Choosing to see a horror movie spoof is almost as risky as seeing a regular horror movie. The sheer number of films representing each genre is daunting enough, but the success rate is almost sickeningly low. For every “Young Frankenstein” and “Cannibal: The Musical” we get a “Scary Movie 4” and “Scary Movie 5.” That being said, if anyone can skewer the easy target that is the current state of horror, it’s the crew from “Reno 911!” Written and directed by and starring Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, “Hell Baby” is a send-up of everything from haunted houses to exorcisms (good luck topping The Exorcism of Jonah Hill, boys). The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is gearing up for a VOD run this July.
The latest trailer provides a few chuckles, but its subtle winks at genre tropes are what really make it stand out (that and the laurel leaves bracketing “Official Selection 2013 Sundance Film Festival” from the trailer’s opening seconds). “Hell Baby” focuses on a couple who move into a haunted house in New Orleans, resulting in the titular demon spawn who must be eviscerated by the Catholic Church’s elite exorcism squad. Rob Corddry (“Children’s Hospital,” “Warm Bodies”) and Leslie Bibb (“Burning Love,” “Zookeeper”) play the expectant parents, while the writing and directing team of Garant and Lennon handle exorcist duties.
Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think. Are we looking at “Scary Movie” or “Scary Movie 6?”
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
