Director(s) – Eric Griffin (1-888-5-Blue-You), Adam Lenhart (1-888-5-Blue-You), and Jake Mcclellan (Dead in 5 Heartbeats)
Starring – Andrew Bowser (Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, The Green Shit), Zenobia Decoteau, and Josh Dorsheimer (Never Too Late, Hacktress)
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 3.5/5
I love how unique and strange indie cinema can be. Some filmmakers have so many ideas and a strong sense of humor resulting in films that will stick with you for days or even weeks after watching them. A few weeks back I was ordering a few movies from Scream Team Releasing to add to my October horror binge when I came across HeBGB TV.
I remembered sharing a few press releases for this one sometime back but it had completely skipped my mind when I moved on to the next post. I quickly watched the trailer for the film and promptly tossed it in my cart. I had to have it and I couldn’t wait to see it. Fast Forward to now when I decided to have a Scream Team Releasing marathon with HeBGB TV being the first film.
**spoiler Alert** The film follows two children who receive a mysterious package. When they open it they are surprised to find a television receiver titled HeBGB TV. When they plug it in they are introduced to someone who wants to show them all the programs the device has for them. We then enter a world full of dancing candy corn, stoners and pesticide, phone sex operators, Frankenstein’s monster and hot dog wieners, Onyx the Fortuitous, and much more. **Spoiler Alert**
HeBGB TV is not going to be for everyone. It’s a wild and colorful ride with a lot of horror puns and memorable characters but those of you looking for something along the lines of August Underground or Terrifier will be very disappointed. However, if Shit & Champagne mixed with a little bit of Hee-Haw and WNUF Halloween Special sounds fun for you then I highly recommend snagging this one.
The acting in this one is a lot of fun. The characters are all over the top and very enjoyable. Some of the cast portrays different characters but they all stand out and have their own distinct personalities. The fact that they were able to keep track of all the characters they brought to life and not just recycle them over and over is seriously impressive to me. The stories for this one are a lot of fun but some clearly had more thought and work put into them than others. I loved the sense of humor, the delightful horror and Halloween puns, and the energy each segment brought to the film. While I loved the format and lay out of the film I would love to see this team tackle a straight forward anthology.
Finally, the film is full of DIY effects that I absolutely loved. We have some fun puppets, campy late night visual effects, blood, and lots of make up effects. This film offers a lot for those of you with an eye for effects but understand films on a budget can’t compete with major motion pictures. Overall, HeBGB TV is everything I hoped it was and then some. It’s funny, bloody, and very entertaining. I don’t know if I will add this to my Halloween list but I can see this one quickly becoming a comfort film for me. I highly recommend this no budget treat.
