Hellcat. It's definitely worth your time. And thank you guys for listening. And we'll be back with more reviews of this and that, of stuff we found. I'm glad we got something new. This is a new film for this year. I mean, I think the only new movie I'd seen was one that was on another streaming site.

But again, this is definitely. worth your time so you guys should definitely check this out so yeah I got nothing else to say so till then everyone party on yeah definitely look out for more bonus stuff uh over at the horror returns and uh definitely look out for some more bonus stuff over at the skaternes podcast network so until until uh until next time everybody stay safe