February 19, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 17 ‘Hellbenders’ features rogue clergymen on a mission by Dennis Seuling “Hellbenders” (Lionsgate) is a horror/ comedy about a Brooklyn-based group of interfaith clergymen on a suicide mission. Their plan is to debauch and sin to such a degree that they invite possession by evil spirits. Their ultimate goal is to commit suicide and drag the demons with them to the underworld. The demons in question are so terrible that no mortal man of God could success- fully drive them back to Hell. The only option is for the exorcists to become pos- sessed. An elite group of highly trained exorcists gathers for this purpose into the Augustine Interfaith Order of Hellbound Saints — or Hellbenders. When an infernal Norse demon escapes into New York City, intent on cracking open the gates of Hell, the Hellbenders must use every ounce of their depravity to vanquish it and save the planet from eternal damnation. “Hellbenders” combines two styles — objective narrative cinema and docu- mentary — as assorted priests and religious experts comment on the actions of the Hellbenders while the heroes confront and battle demons in real time. A major flaw of the movie is that a number of incidents are described but not shown. This may be a result of a limited budget, but will be a disappointing omis- sion to horror fans. Writer/director JT Petty tries, but fails to blend comedy with horror smoothly. The film never really works and comes off as dull, its potential never fully realized. The Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray 2D edi- tion contains director audio commentary and making-of and behind-the-scenes fea- turettes. “Battle of the Damned” (Anchor Bay) combines germ warfare, zombie assaults, and deadly robots. When a deadly virus is accidentally released into a major city, its population is quarantined by military blockade. For a wealthy industrialist des- perate to rescue his daughter from inside the rabid chaos, his only hope is former commando Max Gatling (Dolph Lund- gren). Now Gatling has one day to bust in, blast through hordes of the undead, find the girl, and bring her – and himself – out alive. A small band of survivors and an army of killer robots turn his mission into a fight for survival. Clifton Collins Jr. (left) and Clancy Brown in ‘Hellbenders.’ Zombies are at an all-time high in popu- larity, and this movie may provide fans of those marauding cannibals some thrills, but the script is strictly B-movie caliber, with action trumping characterization. Lund- gren looks like a graphic novel hero come to life, with his sweat-glistening, muscle- bound arms standing in for acting ability. The only bonus on the Blu-ray edition is a making-of featurette. “Regular Show: Mordecai and Margaret Pack” (Warner Home Video) is a collec- tion of 16 themed episodes from the Emmy Award-winning animated series. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, “Regular (continued on Crossword page)