KANE HODDER: TO HELL AND BACK

Film Review by FIORE

As I always taught my TV/Film students, a good documentary is 70 minutes.  Documentaries are like college lectures; even if the students are extremely interested in the subject, their attention span wans after an hour.  Documentaries are akin to college lectures.  They can be informative and entertaining but require more attention than the average movie.  That said, KANE HODDER: TO HELL AND BACK is 110 minutes long; longer than most of the films in which Hodder starred.  As a result, the film is cumbersome and difficult to watch.

Kane Hodder is one of Hollywood’s premiere stuntmen and has been for decades.  His forte is bringing character elements to roles requiring heavy prosthetics and make up.  While he has appeared in a veritable plethora of movies, he is probably best known for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in the FRIDAY THE 13^TH series.  He came on as Jason in episode seven and endured for the next four films.  he quickly became a fan favorite.

When the much-anticipated FREDDY VS. JASON film was produced, Hodder was dumped from the role by a studio bait and switch.  Hodder, longtime friend of Robert Englund, who plays Freddy Kruger in the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise anticipated sharing the screen with his comrade.  When the pairing didn’t occur, both the actors and the fans of both series were outraged.  Most speculate the film did not score the box office numbers projected, nor the remaining two films in the proposed trilogy did not transpire due to Hodder’s absence.

KANE HODDER: TO HELL AND BACK details these events, and more, beginning with his experiences in primary school, his early days in film and his near-death experience in a burn stunt.  Like most bio-docs, gaps in chronology are evident.  The key is to present the best parts of the subject only.  Some of the seedier elements of breaking into the film business are not included.

Certainly, the most poignant of the vignettes is Hodder’s burn incident.  A stunt gone terribly wrong, resulted in four months of incompetent treatment from a doctor and hospital before proper personnel were consulted.  The story is harrowing and evokes empathy for Hodder and his family.  This one section, however, is nearly 30 minutes long, and while it is a crucial turning point in Hodder’s career, it is repetitious and far too long for a documentary.  The segment removes the viewer from the purpose of the film, to concentrate on one specific element, effectively losing its core audience.

Blame Editor Mike Hugo for the movie’s ineffectiveness.  In addition to the burn segment, he incorporates too many reaction shots and b-roll fodder, slowing the narrative to a crawl.  The man who says more in less is the better man. 

 

On the positive side, there are many talking head interviews with Hodder’s contemporaries including:  Bruce Campbell; Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark); Englund; and Adam Green.  There is also solid footage of Hodder and friends at various Comic-Con events and the pranks they pulled. 

The core for a solid biographical documentary is present in KANE HODDER: TO HELL AND BACK.  It is just buffered with too much fluff and repetitiveness to be effective.