Satan Hates You

By: Robert O'Neill
In-House Review - Sep 22 2011

The most important thing for gay audiences to know going into Satan Hates You is that it is a satire. By presenting the idea that being gay and/or pro-choice are worthy of shame, the filmmakers simultaneously mock the very same notion.

Evoking John Larroquette's infamous intro from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Satan Hates You begins with a warning: "...if you are easily offended or of a delicate nature, you may choose not to watch the following motion picture - do so at the risk of losing your immortal soul." This kind of opening is likely to give squeamish viewers pause ? that is, obviously, the intention. Compared to modern, oh-so-prevalent "torture porn" horror flicks, however, Satan Hates You is refreshingly restrained. While it proudly features graphic scenes of violence and gore, everything is delivered with a deliberately campy, tongue-in-cheek playfulness.

After the warning, the film truly begins when Marc (played by Don Wood), tries to make out with a generous, same-sex pot-dealer... and then murders him after he is accused of being gay - screaming "I am not a queer!" We think he doth protest too much! Marc is attracted to men. He likes himself some man-on-man action - there is no way around it. That doesn't stop him from denying it, though ? much to the surprise of the unfortunate gay boys who take him home from the bar and wind up bludgeoned to death the next morning.

Meanwhile, a lesbian and occult-friendly party-girl named Wendy (Christine Spencer), fully aware that she is pregnant, pops pills and snorts random substances on her bathroom floor. She will have to go to even further extremes, however, to destroy her fetus. Take our word for it: it will not be pretty.

What provokes the destructive, devil-may-care attitude that Marc and Wendy share? The devil himself, of course! Prolific indie-horror producer Larry Fessenden and Shortbus actor Bradford Scobie have a campy good time as invisible demons ? think of the fairies from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," only evil ? who pull strings and attempt to control the actions of these wicked souls. Decency be damned!

Satan Hates You gleefully parodies some of the bizarre, low-budget "religious message movies" that cropped up in the '50s, '60s, and '70s ? an obscure genre, to be sure, but one ripe for homage. What separates this new invention from the films that it skewers is the fact that Satan Hates You, though capably made, and filled with excellent, varied performances, never takes itself seriously.

Writer/director James Felix McKenney has crafted a truly original, proudly bizarre, candy-colored horror/comedy. While it is surely not for all tastes, it is not as morally reprehensible as it pretends to be.

By: Nympho

Another TLAV disappointing commentary on this movie. I was expecting tons of gay guys and nudity and graphic scenes. The beginning and middle I think were somewhat graphic. The abortion thing could have been much more graphic then what it was and in that area, pretty much Realistic to what happens as far as procedure and feel to some. But that was over exaggerated. The whole this if you are in a rut and trying to climb out of it. Jesus is the "Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Clause" for grown up and that is their way of trying to put blame or reason for their bad things in life. We all know it is Charma. What goes around comes around and Three times harder. It was okay but I am glad I streamed it. I don't know if I would ever buy it. But if you have 16.00 dollars to burn I maybe would think about it. I would wait till it is severely reduced then buy it. I don't think it was a low budget film due to I knew a few of the actors that are retired from the industry but It was funny how they made fun of TBN the holy channel with the Crouch family. They did act them out to the T. Not bad to have in a collection but a good reference if you are wanting to scare some one into doing the right thing in different aspects of like.

By: Amos Lassen

Even though "Satan Hates You" looks like a home movie which was filmed in someone's basement and with amateurs in the cast, it does have some redeeming features as it looks at , murder, promiscuity, paganism and murder. I read that the idea for the film came from those Christian propaganda pamphlets and films of the 1970's. We find ourselves on the way to damnation with Marc (Don Wood), a bisexual psycho and Wendy (Christine Spencer) a teen lush who loves to party (in the men's restroom at her local bar).

This is writer/director James Felix McKenney's homage to those Christian horror movies about the end of time that I mentioned earlier and it is too bad that the whole thing does not work. Marc is an unemployed alcoholic while Wendy is a morally loose pregnant teenager who snorts and pops pills. Then we have two Christians played by Bradford Scobie and Larry Fessenden who want Marc's and Wendy's souls for the devil and Angus Scrimm, a missionary from heaven tries to save them. As much as the film tries to be like those older films, it never quite makes it-but it is an interesting attempt.

For whatever reason, Marc gets hit on by gay guys who soon lean that the morning after a night of abandon can be really terrible. Marc and Wendy are on the road to hell and they listen to the demons that are eager to help them get there by pushing them into all kinds of sin.

There is no question that this is a horror film that is almost an exploitation film. Some of what you will see here includes an abortion, abuse, murder, addiction, and so on and it does captivate the viewer. Some may say it is silly or a gross out but I really think it is interesting. This is one of those films that there is no unanimous agreement over its merits or its minuses-from what I can tell, it is a film that either you love or you hate. There seems to be no middle ground.