Many years ago, my spouse and I met director and writer Justin Armao at Mad Monster Party in Glendale, Arizona. They were there to promote their movie, Bloodsucka Jones. My spouse and I are naturally introverted; however, Armao was very personable and passionate about what the team had created. Plus, the cover art was sick, so we bought a copy and asked Armao to sign it.
Little did we know this movie would become one of our favorite ones to tell people about. When Bloodsucka Jones vs. The Creeping Death was released on Amazon Prime, we told everyone we knew to watch it. So, when Xanadu Hellfire was announced on IndieGoGo, my spouse immediately pledged to become an associate producer. I have never seen him as excited as when he saw his name on IMDb and the big screen. After watching the film, I knew I had to share it with TGON viewers.
The Main Cast
The cast and crew of Xanadu Hellfire are extensive. Below I will be sharing the main cast and their respective characters.
| Actor/Actress | Character |
| Macy Minear | Xanadu Hellfire |
| Aria Surrec | Ruby |
| Ryon Thomas | Steven |
| Arianna America | Raven Hellfire |
| Erica Kauffman | Valeria |
| Libby Wahlmeier | Sonja |
| Chloe Sligar | Becky |
| Jordan Maldonado | Melaina (The Dark One) |
| Dan Charles Lee | Dennis (as Dan Lee) |
| Amina Holmes | Sabina |
| Alan Maxson | Krull |
| Travis Woods | Crackerjack |
| Caren Adorni | Kira |
| Matt Kelly | Jimmy News |
| Erin Holt | Jillian News |
| Staci Armao | Ms. Bronson |
| Maureen Kedes | Shandra |
| Eiraina Ladell | Rayna (The Green Witch) |
| Preston Gant | Bloodsucka Jones |
| Maria Canapino | Vanessa |
| Andy Cauble | Harley |
| Brad Harris | The Bradical |
| Bruce Germano | Seth Hellfire |
| Monica Dell’Amore | Monica |
The Plot
The story follows an eight-year-old girl named Ruby. She is obsessed with comic book heroine Xanadu Hellfire, the greatest warrior ever. After discussing with her friend Becky, Ruby believes she can bring Xanadu from the future back to our time. As her one birthday wish, her father, Steve, tries to make this dream a reality. Sure, they manage to bring Xanadu back. However, her devilish sister also comes to town. Things get a little wacky from there, women falling out of the sky, sick lasers, and some Sucka’s Badass Burgers will be noshed.
Thoughts
We have been waiting to watch this film for a while now. So we sat down with some tacos, ready to be graced with a masterpiece, and did not leave our seats disappointed. The movie was inspired by various media, from Conan to Thor, Mad Max, and Clerks. This is very apparent from the comedic style and the costume design. It reminded me of the 90s “slacker comedy.” The plot points were goofy and silly. These are not typically things I look for in a movie, but they work here.
The costume design was also spot-on for a Thor Mad Max crossover. I thought that some pretty awesome cosplays could come out of this film. Additionally, the cast meshed well together. Surrec is a spitfire that I am sure loved every scene where they got to swear. Trust me; there were a lot of them. Minear also played the part of a badass warrior well. I loved every moment of seeing these two on screen together. Overall, Xanadu Hellfire is a fantastic movie I am happy to share with you all today.
Odds and Ends
If you want more information on the earlier films, I have a review on the original Bloodsucka Jones and the second installment Bloodsucka Jones vs. The Creeping Death. Unfortunately, Xanadu Hellfire is not streamable at the time of writing. However, I totally recommend buying a copy from their Etsy shop.
