Hell House

a film by George Ratliff

Hell Houses are a distinctly American phenomenon which began in 1990 just outside of Dallas, at the Trinity Assembly of God Church. The original Hell House was conceived as a modern-day fire-and-brimstone sermon. Today, this religious ceremony of sorts is replete with actors, extensive lighting equipment and full audio-visual tech crews. Inside the Hell House, tour guides dressed as demons take visitors from room to room to view depictions of school massacres, date rape, AIDS-related deaths, fatal drunk driving crashes, and botched abortions. Hell Houses have now spread to hundreds of churches worldwide.

With full access to the behind-the-scenes action, HELL HOUSE follows the process from the first script meeting until the last of the 10,000 visitors passes through the Hell House doors. The movie gives a verite window into the whole process of creating this over-the-top sermon, while showing an intimate portrait of the people who fervently believe its message. The film also features a score by Bubba and Matthew Kadane, formerly of the band Bedhead.

HELL HOUSE has been wowing film festival audiences and has become one of the most talked-about documentaries of the year, and the film received a Golden Gate Award at the 2002 San Francisco International Film Festival.

Director George Ratliff, a Texas native, began his career in journalism. His feature documentary, PLUTONIUM CIRCUS, won awards at the San Francisco International Film Festival, was a finalist at the International Documentary Association Awards, and won Best Documentary Feature at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Prior to HELL HOUSE, Ratliff worked as a segment Producer/Director for Split Screen on the Independent Film Channel.