Bus Party To Hell [Review]

If you watch BUS PARTY TO HELL and hate it, you have no one to blame but yourself. As we previously noted, the obvious cheese drips off this film, including the trailer and marketing, like so much blood from a severed head. But whether you love a good “bad” film, or love to hate-watch campy, cheesy, stilted acting, this flick might just be up your alley … especially if you’ve ever been frustrated by the careful blocking and editing required of your favorite made-for-tv original. If you’ve ever found yourself watching The Hills Have Eyes and thinking, “hmmm … needs more Sharknado” (or vice-versa), then this film was tailor made for you.

Make no mistake, this is the movie equivalent of junk food. And not just any junk food. The kind that will rot your soul to its core. But it’s delicious junk food. If A Quiet Place is a sautéed salmon filet over roasted asparagus, BUS PARTY TO HELL is deep friend butter … wrapped in deep friend cheese … and washed down with deep fried beer. What’s more is that it’s exactly the kind of movie you might expect from a director who believes “there is no such thing as gratuitous female nudity.”

Once you get past a rough opening, BUS PARTY TO HELL contains all the camp, cheese, and stilted acting of your favorite “bad” horror films combined with the gratuitous gore, sex, and nudity of your typical exploitation film. Unfortunately, the film sets a poor tone initially with some awkward effects and an unfortunate amount of CGI blood. However, the film really kicks off after, ironically, the titular party bus breaks down. Once trapped, our young party-goers become the feast for a band of cannibalistic devil worshipers while the audience is treated to a feast of gore and gratuitous violence.

The cast, aside from an appearance by Ms. Sharkando herself, Tara Reid, is largely unknown. Notables include Sadie Katz (Wrong Turn 6, the Bill Murray Experience) and Devanny Pinn. However,  stealing the show out of the gate is Stefani Blake in her feature film debut. While this is hardly the film on which to judge someone’s acting ability, she exudes a certain charm and comfort that makes her one to watch for the future. She also stands out in a sea of very colorful, over-the-top horror movie caricatures.

In the end, BUS PARTY TO HELL is a film that knows exactly what it is and never tries to be anything else. The story doesn’t make a ton of sense, the exposition is forced and awkward, and the cast largely behaves as if there’s a running bet on who can chew the most scenery. However, the fun, campy tone is maintained throughout, with tons of blood, nudity, and absurd kills to boot. Director Rolfe Kanefsky entices your gore boner and your actual boner simultaneously. If those are one and the same for you, then you’re a sick fucker who’s gonna love this flick.

Available on VOD and in select theaters, the Truth is that BUS PARTY TO HELL provides a fun alternative this Friday the 13th and I Dare you to check it out instead of the latest Blumhouse schlock …