Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire
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Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire is a 2019 American Direct-to-streaming found footage horror film written and directed by Stephen Cognetti. The film serves as a sequel to Hell House LLC (2015) and Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018) and as the third installment of the Hell House LLC film series. It was originally released as the final installment of the series.[2] It stars Gabriel Chytry, Elizabeth Vermilyea, Sam Kazzi, Theodore Bouloukos and Brian David Tracy.[3]
Synopsis
Set one year after the events of Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel, the hotel is on the verge of being torn down when it is purchased by billionaire Russell Wynn as the new home for his popular interactive show, “Insomnia.” He invites journalist Venessa Sheppard and her crew to record everything happening inside the hotel leading up to the performance, but they soon encounter a more nefarious plot, one that threatens to unleash a veritable hell on earth.[2]
Cast
- Gabriel Chytry as Russell Wynn
- Elizabeth Vermilyea as Vanessa Shepherd
- Sam Kazzi as Jeff Stone
- Theodore Bouloukos as Robert Lyons
- Brian David Tracy as Andrew Tully
- Bridgid Abrams as Jane Maloney
- Leo DeFriend as Gregory Sandvick
- Jordan Kaplan as Max
- Danny Bellini as Alex Taylor
- Ryan Jennifer Jones as Sara Havel
- Gore Abrams as Paul
- Jared Hacker as Tony
- Joe Bandelli as Louie / The Clown
- Scott Richey as Harvey
- Olivia Roldan as Isabel
- Adam Schneider as Mac
- Joy Shatz as Molly
- Jillian Geurts as Jessica
- Dan Dobransky as Paulis
- Joe Walz as News Reporter
Production
In December 2018, the third film was announced by Terror Films, following the release of the second film, Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel.[4]
The production was started on May 1, 2019, Stephen Cognetti have returned as a writer and director and Joe Bandelli have returned to produce the film. Ryan Jennifer Jones (Sara), Danny Bellini (Alex), Gore Abrams (Paul), Adam Schneider (Mac), Theodore Bouloukos (Robert) and Jared Hacker (Tony) of the first film are also returned to reprise their respective role. And they are joining by Joy Shatz (Molly), Jillian Geurts (Jessica) and Brian David Tracy from Hell House LLC II to reprise their role for the third film.[5]
Shudder manager Craig Engler said:
“the Hell House LLC franchise on Shudder has been hugely popular, and our worldwide premiere of Hell House LLC 2 last year was one of our most watched films ever.”
Engler also said of the film’s debut:
“we couldn’t be more thrilled to premiere the final chapter of this epically terrifying series exclusively on Shudder!”[5]
Terror Film’s president Joe Dain talked about the third film and said:
“Hell House III will be taking a cue from the original Hell House LLC, returning to its roots to capture the same intensity and fear that fans and critics alike fell in love with.”
Dain also said of the partnership with the filmmakers:
“we’re thrilled to be continuing our distribution partnership with Stephen and Joe, and I couldn’t think of a better way to premiere the film than on Shudder. It’s our hope that this third and final installment will not only satisfy the multitude of questions from fans from all over the world, but also act as an exciting precursor for The Abaddon Tapes—a limited series currently in development, which will expand on the history of the Abaddon Hotel, the now infamous setting of the franchise.”[5]
Release
The film was exclusively released on Shudder on September 19, 2019.[6][7]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 17% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.0/10.[8][9]
Writing for Flickering Myth, Matt Donato rate the film 2 out of 5 rating and said; Hard to fault a filmmaker and franchise dying to evolve, but it's also hard not to feel let down by how Cognetti ends this Hell Hous LCC trilogy.[10]
Film School Rejects gave the film a poor review, stating the film was "an ambitious stab at closing out a horror trilogy, but as much as that’s an accomplishment worth celebrating the end result is an unfortunate disappointment. Still, fans of the first two — or even the first one — might find some worthwhile closure in the final swan song of the Abaddon Hotel."[11]
Sequel
A sequel and prequel titled Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor, was released in October 2023.[12]
References
- ^ Martin, Peter (September 5, 2019). "Shudder Sets Halloween Season Streaming Screamers". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Squires, John (2019-09-12). "Full Official Trailer for Shudder's 'Hell House LLC 3' Searches for the Gateway to Hell". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Smith, Matt (September 28, 2019). "Who Goes There Podcast: Ep 230 – HELL HOUSE LLC III: LAKE OF FIRE". Dread Central. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Hell House LLC II Spawns a Sequel Titled Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire!". Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ a b c Mack, Andrew (May 3, 2019). "HELL HOUSE LLC III: LAKE OF FIRE: Shudder Teams With Terror Films For Third Chapter of Found Footage Horror Series". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Mack, Andrew (August 29, 2019). "Shudder's September Lineup: CREEPSHOW, THE WRATH, HELL HOUSE LLC III And a Mystery Title". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Halen, Adrian (September 12, 2019). "TERROR FILMS Set to Re-release ADAM ROBITEL's Possession Thriller THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN". Horrornews.net. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Donato, Matt (September 16, 2019). "Movie Review – Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019)". Flickering Myth. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Hunter, Rob (2019-09-19). "'Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire' Review: Hell's Final Days Are Its Least Interesting". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Squires, John (2023-09-20). "'Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor' Premieres Halloween Eve on Shudder [TRAILER]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2024-07-14.