Writer and director Rolfe Kanefsky known in the independent and low-budget markets, for his film The Black Room (2017) to his Emmanuelle Through Time series for wildly insane b-movies, enforcing the standard practices of them including blood, comedic lines and plenty of T&A, with a hint of soft-core tempo to them. Hence, this time one gets Party Bus to Hell with a ton of sexual moments, incredible amount of female nudity and blood splattering galore along with a loosey-goosey script, which delivers a raucous entertainment for the male teen market. Producers Mike and Sonny Mahal used their story to supply the more cheesy than campy screenplay for the absurdity and sometimes fun tale which pays homage over and over to many movies in and out of the horror genre, including Race with the Devil (1975); The Lair of the White Worm (1988), and of course lots of Mad Max influences. Viewers likely understand from the title and box art that the movie isn’t a serious horror flick, rather more of a pure drunken escapade for sheer enjoyment, filmed in and around sin city, Las Vegas, Nevada, and occasionally referred to as Bus Party to Hell.

A young woman hitchhikes to Las Vegas, but after not putting out gets offered a ride coincidentally where she bails out of the stranger’s car. It’s a charter bus (actually a sin city party bus, complete with a stripper pole and full bar) boarding to take people to the Burning Man festival, offered a free ride, from Joan (Sadie Katz) she accepts and sees a series of beautiful landscape shots. En route the gang drinks, dances and hints to a lesbian encounter at the pole before vanishing into the bus bathroom that doesn’t even bother showing any action. Meanwhile the T&A flashes a lot, along with drinking, drug suggestions, and so on, though still a tad too tame, but eats up a good portion of film time. Soon enough the ride supposedly breaks down in the middle of nowhere in an area that could double for The Hills Have Eyes (1977), quickly darkness sets in and out comes Mad Max rejects in the form of a pack of sadistic Satanists. The filmmakers unleash this wild bunch, who do some interesting sick and twisted sexual rituals, giving every opportunity to present weird acts on the screen, headed by then Cult Leader (John Molinaro) and Priestess (Nailya Shakirova). The creepy Satanists enjoy flaunting their bodies and groping,  soft-edge sexually at times, and inclusion of Sect (Elissa Dowling).  After the chaos, a few survivors make it back onto the bus among them Alan (Richard Hochman), Reese (ViDonna Michaels), Warren (Ben Stobber, Ivy (Shelby McCullough) among others, spiraling into a chaotic screaming, whining, and a highly panic series of yelling back and forth scene. It boils down to some losing their heads, and guts, of a blood spraying, splashing, gore fest, with an interesting conclusion.  Oh, must not forget, Tara Reid is given main billing, as she battles delusions from talking severed heads to mummies, while stumbling on a photoshoot, which features Devanny Pinn (Satanic (2016)) and J. Spencer, she really makes an impact on the film, with all the blood splatter.

While some of the visuals work nicely, others fail in the impact of shock, this criticism comes from the lack of proper lighting, as well as some digital effects, however a saving grace are the practical gags which work very well. It definitely nails the bloodsucking correctly, and the color of blood, which it seems of late in the indie horror movies, becoming a hard item to get right, haven’t seen that, don’t worry you’ll cringe when it happens. In a b-movie, there’s lots of blood and naked breasts, it’s not criticism, the eroticism exists, but if you’re going to show it then make very titillation, not just sleazy for your core viewer audience. Some of the loud pitches either too softly or too loudly muddling the dialogue which effects the screams, the acting works well and fits the style of the movie.  One very good aspect, the demon monster gets stellar marks for such a low-budgeted production.

Simply refer to the title and box art to determine if you have interest in the movie, it contains many flaws and issues, but those also make a b-movie fun and interesting. Therefore, for many potential viewers it might seem as a one-off viewing, and others might enjoy the horror movie references to lesser known flicks, in addition to countless T&A shots, beheading, disembowelments, blood, and more blood, okay tons of blood on the breasts.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6360872/

IMDb Rating: 4.5/10

Baron’s Rating: 4.5/10