The main purpose of writing this review is to give my honest opinion about Zibahkhana. What prompted me to write this review is the fact that most reviewers here seem to be oblivious of mainstream Hollywood gore/horror flicks. But, let me start by congratulating Mr. Khan for directing a very well made movie. As I watched it I could very well make out that the resources available for this film were very very limited. Even then the special effects, lights and the camera work was amazing. It definitely does not feel like a first time venture. But the main reason for my disappointment for this movie is the fact that it won the Best Gore flick at Austin. When I started watching this movie I was expecting something new, something fresh. Sadly, the only thing fresh in this movie are the actors. That's about it. Rooshanie, Haider and Osman deserves special mention. Why, I even almost fell in love with Rooshanie. She is a cutie and very good at expressions. I am not mentioning Rubya because she is supposed to be a veteran and hence good acting is expected. That brings me to the negatives. The primary disappointment is the Music. Its hilarious to say the least! Listen to the background score and you'll know what I mean. Come on. Mr. Khan you could have done much better than this! At least you, as the director, should know that the music is the main ingredient behind creating a truly creepy atmosphere. The other negative part is this movie relies heavily on Gore classics like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead and Haute Tension. The beginning is clearly Night of the Living dead, Middle is Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the End is almost Haute Tension! Anyone who watched these three do not bother to expect anything original. I'm aware that this is your first venture Mr. Khan and also of the limited resources and budget you had. Still you made quite an impression by merging these three films together and doing a very good job at that. But changing the background music and twisting the story a little bit more could not have hurt the budget I'm sure. Expectations from you have now increased Mr. Khan. I'm sure you'll do much better in your next venture. Kudos for a job well done. Cheers!
19 Reviews
Hell's Ground
Scarecrow-8824 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Omar Ali Khan's "Hell's Ground" is essentially a fan film using familiar horror genre staples audiences are accustomed to, such as taking the dreaded short cut which is a detour into terror, cell phones that don't work, a van which will soon run out of gas, a family of psychos who chop up passersby using their meat to supply demand, and polluted water supply that contaminates the citizens turning those who drink it into gut-munching zombies. And, your final girl is virtuous, forgiving, kind-hearted, and soft-spoken. I thought the film is a Pakistani reworking of THE Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE with a little NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to stir the pot a little. Admittedly, like a lot of horror buffs, I was drawn to the fact that this seems to be Pakistan's "first gore film", after seeing a trailer preview on another movie's DVD. It seems Khan is heavily reliant on a fish-eye lens distorting the frame, creating a disorienting atmosphere for the cast of city kids whose parents have no idea that they have snuck out to go to a concert...a trait in horror that always works, the fear that you are out there in an unfamiliar territory and your loved ones don't know where you are. Certainly the image of a flail wielding madman in a burqa(..his demented eye peering through a cut away hole as he swings it with a ferocity ready to plant it's spikes into the skull of a frightened, fleeing victim)isn't easy to forget and the idea that you are on the receiving end of a head crushing increases the suspense of the situation..the flail is pretty much a terrifying tool replacing Leatherface's chainsaw, the burqa in the same vein as the human-skin or hockey mask.
The Pakistani characters aren't too different than an American group being stalked by predators, you have Roxy(Rubya Chaundhry), a rich, opinionated snob, or OJ(Osman Khalid Butt), the pothead horror geek. Rooshanie Ejaz is the virginal innocent, Ayesha, who will obviously withstand the horrors until the end. Haider Raza is Simon, a male mirror equivalent to Ayesha, a smart kid from a poor family with wealthy friends(..his dad is a "poop sweeper" for the rich with a disdain for his son who hangs around the crowd he doesn't belong to). OJ is bitten by an infected local and slowly succumbs over time to the plague sweeping across the land. The group encounter zombies which attempt to get in their van and a religious nut who temporarily "bums a ride" promising to guide them to their destination. Lots of enthusiastic set-pieces, particularly the chase scenes where the burqa psycho follows close behind those running for their lives, and we get an old-fashioned flesh-eating session which should bring a grin to the faces of Italian zombie fans. Khan injects a healthy dose of blood splatter when weapons hit the desired targets of our maniac, and the pace is full throttle, with a camera that moves throughout, rarely staying still not allowing the viewer to settle down at almost any point. I'm guessing, judging by how spirited the whole film feels, that this was a dream come true for director Khan. Nothing at all content-wise is original, but the setting is unique, and Khan is aiming to please the target audience. I think zombie fans will feel a little disappointed that Khan shifts focus from the plague sweeping across the people to the predator chasing the lost sheep in the wilderness, but it seems that Khan wanted to get in as much as possible in regards to the films that influenced him the most..homages here and there. My favorite image might just be the opening attack where the moon becomes engulfed in blood.
The Pakistani characters aren't too different than an American group being stalked by predators, you have Roxy(Rubya Chaundhry), a rich, opinionated snob, or OJ(Osman Khalid Butt), the pothead horror geek. Rooshanie Ejaz is the virginal innocent, Ayesha, who will obviously withstand the horrors until the end. Haider Raza is Simon, a male mirror equivalent to Ayesha, a smart kid from a poor family with wealthy friends(..his dad is a "poop sweeper" for the rich with a disdain for his son who hangs around the crowd he doesn't belong to). OJ is bitten by an infected local and slowly succumbs over time to the plague sweeping across the land. The group encounter zombies which attempt to get in their van and a religious nut who temporarily "bums a ride" promising to guide them to their destination. Lots of enthusiastic set-pieces, particularly the chase scenes where the burqa psycho follows close behind those running for their lives, and we get an old-fashioned flesh-eating session which should bring a grin to the faces of Italian zombie fans. Khan injects a healthy dose of blood splatter when weapons hit the desired targets of our maniac, and the pace is full throttle, with a camera that moves throughout, rarely staying still not allowing the viewer to settle down at almost any point. I'm guessing, judging by how spirited the whole film feels, that this was a dream come true for director Khan. Nothing at all content-wise is original, but the setting is unique, and Khan is aiming to please the target audience. I think zombie fans will feel a little disappointed that Khan shifts focus from the plague sweeping across the people to the predator chasing the lost sheep in the wilderness, but it seems that Khan wanted to get in as much as possible in regards to the films that influenced him the most..homages here and there. My favorite image might just be the opening attack where the moon becomes engulfed in blood.
The first ever Pakinasti (that's an anagram of Pakistani—clever, huh?).
BA_Harrison4 December 2010
Hell's Ground, promoted as Pakistan's first gore film, is a co-production from cult UK DVD label Mondo Macabro, who specialise in finding and releasing cinematic oddities from around the world, and Pakistan's Bubonic Films. Knowing that it was designed specifically to appeal to fans of obscure movies does detract from its appeal slightly—after all, cult films should be found, not made to order—but even if this had not been the case, I still doubt that Hell's Ground would have earned itself a permanent place on my shelf of splatter favourites.
The story, by the film's director Omar Khan, is a somewhat muddled affair, encompassing ecological issues, zombie horror, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired backwoods terror; the pacing of the film is poor, the action taking an age to get going and ending up as a repetitive succession of chase scenes through a jungle; the characters are simply Asian versions of those seen in an average American slasher—the attractive good girl, the sexy rich bitch, the nice guy, the stoner and the film geek; and as for the blood and guts... well, there is some but it's not all that impressive.
Whilst I dig the fact that different nationalities and diverse cultures can be united by a common love for horror, I would love for the next gore film to come out of Pakistan to be a little less influenced by the west, and to live up to its promise of outrageous excessive splatter.
5.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
The story, by the film's director Omar Khan, is a somewhat muddled affair, encompassing ecological issues, zombie horror, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired backwoods terror; the pacing of the film is poor, the action taking an age to get going and ending up as a repetitive succession of chase scenes through a jungle; the characters are simply Asian versions of those seen in an average American slasher—the attractive good girl, the sexy rich bitch, the nice guy, the stoner and the film geek; and as for the blood and guts... well, there is some but it's not all that impressive.
Whilst I dig the fact that different nationalities and diverse cultures can be united by a common love for horror, I would love for the next gore film to come out of Pakistan to be a little less influenced by the west, and to live up to its promise of outrageous excessive splatter.
5.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
In classic b-movie, a group of younglings set out on a quest for fun. Naturally bad things happen
user-169162 April 2007
I ended watching this movie on a spur of the moment decision. I learned it was the world premier showing, and the director introduced the movie before the started.
This movie sports all that one can expect from a movie in its genre. Hapless teenagers looking for fun. Slasher zombies and your masked insane killer.
What it also contains are poor camera work, poor acting, stereotypical one-sided characters and an simple yet unbelievable plot. It also tries adding a few political themes on pollution and the degenerate behavior of the Pakistani youth. These factors makes the movie a comedy rather than a horror movie, and actually makes the movie watchable. I give it a 5 because it was good fun, for me nothing more.
This movie sports all that one can expect from a movie in its genre. Hapless teenagers looking for fun. Slasher zombies and your masked insane killer.
What it also contains are poor camera work, poor acting, stereotypical one-sided characters and an simple yet unbelievable plot. It also tries adding a few political themes on pollution and the degenerate behavior of the Pakistani youth. These factors makes the movie a comedy rather than a horror movie, and actually makes the movie watchable. I give it a 5 because it was good fun, for me nothing more.
You are on the road to Hell my children.
lastliberal14 March 2009
As we get ready for another Fantastic Fest in Austin and the worldwide release of Lesbian Vampire Killers, we explore the film that won Best Gore at last year's Fest - a Pakistani zombie flick! We won't need to talk about actors, as we have not likely seen any of them, so we will focus on the story. Suffice it to say that three young men and two women lied to their parents to travel to a concert.
Just as you are a fool to leave the highways in Texas and travel the back roads, you need to avoid shortcuts in Pakistan. This Lollywood zombie flick is a throwback to the way zombies are supposed to be - very slow, and munching on brains and guts after a kill. It featured gut munching that would fit well in any cannibal flick.
Of course our travellers don't know that their friend O.J. (Osman Khalid Butt) who was bitten will change. The film just keeps getting freakier and freakier.
The film switches from zombies to Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a slasher in a burka appears. Poor Vicky (Kunwar Ali Roshan); he is now being dismembered and blood is flowing everywhere. Roxy (Rubya Chaudhry) wanders in and is now being chased by the burka-wearing killer, who doesn't have a chainsaw, and has to use a spiked ball on a chain.
That ball sure made a mess of Simon's (Haider Raza) face; now only the girls are left. It appears the local villagers will have lots of meat on the table for a while.
It appears no one will survive these woods.
The gore was good and one hopes for more from Omar Khan
Just as you are a fool to leave the highways in Texas and travel the back roads, you need to avoid shortcuts in Pakistan. This Lollywood zombie flick is a throwback to the way zombies are supposed to be - very slow, and munching on brains and guts after a kill. It featured gut munching that would fit well in any cannibal flick.
Of course our travellers don't know that their friend O.J. (Osman Khalid Butt) who was bitten will change. The film just keeps getting freakier and freakier.
The film switches from zombies to Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a slasher in a burka appears. Poor Vicky (Kunwar Ali Roshan); he is now being dismembered and blood is flowing everywhere. Roxy (Rubya Chaudhry) wanders in and is now being chased by the burka-wearing killer, who doesn't have a chainsaw, and has to use a spiked ball on a chain.
That ball sure made a mess of Simon's (Haider Raza) face; now only the girls are left. It appears the local villagers will have lots of meat on the table for a while.
It appears no one will survive these woods.
The gore was good and one hopes for more from Omar Khan
uninspired bore
owi200123 March 2012
I love low-budget movies and those ground-breaking films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Day of the Woman or Cannibal Holocaust are among the best the genre has to offer.
What about Hell's Ground?
Apart from the DVD-cover which is pretty nice, the film is a tough bore. The plot is a dull rip-off of TCM with some ingredients of Blair Witch Project, and the dialogues are as bad as they can possibly get - the acting is very, very bad, I mean: really bad - the costumes are just ridiculous - the soundtrack is awful - and the special effects and visuals are just boring.
I really tried, but I couldn't find anything to like
What about Hell's Ground?
Apart from the DVD-cover which is pretty nice, the film is a tough bore. The plot is a dull rip-off of TCM with some ingredients of Blair Witch Project, and the dialogues are as bad as they can possibly get - the acting is very, very bad, I mean: really bad - the costumes are just ridiculous - the soundtrack is awful - and the special effects and visuals are just boring.
I really tried, but I couldn't find anything to like
Good gory fun, with a few chuckles, to boot!
ajji-21 November 2008
One thing was very clear to me even before I saw the film: this was an ultra-low-budget production, made by a non-professional. Therefore, I wasn't expecting much, and that's exactly what I got. I also knew that the director, Omar Khan, was an enthusiast of cult, horror, and trash cinema, as evidenced by his loving attention to obscure Indian and Pakistani films on his website. Zibahkhana works well enough insofar as an amateur homage/reworking of some of the most famous horror staples, albeit with some local color and at least one ingenious touch (a burqa-clad slasher? Sweet!). It would be fair enough to sum this up as a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel, set in Pakistan, with a dash of zombies for good measure. I just wish the writers could've developed the screenplay a little beyond the gleeful regurgitation of clichés that we get, because this could've been so much better (a case in point is the zombie subplot which is abandoned soon after the gut- munchers appear
more's the pity, because these guys looked awesome).
Anyway, let's move on beyond the script. There are some technical flaws, but one can overlook those as it was obviously shot on the cheap, using digital cameras. Still, the interior of the van at night was way over-lit, which could've been remedied without much hassle. The look of the film is fine, enhanced by a ubiquitous wide-angle lens. The acting by the young cast of protagonists isn't anything to write home about, either, but then they didn't really have good material to work with. What Khan does get right is an atmosphere of creepiness, and what he excels in is the level of violence and gore in the film. Yes sir, he really lets loose with the red stuff. Gore hounds won't have much to complain about here. And since that seems to have been the focus of Khan's energies, it may have been a wise decision to keep the running time short (78min approx), because clearly, the 'exposition' scenes were not going to keep audience interest levels up. Another nice touch is the soundtrack which is littered with retro Lollywood music. A clip from Zinda Lash (The Living Corpse) makes an appearance and the actor who played the vampire in that film, Rehan, is also featured in a bit part, where he hams it up hilariously.
So if like me, you go into the film with low expectations, you're likely to enjoy it for what it is: a gory, lurid and fast-paced pastiche of better known horror films, made by fans and for fans (with the novelty value of being a Pakistani gore film really, how many of those do you see around?). If, however, you want something more substantial than that, you might be let down. Me, I had a pretty good time. Here's hoping Khan's next project improves upon his debut.
Anyway, let's move on beyond the script. There are some technical flaws, but one can overlook those as it was obviously shot on the cheap, using digital cameras. Still, the interior of the van at night was way over-lit, which could've been remedied without much hassle. The look of the film is fine, enhanced by a ubiquitous wide-angle lens. The acting by the young cast of protagonists isn't anything to write home about, either, but then they didn't really have good material to work with. What Khan does get right is an atmosphere of creepiness, and what he excels in is the level of violence and gore in the film. Yes sir, he really lets loose with the red stuff. Gore hounds won't have much to complain about here. And since that seems to have been the focus of Khan's energies, it may have been a wise decision to keep the running time short (78min approx), because clearly, the 'exposition' scenes were not going to keep audience interest levels up. Another nice touch is the soundtrack which is littered with retro Lollywood music. A clip from Zinda Lash (The Living Corpse) makes an appearance and the actor who played the vampire in that film, Rehan, is also featured in a bit part, where he hams it up hilariously.
So if like me, you go into the film with low expectations, you're likely to enjoy it for what it is: a gory, lurid and fast-paced pastiche of better known horror films, made by fans and for fans (with the novelty value of being a Pakistani gore film really, how many of those do you see around?). If, however, you want something more substantial than that, you might be let down. Me, I had a pretty good time. Here's hoping Khan's next project improves upon his debut.
It might be Pakistan's first gore film, but when it just copies US horror, it's dull
Leofwine_draca26 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
HELL'S GROUND was a real disappointment for me. I bought it for a couple of reasons, not least the presence of Mondo Macabro main man Pete Tombs serving as producer. Tombs is a guy who has devoted his life to tracking down, enthusing over, and releasing ultra-weird exploitation fare from across the globe, so I was looking forward to seeing what his involvement brought this film. Other than a few in-jokes for fans, including a cameo appearance from the actor who played Dracula in THE LIVING CORPSE, there's nothing.
Second was this film's billing as 'Pakistan's first gore film'. I was up for that; what I wasn't expecting was one of those low budget foreign horrors that's content to merely copy American classics of the genre without bringing anything of its own worthy of note. When I think of a Pakistani horror film, I want to see that country's influences: the magic, the mysticism, the eastern philosophy, some local colour and flavour. Instead, we get one of the villains dressed in a burqa, and that's it.
The storyline is nothing new. A bunch of uninteresting, interchangeable teenagers get in a camper van and go into the woods, where they fall foul of various evil things. There's a halfway decent zombie attack with the walking undead straight out of a Romero film, as well as a creepy midget, I think it was. That storyline ends, and we meander on to a setup straight out of THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, with a family of murderous hillbillies living out in the woods and slaughtering anyone who comes near. A few cast members are offed and there are some cheapo gore effects, but nothing beyond the run of the mill; even the villain, swinging a ball and chain, reminded me of the Witch-king in RETURN OF THE KING. The low budget hurts this one a lot, and I would have preferred to see the makers produce something with a bit of cultural spin, rather than another lukewarm and forgettably predictable horror outing.
Second was this film's billing as 'Pakistan's first gore film'. I was up for that; what I wasn't expecting was one of those low budget foreign horrors that's content to merely copy American classics of the genre without bringing anything of its own worthy of note. When I think of a Pakistani horror film, I want to see that country's influences: the magic, the mysticism, the eastern philosophy, some local colour and flavour. Instead, we get one of the villains dressed in a burqa, and that's it.
The storyline is nothing new. A bunch of uninteresting, interchangeable teenagers get in a camper van and go into the woods, where they fall foul of various evil things. There's a halfway decent zombie attack with the walking undead straight out of a Romero film, as well as a creepy midget, I think it was. That storyline ends, and we meander on to a setup straight out of THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, with a family of murderous hillbillies living out in the woods and slaughtering anyone who comes near. A few cast members are offed and there are some cheapo gore effects, but nothing beyond the run of the mill; even the villain, swinging a ball and chain, reminded me of the Witch-king in RETURN OF THE KING. The low budget hurts this one a lot, and I would have preferred to see the makers produce something with a bit of cultural spin, rather than another lukewarm and forgettably predictable horror outing.
A very solid enjoyable "B" experience
larry.launders7 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Saw this just two nights ago and the experience produced a fair amount of discussion.
First off, not the sort of thing I'd have expected from Pakistan, or that part of the world. That in itself makes the movie a nice surprise! And I want to thank this movie for knowing when to leave something off-screen! There were parts where others could have made a half-hearted (HEH!) attempt to have something on screen, then it would have looked REALLY bad. Instead, there is a key moment where the action is left off screen, and you only get to see the result.
For the gore fans, no worries! There's plenty of graphic gore to come! However the soundtrack...where did they ever dig that up from?? It reminded me of Grindhouse and the type of music I'd have expected from something anywhere from the mid-60's to early 70's.
This movie was easy to watch. We never found ourselves in a lull where we were checking our watches or itching to fast-forward a bit, it is well paced.
*** SPOILERS AHEAD *** The plot is simplistic, which is okay as there were no high expectations. The characters were fairly well set, for what parts the different character traits come into play, which isn't much.
However, we saw two movies in this. The first part having to do with the disease and zombies and pollution, the second having to do with a psycho slasher. The two lines do not seem to have...ANYTHING...to do with one another! And again, that's OK depending on what your expectations are.
The language was interesting...I don't know how many different languages may have been in this movie, but it was interesting to have the characters' dialog switch from 'native' (Farsi?) to English WITHIN THE SAME SENTENCE! Just seemed odd. And the English they did speak had a small variety of accents (we counted Jamaican, British and possibly German).
Watch, and enjoy!
First off, not the sort of thing I'd have expected from Pakistan, or that part of the world. That in itself makes the movie a nice surprise! And I want to thank this movie for knowing when to leave something off-screen! There were parts where others could have made a half-hearted (HEH!) attempt to have something on screen, then it would have looked REALLY bad. Instead, there is a key moment where the action is left off screen, and you only get to see the result.
For the gore fans, no worries! There's plenty of graphic gore to come! However the soundtrack...where did they ever dig that up from?? It reminded me of Grindhouse and the type of music I'd have expected from something anywhere from the mid-60's to early 70's.
This movie was easy to watch. We never found ourselves in a lull where we were checking our watches or itching to fast-forward a bit, it is well paced.
*** SPOILERS AHEAD *** The plot is simplistic, which is okay as there were no high expectations. The characters were fairly well set, for what parts the different character traits come into play, which isn't much.
However, we saw two movies in this. The first part having to do with the disease and zombies and pollution, the second having to do with a psycho slasher. The two lines do not seem to have...ANYTHING...to do with one another! And again, that's OK depending on what your expectations are.
The language was interesting...I don't know how many different languages may have been in this movie, but it was interesting to have the characters' dialog switch from 'native' (Farsi?) to English WITHIN THE SAME SENTENCE! Just seemed odd. And the English they did speak had a small variety of accents (we counted Jamaican, British and possibly German).
Watch, and enjoy!
IS this Horror????
varghesejunior23 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
IS this horror?
The film is supposedly a horror flick revolving around 5 young people-3 guys and 2 girls,of which one guy and girl are wayward.The 5 of them go to watch a rock concert without the knowledge of their parents and guardians, and happen to take a jungle road which is "cursed",where all the ghostly encounters begin.
But who can get scared of this??
The worst part? The music!!! what was the composer thinking of while working on this film??? A horror or comedy flick?? It doesn't suit horror at all!
Acting is sub standard. The costumes are pathetic And what are a group cannibals doing in a forest butchering people?For what? the film has lot of gore and blood,but pointless.That's not what it take to make a scary film.
ONE GOOD THING-NO VULGARITY, UNLIKE OTHER SO CALLED CRAP HORRORS.
The film is not worth a watch really.Wonder what award it won??
The film is supposedly a horror flick revolving around 5 young people-3 guys and 2 girls,of which one guy and girl are wayward.The 5 of them go to watch a rock concert without the knowledge of their parents and guardians, and happen to take a jungle road which is "cursed",where all the ghostly encounters begin.
But who can get scared of this??
The worst part? The music!!! what was the composer thinking of while working on this film??? A horror or comedy flick?? It doesn't suit horror at all!
Acting is sub standard. The costumes are pathetic And what are a group cannibals doing in a forest butchering people?For what? the film has lot of gore and blood,but pointless.That's not what it take to make a scary film.
ONE GOOD THING-NO VULGARITY, UNLIKE OTHER SO CALLED CRAP HORRORS.
The film is not worth a watch really.Wonder what award it won??
Oh man, I never expected this out of Pakistan.
morbid_angel5515 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
OK, firstly, I'm from Pakistan. Lived here all my life. Grew up here watching some horrible & crappy films with the same retarded actors like Shaan, Babar and all of them has-been's, and I'm so glad something like this came long, even if it took it about 20 years too long.
I made my way into the screening room hoping to see something different, and damn, did I enjoy myself or what? Here's what the film basically contains...
Serious amount of bloodletting, Intestines, Headless Corpses, More intestines, Zombies eating people, A dwarf zombie feasting on intestines, A main villain twice as insane as Leatherface & carrying a spinning spiked-ball, A damsel in distress getting her head snapped 360, More bloodletting, A doper zombie spitting out blood at the sight of people trying to embrace, A magician being all grim & then after a second asking for water and crying, A tea-man being sadistically cult, and of course, The BEST ending.
All this & more. I found myself laughing hysterically at the amount of gore they presented & the stupid gags in between. It was easily the best thing to come out of Pakistan, and will until Omar's next movie, whenever that happens.
Be sure to check it out if you can. Trust me, you'll love it if you have an eye for extreme violence, zombies & Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
I made my way into the screening room hoping to see something different, and damn, did I enjoy myself or what? Here's what the film basically contains...
Serious amount of bloodletting, Intestines, Headless Corpses, More intestines, Zombies eating people, A dwarf zombie feasting on intestines, A main villain twice as insane as Leatherface & carrying a spinning spiked-ball, A damsel in distress getting her head snapped 360, More bloodletting, A doper zombie spitting out blood at the sight of people trying to embrace, A magician being all grim & then after a second asking for water and crying, A tea-man being sadistically cult, and of course, The BEST ending.
All this & more. I found myself laughing hysterically at the amount of gore they presented & the stupid gags in between. It was easily the best thing to come out of Pakistan, and will until Omar's next movie, whenever that happens.
Be sure to check it out if you can. Trust me, you'll love it if you have an eye for extreme violence, zombies & Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Leatherface meets Moula Jatt!
maha_nyc4 August 2007
okay,loll this movie is hilarious if you have like 78 minutes that you want to spend enjoying an amateur somewhat funny and yet very predictable movie than watch hells ground, i actually liked the actor's since they are not professionals but kids from local colleges and high school, they did pretty well considering they had no prior background in acting.Also the gore is the bloodiest and freshest i have ever seen! all in all it's a typical Desi horror production with a 70's flare,hint of political issues and lots of funny and gory scenes,also it's a first attempt by Omar khan (director) and the movie is made with a very limited budget. yet it has all the elements of a regular zombie teenage flick. I enjoyed watching it ,and i say go for it!
a simple, basic horror movie
msb-utils14 January 2010
The story is nothing great. Teens heading to a music festival get a little known "shortcut", a very cliché way of putting the victims on their way to slaughter. The evil characters kill for the sake of killing, with no reason and no big explanation. The teen group runs, the monster pursuits. The group split to make the monster's work easier. All in all, it's a simple, basic horror movie.
It's more like a showcase to display the filmmaker's makeup and gore-making abilities. It may be a Pakistan novelty, but considering worldwide horror movie history, it's pretty common. Many unexplained, cliché elements claims for a low grade, a 5, just in the middle. Not exactly bad, but only worth watching if you really have a good deal of time spare.
It's more like a showcase to display the filmmaker's makeup and gore-making abilities. It may be a Pakistan novelty, but considering worldwide horror movie history, it's pretty common. Many unexplained, cliché elements claims for a low grade, a 5, just in the middle. Not exactly bad, but only worth watching if you really have a good deal of time spare.
indeed the bloodiest Pakistanese flick
trashgang15 July 2017
For once the advert on the sleeve of the DVD is correct, the bloodiest flick coming out of Pakistan. I enjoyed it from the beginning until the end. Even as it is spoken in Pakistanese and here and there some English it was watchable.
The story of course we have seen a thousand times. 5 friends want to go to a concert without the agreement of their parents but they never arrive at the concert. They arrive in zombieland and not only that, a creepy killer is also on the lose.
I can't say anything negative about Zibahkhana which in fact means 'slaughterhouse'. The acting was rather good, editing was okay. naturally the director looked to the classic horrors to know what to do. It worked out fine. Maybe it's a bit funny to see the deranged killer walking in a burkha. But why you kept looking is the use of some nasty gory shots. It's strange to see for a conservative country that such kind of flick could be made. Guess it was banned over there.
It do has a proper release nowadays all over Europe with subtitles in a few languages. A bit of a no- brainer but recommended for the horror buffs and even the gorehounds.
Gore 3/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
The story of course we have seen a thousand times. 5 friends want to go to a concert without the agreement of their parents but they never arrive at the concert. They arrive in zombieland and not only that, a creepy killer is also on the lose.
I can't say anything negative about Zibahkhana which in fact means 'slaughterhouse'. The acting was rather good, editing was okay. naturally the director looked to the classic horrors to know what to do. It worked out fine. Maybe it's a bit funny to see the deranged killer walking in a burkha. But why you kept looking is the use of some nasty gory shots. It's strange to see for a conservative country that such kind of flick could be made. Guess it was banned over there.
It do has a proper release nowadays all over Europe with subtitles in a few languages. A bit of a no- brainer but recommended for the horror buffs and even the gorehounds.
Gore 3/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
Campy, Cheesy and HELL of Fun but all Purposely should be Deliberately
naqvifaheem14 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
First of All I'm huge MOVIE FANS means got 1600+ DVDs/VHS and of all Genre. One of the biggest Horror Fan and Zombie / Masked Killer type of Films are in my beloved league... (NOTLD, TCM my all time favorite) Well this is my own country's first ever effort in gore / splatter kind of genre and naturally since I first heard of this movie, I was Mad like hell to watch it... and my dearest wish come true last night in LUMS Premiere of this movie I must say It was Fun experience, means what we were promised in the trailer in lots of different discussions in many site ( I Read almost all Zibahkahan related Blogs) is all what we get. The movie as per director himself is not Bollywood piece of commercialism, nor its Iranian directors piece of artwork.. I was campy fun ride and was beautifully done... BUT .. If you just think on my line in summary that its its all purposely and it should be deliberately... I mean this is good effort we appreciate but according to me in these type of films usually cheesy and campy stuffs are deliberately placed.. and its viewer who spot them and than CULT FOLLOWING comes.. but in the movie I got a feeling that Placement of such material was forced and there was clear purpose behind them to get noticed.. for example... Deewana Character.. first we got DVD Cover than 1 min clip of Zinda Lash.. some shots of that actor as Dracula... than during Tea Stall scene O.J even asked him aren't you the same guy who play Dracula..... seee....instead of let the audience guess it or let the reviewer write it in trivia section.. director just make it clear to everyone what he is intending to do... I hope you get what I was trying to say....
but thats nothing what you will see in this 90 Min's films is very entertaining stuff... my only disappointment was they start of with so much footage of protest, contaminated water, than zombie attack.. but somehow left the plot to ignorance.. mean I know movie switched to Slasher /Masked Killer/ Psycho genre but it will be kool if its like Team of teens stuck in middle of nowhere with family of psycho and surrounded by Zombie... even O.J as zombie VS Burqa MAN (realllly ;-0) kind of scene can be different , funny or even hilarious (thats campy) Also For God sake.. I hate Uwe Boll for this .. don't use same footage repeatedly again and again.. we spotted spider in web, hanging crows, cock /hen leg, dolls pieces , full moon all were perfectly visible in first spot.... (sooryy but its teasing....but its First effort to note this for next time...) On bright side.. gr8 movie score, gore, some very kool moments, kool depiction, shocking and overall good movie...
I tried to disclose very few spoilers , will not discuss about standard of movie making etc.. as its Weldon.. keeping in mind first ever effort in Pakistan and to begin this is actually very good movie.. I know its easy to criticize and hard to actually make things .. thats why I will appreciate everyone involve in making this film.. keeping in mind the fantastic response its getting everywhere its screened .. great job everyone .. but always make sure.. there is always room for improvement.. hopefully things will improve with other ventures....
but thats nothing what you will see in this 90 Min's films is very entertaining stuff... my only disappointment was they start of with so much footage of protest, contaminated water, than zombie attack.. but somehow left the plot to ignorance.. mean I know movie switched to Slasher /Masked Killer/ Psycho genre but it will be kool if its like Team of teens stuck in middle of nowhere with family of psycho and surrounded by Zombie... even O.J as zombie VS Burqa MAN (realllly ;-0) kind of scene can be different , funny or even hilarious (thats campy) Also For God sake.. I hate Uwe Boll for this .. don't use same footage repeatedly again and again.. we spotted spider in web, hanging crows, cock /hen leg, dolls pieces , full moon all were perfectly visible in first spot.... (sooryy but its teasing....but its First effort to note this for next time...) On bright side.. gr8 movie score, gore, some very kool moments, kool depiction, shocking and overall good movie...
I tried to disclose very few spoilers , will not discuss about standard of movie making etc.. as its Weldon.. keeping in mind first ever effort in Pakistan and to begin this is actually very good movie.. I know its easy to criticize and hard to actually make things .. thats why I will appreciate everyone involve in making this film.. keeping in mind the fantastic response its getting everywhere its screened .. great job everyone .. but always make sure.. there is always room for improvement.. hopefully things will improve with other ventures....
Pakistani Roller Coaster Ride to Horror.
khayaal_e_yaar20 April 2011
A BIG THANKS to Mr. Omar Ali Khan for making Zibahkhana. I was fortunate enough to find it on YouTube.
The tale is fairly simple at heart. A group of students (heavily resembling die-hard punk and rock fans) go out to attend a music concert. They happen to take a detour but are seriously misguided and end up at a place that is more or less like a zombie land. The dwellers have hideously deformed bodies due to constant consumption of water from a nearby pool that's polluted by chemicals. They manage to save themselves and get caught up in something even worse. But wait! There is something that puts 'Zibahkhana' miles ahead of the other flicks of the slapstick genre....IT'S SCARY!
Based on my observations, I have following things to say.
The movie is gruesome to the core.
The movie has all the elements of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Dawn of the Dead, Cabin Fever and is a perfect slasher that uses the same staple to induce horror that Halloween and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre used. Fear of the unknown.
The film is heavily inspired by the heavy rock era of 70s. Its common for the youngsters to get stoned and find themselves miles away from their destination. Alone in the dark!
It builds tension step by step and divulges itself to be one of the best horror movies to find place in heart and mind for a long-long time.
'Zibahkhana' is capable enough to ensue cult-following. Believe me, that's the impression I've got.
It is quite an indigenous creation, hailing directly from Pakistan and I am sure in course of time we will have many good flicks like Zibahkhana from innovative Pakistani directors.
I think that the Indian scare whimper directors like R.K. Khanna, R. Mittal, K.I. Sheikh, Jeetendra Chawda etc. should learn something from this movie, because B-grade horror is almost dead in India and is looking for a messiah to revive it once again.
The tale is fairly simple at heart. A group of students (heavily resembling die-hard punk and rock fans) go out to attend a music concert. They happen to take a detour but are seriously misguided and end up at a place that is more or less like a zombie land. The dwellers have hideously deformed bodies due to constant consumption of water from a nearby pool that's polluted by chemicals. They manage to save themselves and get caught up in something even worse. But wait! There is something that puts 'Zibahkhana' miles ahead of the other flicks of the slapstick genre....IT'S SCARY!
Based on my observations, I have following things to say.
The movie is gruesome to the core.
The movie has all the elements of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Dawn of the Dead, Cabin Fever and is a perfect slasher that uses the same staple to induce horror that Halloween and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre used. Fear of the unknown.
The film is heavily inspired by the heavy rock era of 70s. Its common for the youngsters to get stoned and find themselves miles away from their destination. Alone in the dark!
It builds tension step by step and divulges itself to be one of the best horror movies to find place in heart and mind for a long-long time.
'Zibahkhana' is capable enough to ensue cult-following. Believe me, that's the impression I've got.
It is quite an indigenous creation, hailing directly from Pakistan and I am sure in course of time we will have many good flicks like Zibahkhana from innovative Pakistani directors.
I think that the Indian scare whimper directors like R.K. Khanna, R. Mittal, K.I. Sheikh, Jeetendra Chawda etc. should learn something from this movie, because B-grade horror is almost dead in India and is looking for a messiah to revive it once again.
They party in a van in Pakistan, eat Indian dough nuts, meet Dracula.
monelleanti23 October 2015
Thank God, this is not a comedy. Thank God. I am so sick of comedy. Comedy Sucks. This movie is so dang fine! I watched it until my eyes ran aorta my head! The Living Corpse (song & dance abound) is ass good too. The Dracula Star of The Living Corpse is in this anti-comedy! What more could anyone desire! Now go listen to Femme Fatale (BS) then watch this 'gain & gain--- then listen to Britney more. O yeah, the Indian dough nuts they eat (high?)--- well, one guy does--- he eats the whole bag--- and, like I said-- he was served by Dracula. And then there are zombies and an evil spirit witch... and gore... and Dracula serving Indian dough nuts... and there's also the director's commentary which is ass good too, O Dude.
A bunch of Pakistani teenagers end up encountering every horror cinema scenario
aquamarine_1914 November 2008
This film makes interesting viewing, primarily for its novelty value of a horror film coming out of Islamabad. The story, as you would have read in the numerous other reviews is about a group of teenagers who on their way to a rock concert lose their way and end up encountering zombies and being chased by a mace wielding freak. The gore factor in the film put me off, there's plenty of raw flesh and blood at display here, some of the shots would cringe any sane, humane individual. Apparently, the director takes great pride in this disgusting quality of the film. However, to instill fear in the audience requires much more than probing, poking and twisting of human flesh, intestines etc. And thats where the film doesn't work -- it grosses you out rather than actually scaring you.
However, the film does hold your attention in parts, and the acting by the ensemble overall is pretty good. The actor playing the Christian kid and Roshanie Ejaz deserve special mention. Rubiya Chaudry is clearly playing herself here and her comfort level shows on screen. Some of the photography is pretty decent too. However, there was no need for the theatrical vignettes into the family lives of the characters. Towards the end, you do root and feel for Roshanie's character and the credit for that goes entirely to the actor's performance and screen presence as the screen writing here is rank amateurish. Well, the makers probably didn't feel the need to have a taught script given most of Zibahkhana is a zombie-attack or an extended chase sequence.
On the whole, this isn't bad if you enjoy watching dead corpses, rotting remains of animals and take pleasure in the more disgusting aspects of this world. Next time, we hope that OAK would use a decent scriptwriter, many of which are to be found in the underutilized Pakistan showbiz scene. And yeah, we need to see more of Rubya and Roshanie.
However, the film does hold your attention in parts, and the acting by the ensemble overall is pretty good. The actor playing the Christian kid and Roshanie Ejaz deserve special mention. Rubiya Chaudry is clearly playing herself here and her comfort level shows on screen. Some of the photography is pretty decent too. However, there was no need for the theatrical vignettes into the family lives of the characters. Towards the end, you do root and feel for Roshanie's character and the credit for that goes entirely to the actor's performance and screen presence as the screen writing here is rank amateurish. Well, the makers probably didn't feel the need to have a taught script given most of Zibahkhana is a zombie-attack or an extended chase sequence.
On the whole, this isn't bad if you enjoy watching dead corpses, rotting remains of animals and take pleasure in the more disgusting aspects of this world. Next time, we hope that OAK would use a decent scriptwriter, many of which are to be found in the underutilized Pakistan showbiz scene. And yeah, we need to see more of Rubya and Roshanie.
Entertaining horror romp
Woodyanders31 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
A handful of young folks en route to a rock concert find themselves stranded in the woods after their van runs out of gas. The kids have harrowing encounters with flesh-eating zombies, a deranged hitchhiker, and a ferocious burga-masked killer (a frightening portrayal by Sultan Billa).
Director Omar Khan, who also co-wrote the eventful script with Pete Tombs, keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a brisk pace, displays an utterly engaging affection for go-for-the-throat low-grade fright fare, makes inspired atmospheric use of the mist-shrouded sylvan setting, and delivers oodles of outrageously excessive and over-the-top gore. The vibrant acting from the enthusiastic cast keeps things humming, with especially spirited contributions from Rooshanie Ejaz as uptight goody-goody two shoes Ayesha, Rubya Chaudhry as the brash and selfish Roxy, Haider Raza as nice guy Simon, Osman Khalid Butt as laid-back stoner O.J., and Rehan as sinister tea shop owner Deewana. Najaf Bilgrami's sharp cinematography boasts several snazzy comic book panel stylistic flourishes. Stephen Thrower's infectiously groovy score hits the swinging spot. While this movie doesn't break any new ground, it's gleefully pandering kitchen sink approach nonetheless proves to be a whole lot of good'n'gruesome fun just the same.
Director Omar Khan, who also co-wrote the eventful script with Pete Tombs, keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a brisk pace, displays an utterly engaging affection for go-for-the-throat low-grade fright fare, makes inspired atmospheric use of the mist-shrouded sylvan setting, and delivers oodles of outrageously excessive and over-the-top gore. The vibrant acting from the enthusiastic cast keeps things humming, with especially spirited contributions from Rooshanie Ejaz as uptight goody-goody two shoes Ayesha, Rubya Chaudhry as the brash and selfish Roxy, Haider Raza as nice guy Simon, Osman Khalid Butt as laid-back stoner O.J., and Rehan as sinister tea shop owner Deewana. Najaf Bilgrami's sharp cinematography boasts several snazzy comic book panel stylistic flourishes. Stephen Thrower's infectiously groovy score hits the swinging spot. While this movie doesn't break any new ground, it's gleefully pandering kitchen sink approach nonetheless proves to be a whole lot of good'n'gruesome fun just the same.
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