Pakistani splatter flick Hell’s Ground (Zibahkhana) has received a good bit of commentary in these pages and now those of you who missed it on the festival circuit can get a look at Pakistan’s first splatter film thanks to a new DVD release from TLA’s Danger After Dark imprint. I’m not going to restate what we’ve said about the film before – you can find reviews here and here – beyond simply saying that it’s good fun but I do want to comment on the DVD.

The picture itself is anamorphic widescreen in the proper ratio with a good transfer. The video quality can be a touch uneven thanks to shooting conditions but there are no major faults at all with the actual transfer. Subtitles for the Urdu bits – the film uses both Urdu and English dialogue – are excellent and the bonus features, while limited in scope, are equally strong. You get the film’s trailer, a music video, a clip from the film’s first screening at the LUMS festival in Pakistan, a twelve minute documentary that takes you to the sets and director Omar Khan’s home and – the big reason you want this DVD – a commentary provided by Khan himself. Bluntly put, Khan gives great commentary. He’s smart, he’s funny, and he’s incredibly knowledgeable. Not only will you be entertained listening to this but you’ll walk away knowing an awful lot about the production of the film, Pakistan’s film history, current political and social realities there and a whole lot more. Khan is the film obsessed owner of an Islamabad ice cream shop who spent a good chunk of his own savings to make this film in tribute to the horror films he grew up on and the sort of passion that would drive a man to do such a thing is hugely evident through the entire commentary track. That he delivers it all with a highly cultured, slightly formal tone only makes it that much more fun. This guy must be a blast to spend time with.