To Hell And Back: The Kane Hodder Story | Film Review

To those uninitiated in the world of horror icons, Kane Hodder by name alone might leave you perplexed as to why we needed a documentary on him. By the time you’ve finished with To Hell and Back, that notion should be Crystal Lake clear. A stuntman by trade, Hodder also carries with him over 100 acting credits. What’s probably most notable is how horror fans routinely praise him as the greatest Jason Voorhees of the entire Friday the 13th film series. Lounging around throttling teenagers in the woods (or space) might seem easy on the surface, but it turns out there is much more to that performance than simply slamming victims into tree stumps.

But the question remains: did the world really need a documentary on Kane Hodder?

In one resoundingly emphatic word, YES!

As a critic, I’ve personally endured countless documentaries on a variety of topics and personalities. These primarily arrive in the form of social causes or the prevalent film and/or music icons of the past. Unfortunately, genre fans – like myself – are often left with little more than the odd commentary track on their favorite low-rent DVD to fill us in on the back story of our favorite heroes…who happen to be villains. One of which, is Mr. Kane Hodder.

The film bounces back-and-forth a bit throughout Hodder’s life, offering up notable steps in his ensuing career, as well as enduring tribulations such as bullying in his youth. We journey through Hodder’s first foray into film as an extra, and how that led to his desperate need to perform dangerous stunts for the masses. We also spend significant time on his first appearance as Jason in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (seven movies in), and how this bled into a growing notoriety, eventually leading to his famed Hatchet series.

While To Hell and Back features numerous character elaborations from established horror legends (Bruce Campbell, Robert Englund, Cassandra Peterson) and peers, Hodder is at the forefront of this interview-focused effort from director Derek Dennis Herbert. It is within these intimate moments that Herbert elicits genuine emotion from this gigantic brute of a man who has single-handedly murdered Chicago’s downtown population on film. As Kane recounts the circumstances of a harrowing stunt-gone-wrong that left his entire body scarred, we see firsthand the consequences that exist in his particular line of work. One miniscule mistake or loss of focus can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering.

It is moments like these, emotional tours through one tough SOB’s personal trials, where To Hell and Back fully shines. Not only physical damage, but the psychological toll it takes, and how Hodder’s sheer will snapped his life back into clarity. And his take on losing his most iconic role in Freddy vs. Jason is a rare moment of vulnerability and honesty I have never witnessed another actor own up to feeling in a lifetime of studying film.

To Hell and Back shines a light on the peaks and valleys of both actors and stuntmen, while illuminating the character of Kane Hodder himself. If you’re already a fan, this documentary will only enhance your existing vision. If you’ve never heard of Hodder, you will gain a deep respect for both the man and his craft.

As I completed my viewing, I was reminded of a Halloween themed event I attended many years ago. I took my young son to meet one of our horror favorites, whose name happened to be Kane Hodder. We settled on getting his autograph on an Enemy of the State DVD, a film he was a stunt player on, in order to “not do what everyone else is doing”. As we approached the event, I only had enough money for one of us to enter. As a parent, you instinctively approach moments like these with selflessness, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being disappointed as I sent my son in for his meet-and-greet with Kane Hodder. I wondered if, at his age, he could ever truly appreciate the moment in the same manner that I knew I would. Yet as I type this, some 15 years later, my son still beams while sharing that story with his friends of his meeting Hodder all those many years ago.

That is the beauty of a fandom such as his. And thanks to this documentary, it became obvious Kane Hodder feels the same way about all of us.

To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story releases July 13, 2018 on VOD and Blu-ray
Starring Kane Hodder, Bruce Campbell, Robert Englund
Directed by Derek Dennis Herbert