Cover Art

Credits

Director: Paul Talbot Starring: Gunnar Hansen, Debbie Rochon, Amy R. Swaim Screenplay: Jeff Miller, Michael R. Smith, Paul Talbot Music: Andrew Scott Foust, Eric Martin, Kirk Luther Tagline: Once Inside You'll Pray For the Chair! Country: USA

Hellblock 13 is an anthology, and the wrap-around stars Gunnar Hansen and Debbie Rochon. Hansen is the executioner (and for nearly the whole movie, seemingly the ONLY staff member) at a prison where serial killer Rochon is awaiting her death sentence. Hansen stops by Rochon's cell to lord it over her, but instead she begins regaling him with stories, stories she wants to live on after her nefarious crimes have been forgotten.

The first story is about a woman who claims her children have been kidnapped. The law is sceptical, suspecting she may have done away with them. The mother then begins having weird, unexplainable things happen to her, and it begins to seem that perhaps this Mommy was not so dearest. The acting isn't always so hot in this section, and the story's a bit banal.

However, things pick up in story two. A wife beater has pushed his wife to her limits, so she seeks vengeance in an unusual fashion with the help of her scary neighbour. This bit is far more interesting, and the overall silliness kept it engaging for me. The acting is still bad, but it now suits the tongue in cheek material.

The third story isn't as good as the second, but is thankfully better than the first. In this tale, a biker gang is on a drug run to Mexico, but they stop to pay tribute to their own little patron saint. The new guy is hesitant to do this, wanting to get the run over with. The new guy isn't all he seems, but the mystery of his true intentions isn't particularly mysterious. The acting's a bit better in this one, and there're still a few good gags.