Hellboy at Revival House Perth
Before superhero movies became corporate assembly lines, Guillermo del Toro gave us this gloriously weird 2004 gema demon detective story dripping with pulp charm, practical monster effects, and more heart than a dozen CGI spectacles combined. This is comic book filmmaking with a soul.
Ron Perlman was born to play Hellboy, the red-skinned, wise-cracking demon raised by humans to fight supernatural threats. Summoned by Nazis during WWII and rescued by Allied forces, he now works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense alongside pyrokinetic Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and the aquatic empath Abe Sapien (Doug Jones in a stunning performance). When Rasputin returns to finish what the Nazis started, Hellboy must confront his demonic destiny.
Del Toro brings Mike Mignola's beloved comics to life with his trademark gothic romanticism and creature design mastery. The film's monstersfrom clockwork assassins to tentacled Lovecraftian horrorsare tactile, weird, and utterly memorable. Unlike modern green-screen fests, these creations occupy real space, and you can feel the difference in every frame.
But what makes Hellboy special is its bruised heart. This is a film about misfits finding family, about choosing who you want to be rather than accepting what you were meant to be. Perlman makes Hellboy simultaneously tough and vulnerable, a guy who just wants to eat pancakes and watch TV with his cats between saving the world.
Del Toro's passion project remains the gold standard for translating unconventional comics to screenproof that weird can be wonderful.
Present in authentic 35mm film for the true cinematic experience!
When: Saturday, November 9th at 5:00 PM
Where: Revival House Perth
Rating: M - Fantasy violence and supernatural themes
Del Toro's love letter to monster movies and misfitssuperhero cinema before it lost its personality.