Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Girlfriend from Hell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 12, 2022

1989’s “Girlfriend from Hell” is a high camp take on multiple genres. Writer/director Daniel Peterson has a list of tones and acts of exaggeration he wants to cover, concocting a tale about a battle between good and evil that’s being waged in the middle of a birthday party. There’s religion, horror, action, comedy, and some sci-fi. Sex and violence are present, along with wildly broad performances. It’s a bit of John Waters and a dash of Mel Brooks, but mostly remains an oddball collection of ideas in search of some level of restraint. “Girlfriend from Hell” doesn’t become the romp Peterson envisions, but it certainly tries to be, presenting a hyperactive (at times) assortment of bigness that seems tailor-made to entertain attendees at high school drama department parties.

Alice (Hilary Morse) is eager to throw a birthday party for her boyfriend, Rocco (Ken Abraham), inviting all their friends to her house to enjoy an evening of conversation and cake. Diane (Lezlie Deane) and David (James Daughton) want to take advantage of the moment, setting up their shy friend, Maggie (Liane Curtis), with Carl (Anthony Barrie), who’s equally awkward, hoping sparks will fly between the strangers. As the festivities begin, a strange situation develops, with the spirit of Satan managing to inhabit Diane’s body, transforming the timid woman into an aggressive personality, out to collect souls and make a mess of everything as the party travels around the city. Diane’s friends, including Teddy (Brad Zutaut) and Freda (Sarah Kaite Coughlan), are bewildered by the sudden change, soon fearful for their lives. Help arrives in the form of Chaser (Dana Ashbrook), a mercenary from purgatory out to capture Satan, his ex-girlfriend, and return her to captivity.

There’s a lot to take in with “Girlfriend from Hell,” but this isn’t a large-scale production. The best Peterson can do is offer the desert, where Chaser is introduced, flying in from the great beyond to capture Satan with his special weapon, using a “transporter” to help with travel options. Wide open spaces are soon replaced with Alice’s home, which is where the bulk of the movie takes place. There’s a party planned for Rocco, who doesn’t want to have one, and the evening involves a blind date for Diane, who doesn’t want to be there, creating some itchy atmosphere that’s rudely interrupted by the arrival of Satan. Evil inhabits Diane, commencing a wilder sense of humor from Peterson, who presents a plan of attack from the villain, following her and the birthday party gang as they take a joy ride in a car, triggering defense operations from a collection of gun-toting nuns. There’s a restaurant stop that involves lots of wine and abrasive behavior (and a reanimated lobster). And there’s a fight in an alley, where the Devil assumes control of Carl to take on a gang of thugs.

Everything in “Girlfriend from Hell” is aggressive, with Peterson trying to work in as much craziness as his budget will allow. When money comes up short, the actors are encouraged to go broad, which is fine with physical activity, but the screenplay eventually runs out of gas in the second half, leaving long stretches of the film to exposition concerning Chaser’s experience, and that’s not interesting. Ashbrook isn’t built for wackiness either, as much of his performance simply involves yelling.

Girlfriend from Hell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

After making it to a VHS release, "Girlfriend from Hell" disappeared from home video. Culture Shock is trying to right a wrong, bringing the picture back to fans with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from a "4K scan of the original 35mm negatives." "Girlfriend from Hell" is a low-budget production, lacking a major wow factor to begin with, and encoding issues are present, diminishing fine detail. It's a softer viewing experience, exploring room decoration and costuming, along with facial particulars. Dimensional locations are found with desert visits and town tours. Colors are acceptable, exploring lots of red with Devilish shenanigans and wardrobe choices, and bluish lighting. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

Girlfriend from Hell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is "taken from the soundtrack negative," and struggles just a bit with sibilance issues. Beyond that, dialogue is clearly understood, even when the performances slip into hysterics. Music is pumped up throughout the listening experience, with soundtrack cuts and scoring pronounced but not intrusive. Instrumentation is appreciable. Sound effects register as intended.

Girlfriend from Hell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Daniel Peterson.

• Interview (40:52, HD) is a video conference chat with actress Liane Curtis, who can safely be described as an "eccentric," doing her best to remain focused during the conversation. This is no deep dive into the "Girlfriend from Hell" production experience, with interviewer Brad Henderson trying to get something going with the interviewee, covering her initial attraction to the part, character analysis, and cast camaraderie. Curtis also delves into the history of the wig she wears in the movie and the feature's growing cult following, starting slowly due to the limited release of "Girlfriend from Hell." Curtis is unique, sharing her experience with pregnancy and love for director Daniel Peterson, and perhaps most curiously, she doesn't want to talk about her time on "Sixteen Candles," referring to the John Hughes picture as "the film that shall not be named." Now I'm dying to know what this is about.

• Interview (33:26, HD) is a video conference chat with actress Sarah Katie Coughlan, who initially explores her early career intentions and involvement with "Girlfriend from Hell." Topics include Coughlan's creation of her character, the unavailability of the film after its VHS release, memories of the initial screening (where she was pregnant, alongside Liane Curtis), and favorite scenes. Coughlan also examines her career after "Girlfriend from Hell," discussing her experience in Hollywood.

• Interview (39:44, HD) is a video conference discussion of the "Girlfriend from Hell" musical with its creator, Sean Matthew Whiteford.

• "LAX to GTH" (5:30, HD) is an interview with producer Alberto Lensi, who discusses his initial meeting with director Daniel Peterson. The interviewee also recalls his time on the "Girlfriend from Hell" set, the last time he saw the movie, and his pride in the work.

• Image Gallery #1 (30:51) collects film stills, publicity shots, and BTS snaps.

• Image Gallery #2 (3:53) collects BTS snaps, scored to the theme song from "Girlfriend from Hell."

• Audition Tape (16:48, SD) takes viewers back to June 14th, 1988, where the production of "Girlfriend from Hell" tested a handful of actors inside a cramped office.

• And a Trailer (2:44, HD) is included.

Girlfriend from Hell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Girlfriend from Hell" has its obnoxious moments, but they don't overwhelm the movie. Occasional clarity and invention comes through during the Devil's rampage, and Curtis is certainly having a fun time portraying the nervousness of Diane and the steamroller attitude of evil, complete with a Blackie Lawless wig to sell such chaos. "Girlfriend from Hell" is very theatrical and intermittently inspired, but it's for a very select audience, with those mentally prepared for its low-wattage wackiness perhaps more accepting of Peterson's shortcomings as a storyteller, watching him try to make a feature-length farce with a short film idea.