The MFF Podcast #124: Ready Player One
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The MFF podcast is back and we are talking about Steven Spielberg’s nostalgia bomb known as Ready Player One. If you are into 80’s references, The Shining and Ben Mendelsohn being a dirtbag you will enjoy every second of this retro podcast episode. We had a great time watching the movie and we ponder which characters we would’ve added to the mix and suggest horror movies to be featured in the sequel (that will never happen). Get ready for a whole lot of pop-culture references!
As always, we answer random listener questions and discuss The Rancor crushing folks in the Ready Player One world. If you are a fan of the podcast make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening and hope you enjoy the pod!
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Happy April Fools’ Day – I wish this thing was real. I had fun writing it.
While looking back at my cinematic watching life I can only think of several moments that have legitimately blown my mind. Here they are:
- Dolph Lundgren front kicking a massive ground worm into oblivion in Sandblaster
- Kurt Russell surfing in Escape From L.A.
- Kate Winslet’s 47-minute drum solo in Whiplash 2
- Sigourney Weaver nailing the behind the back basketball shot in Alien: Resurrection
There is a moment in Geostorm that features Gerard Butler going toe-to-toe with a space tornado that blew my mind. When I left the empty theater I knew I had to research the scene for my collection of dumb data. When I started digging into Geostorm I realized that the creators went out of their way to make it as realistic as possible and I couldn’t believe how much effort went into researching and filming the space tornado fight. They hired physicists and space tornado experts and created actual space like conditions that worked perfectly within the multi-million dollar sets. Here is the clip of the scene and a quick breakdown:
I’m going to punch that space tornado with a copper punching glove.
Gerald Butler is forced to go into space to stop the climate satellite (Dutch Boy) he created from destroying the world. Before he can turn off the systems that are “geostorming” earth he has to put on a spacesuit and confront a dangerous space tornado that is moving towards the station at an alarming rate. Butler knows that the funnel-shaped clouds of charged particles carry around 100,000 amperes and can reach speeds of over a million miles per hour. Thus, after doing some calculations he learns that by propelling the right thruster on his suit to a magnitude of 7.6 gigolowatts he can create enough clockwise speed to stop the tornado which is moving counterclockwise. The problem is that somebody on the “The Dutch Boy” sabotaged Butler’s suit before he left and only the left thruster works. This forces him to think quickly, and he flips himself upside down so his right thrusters propel his body counterclockwise at a speed of 250 spins per second. In the end, Butler manages to land ferocious right hooks that manage to change the direction of the tornado and safely guide it around the space station.
The math behind the tornado punching is 100% legit
At first, I thought the scene was gobbledygook so I decided to break it down (like I’ve done so many times) in an effort to figure out how it happened. After reading a lot of interviews and science journals I learned that a space tornado could, in fact, take place around the orbit of the space station (article here). Solar windstorms typically occur in earth’s outer atmosphere (ionosphere) and are responsible for the beautiful auroras that we see (Northern Lights). Also, since these storms are so electrically charged large conductors have been used by NASA to channel the electricity into satellites and space stations (article here). However, these tornados which occur frequently have been known to short-circuit satellites and disrupt GPS and cell signals (article here). The crazy thing is Gerry Butler said all of this stuff in the movie and I disregarded it because I thought it was all nonsense. Geostorm is more Contact or Arrival than Armageddon.
When Butler learns of the storm and the timeframe needed to stop the tornados he creates a “punching glove” comprised of rubber, cloth and bent copper plating that would be used to conduct a magnetic field (article here) that wouldn’t dissipate the energy of a storm (think of a head-on collision). What I appreciated most about his makeshift copper punching glove is how it worked as a magnetic conductor which pulled the storm away from the space station without causing it to suddenly halt the momentum which would be similar to a train hitting a massive concrete wall (think Toldeo 1973)
After watching the tornado punching clip many times I was able to gauge the distance between The Dutch Boy and the oncoming tornado. If you look at the curvature and polarity of earth’s surface in regards to the distance it’s clear the storm was roughly 178 kilometers away from the massive space station when Gerry Butler went outside to fight it. Here is the math that leads me to this distance:
14(x)∅/37 (circumference) divided by 8* over GaryBusey47‰. = 178 Kilometers.
So, with his hindered jetpack going upside down Butler had 23 seconds to travel 3000 feet in order to get a punching angle on the storm. The math works because tornadoes move at a very quick speed of 7,000 MPH which works perfectly with the speed of Butler’s jetpack and the angle he was traveling.
I was amazed to learn that the director built a spinning recreation of the storm in a massive set in England. Using the largest studio in Pinewood (pictures here) they made a spinning system that mathematically worked with the trajectory of Butler’s punching pattern. They actually put a stuntman upside down and worked out the process. When watching you will notice that Butler’s stuntman isn’t CGI during the upside down punching. They spun him in the correct trajectory then used a technology called “Super Spin” to speed it up and make it look like he was spinning 250 times per second. It’s no surprise they won the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Production Design.
In the end, Gerry Butler saves the day via actual science and nobody expected it. I applaud Geostorm for its adherence to science and I hope people see it with new eyes now.
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The Ritual is a very good horror film that delivers on almost every level. Director David Bruckner (The Signal, V/H/S) and writer Joe Barton have delivered a neat lost-in-the-woods thriller that features solid performances, creative cinematography and a badass monster that I want to see more of. The Blair Witch-esque plot and obligatory “people get lost” twist may feel familiar but I liked how The Ritual quickly moved away from familiar tropes and proved itself to be more than the sums of its parts. Don’t let the familiar territory jade the experience because The Ritual builds to something totally original and memorable.
The Ritual revolves around four long-time friends getting lost while hiking in Sweden and having to deal with a murderous creature. Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier) and Dom (Sam Troughton) are on the trip to honor their friend Robert (Paul Reid) who was killed during their last “guys outing.” The death of Robert causes the groups already fraying friendship to further unravel and as they hike through the beautiful Swedish wilderness you can tell that they would all rather be somewhere else.
Their hiking is anything but smooth, and they are forced to take a shortcut when Dom hurts his ankle when he gets too carried away while bitching about the hiking, From there, they find a spooky cabin, see some terrible things and are harassed by a large creature that looks like a human, giraffe, and elk joined together and formed something terrifying.
They are looking at something really gross.
There has been a legit amount of press about the monster (here, here, here, here, and here) and I like that critics and audiences appreciate it and respect the work that was put into creating it. Very rarely do I see something and think “I’ve never seen that before,” and I’d rank the beast alongside the monsters in The Host, The Descent and Attack the Block. I just watched the movie again and was more impressed by the monster because I appreciated how much creativity and thought went into making it look awesome. It is an elegant creation and if you listened to our recent two-hour podcast about The Ritual (it’s excessive but awesome) you will hear all about how Bruckner and crew made it happen.
If you are into horror films that make familiar tropes fresh via interesting monsters, solid performances and A+ cinemtography you will love The Ritual.
Make sure to read John’s review as well. He really loved the movie.
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SUMMARY: This week we discuss the Netflix film The Ritual (2017), weighing the mythological Norse Jötunn against H. P. Lovecraft’s Black Goat of the Forest, the use of creatures in features and the filming styles that complement them, classic woodsy horror clichés, and the weight of guilt on protagonists. We LOVED this film!
If you enjoy discussions about creature features, check out Episode 47: Let’s Grab a Beer and Hunt Some Bigfoot Trolls. And if you want more “forest horror,” check out Episode 57: The Podcast in the Woods and Episode 76: The Blair Witch Pod (1999-2016).
For more horror podcast discussions, check out…
Episode 117: Event Horizon, Hellraiser in space, and wrestling Graboids
Episode 116: Happy Death Day
Episode 115: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Episode 114: Office Horror, Mayhem & The Belko Experiment
Episode 113: Elise, her Demons and the Insidious Franchise
Episode 108: The Best Horror Films of 2017
Episode 78: Carpenter vs Zombie Halloween Rematch (1981 vs 2009)
Episode 76: The Blair Witch Pod (1999-2016)
Download the pod on iTunes, PodBean, Stitcher or
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John’s Horror Corner: Hellraiser X: Judgment (2018), an inspired yet completely uninnovating retelling of Hell’s mythology.
MY CALL: Great ideas do not necessarily make great films. Great ideas, awful execution. I mean… it’s passable as an almost interesting bad horror film if you’ve never seen a Hellraiser film. MORE MOVIES LIKE Judgment: Be sure to see Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) first, of course. Then maybe Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth (1992) and Hellraiser IV: Bloodline (1996). Hellraiser: Inferno (2000), Hellseeker (2002) and Hellraiser: Deader (2005); all are more standalone films. Hellworld (2005) and Revelations (2011) are easily the worst.
There was a time when Hellraiser films had substance and depth, building a dark mythology around the perceived reality of its tempters, tempted and victims. Right around Hellworld (2005) and Revelations (2011) this notion was cast aside like a crushed Miller Lite can on Daytona Beach after Bike Week.
So much anticipation had built up before I finally got to see this. And, you know what, there were a lot of great ideas here. But that’s where it stops… ideas. Not execution; not follow-through; not synthesis. This film is a love letter to the franchise, and it’s a love letter written by a deeply passionate heart—but this love letter was written by someone who couldn’t write, and they kept crumbling up their discarded drafts, and then someone gathered those frayed balls of paper from the floor and gleaned the ideas from them and mashed them into a film with no sense of development.
Emerging from a heavy make-up department background (Piranha 3DD, Apollo 18, Hellraiser: Revelations/Deader/Bloodline/Hellseeker/Hell on Earth, The Collector, My Bloody Valentine), writer and director Gary J. Tunnicliffe clearly loves the franchise and tries his damnedest. For that much, I admire and appreciate his efforts. But despite this obvious passion the writing, characters, dialogue and story run stale. You find yourself constantly wanting to like what’s in front of you, but the weak set design and uninspired lines strip any possible joy from it. That, and the sophomoric use of the bethonged, big breasted bimbos of Hell that get way too much screen time. Apparently, Hell is big on plastic surgery and lingerie to complement the crass blood-dousing of naked women as if a fifteen-year-old had crossed his notions of damnation with a wet dream.
But despite some of these cheaper tactics, attempts (all inspired yet completely failed in execution) were made again and again to be thoughtful and provocative. Such notions as eating ones scribed sins with a gravy of children’s tears, then regurgitated and judged by infernal mistresses… Lord, what am I even writing? See how that idea started okay and then…? I mean, this is curiously entertaining, but nothing worthy of comparison to the franchise.
We truly feel the meager $350K budget in the special effects. Skin peeling and flaying have never had a weaker screen presence in the series, and none of the gore or effects occur on-screen. In terms of effects, I think I was more impressed with the equally budgeted Revelations (2011). But to Judgment’s credit, Paul T. Taylor fares well as Pinhead—if we can look past the script and focus on his presence and delivery.
But again, the delivery simply wasn’t there for the most integral components of the mythology. Was the Puzzle Box there…? Sort of. Were there hooked chains? Yes, but they sucked. How about Cenobites? Yes…but they served no purpose.
Was this a brave endeavor? Sure. But were any of the requisite skills present in the filmmakers? No. Not beyond bravado. This is a terrible Hellraiser film, but perhaps a passable bad horror movie. Temper your expectations accordingly.
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MY CALL: Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart” meets American Psycho (2000) and Mayhem (2017) in this very promising gory office horror short film.
MORE Indie Reviews by MFF: We occasionally do solicited horror short film and pre-release indie film reviews on request. Among recent solicited promotions are Love in the Time of Monsters (2014; feature length), Interior (2014; feature length), Smothered (2014; feature length), In the Dark (2015; feature length), Brother (2016; short), Other Halves (2016; feature length), Scythe (2016; short), The Belko Experiment (2016; feature film, mainstream theatrical release), The Barn (2016; feature length), Shallow Waters (2017; short), Burn (2017; short), Tethered (2017; short), We Love Selfies (2017; short), Cool (2017; short), Girls Night (2017; short), Because Reasons (2017; short) and Remnants (2017; short).
Disclaimer: This review was solicited by the filmmakers and/or producers who provided privileged access, directed us to a viewing medium, and/or offered permission to use image stills of the film. However, my opinion remains unbiased as I was neither hired nor paid to produce this critical review, nor do I have an investment stake in the film.
Inspired by The Tell-Tale Heart, Short Film Heartless made its World Premiere at the Oxford Film Festival. The directorial debut short film from the award-winning production company Sunshine Boy Productions.
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IMDB Summary: “Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ an overlooked associate struggles to complete a corporate presentation as a horrific secret gnaws at her conscience.” Here’s the IMDB page.
In the wake of recent “office horror” sensations as The Belko Experiment (2016) and Mayhem (2017), Heartless rolls out sharply bantered sexism eliciting a half-taken-aback smirk and a shockingly abrupt turn to violence leaving my mouth grinningly open and my eyes wide. I mean, who has even seen someone get “punched” in the face with a coffee mug? Or seen a throat slit with one? Points for originality!
I really dig the storytelling style here, as we yo-yo between Shelby’s (Stacy Snyder; Abandoned Dead) business presentation, her mocking An American Werewolf in London-esque hauntings of her dead colleague, and flashbacks to the night she killed her colleague Clare (Joanna Sotomura; Madison County, Contracted: Phase II).
For a short film, the gore was surprisingly good, abundant, well-executed and varied. And the humor behind the delivery—especially after the eye-stabbing—does kindly liken this to the psychologically distorted Mayhem (2017) or satirical stylings American Psycho (2000). Not only that, but the sound editing/mixing with the gore (e.g., the sloshy goopy sounds accompanying the dismemberment) was top notch. I was also quite fond of the three over-bro’d power-douchebags a la modern American Psycho (2000)—Matt Mercer (Madison County, Contracted I-II, Beyond the Gates) among them, who also did the editing for this film.
More than a short…? I question the notion of expanding this to a 90-minute feature—but, I also haven’t been handed a script LOL. However, I’d love to see this fully realized as a 30-minute installment to a perhaps office/corporate-themed horror anthology. In fact, Heartless could almost be the wrap-around story (the presentation) and Clare’s death could be one of the vignettes.
Director Kevin Sluder does a solid job of showcasing his ideas and his story-telling prowess (a skill lost upon most horror creators), and his cast does honor to the somewhat caricatured office and gender roles while drawing satirical smiles. What’s more is that every member of the cast (and thus every character written) brought something valuable to the film… that’s rare whether assessing short films or features. But what impresses me most is that whereas Heartless’ cast is experienced at acting, our director (Sluder) is not experienced at directing. This is his first time helming a project and, you know what, he nailed it! Perhaps he owes some of that to his actors, but maybe they likewise owe some of their success to him. Clearly, they all formed a great team. And cheers to the editors as well! Excellent pacing with the cuts between past/present timelines and Shelby’s hallucinations.
Overall, one of my better indie review experiences in the last year along with Burn (2017), Tethered (2017), Cool (2017) and Remnants (2017).
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John’s Horror Corner: Veronica (2017), an underwhelming Spanish film based on the true story of a Ouija séance-gone-wrong.
MY CALL: Incredibly derivative and unoriginal—yes, even in the context of the horror genre in this day and age. This just felt like a watered down Insidious (2010-2017) film and I’m shocked that Placo Plaza ([REC] 1-3) could ever disappoint me… but he did. MOVIES LIKE Veronica: Well… For more Spanish-language horror films you should try The Damned (2013), The House at the End of Time (2013), The Orphanage (2007), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and the [REC] anthology (2007-2014). Other horror that has fun with Ouija boards include Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) and Witchboard (1986).
Based on a true story that took place in Madrid, Spain in 1991, and written (in part) and directed by Paco Plaza (Cuento de Navidad, [REC] 1-3), this foreign horror has been accumulating a lot of positive buzz online. I’m sorry to say it, but I don’t think it’s well-deserved.
Taking care of her three younger siblings, high schooler Veronica (Sandra Escacena) is responsibly mature while truly still only a child herself. Veronica is haunted by an evil supernatural force after she and her classmates attempt a séance with a Ouija Board during an eclipse. Go figure, right?
The spectral symptoms are eerie, yet unmenacing at first—things like self-closing doors, electrical flickerings and objects moving on their own but only when no one is looking tend to feel almost impishly playful. Despite opening with something of a “young adult ghost story” feel, the tone appropriately shifts from Poltergeist (1982, 2015) to Insidious (2010-2017) with a dash of The Apparition (2012) as the film draws more disturbing imagery like nude ghosts of babbling loved ones, black limbs reaching from the void, and gaunt demonic forms (e.g., the demons of Insidious) wandering about the apartment. It’s a shame the quality in execution didn’t match the cultivation of atmosphere. Most of this fell flat for me.
I didn’t really find it very compelling—at all. This film wasn’t necessarily boring, but even when advancing at a good pace I found it utterly unengaging. Definitely wasn’t scary, and there were some failed proddings at a coming-of-age component in the story. Everything we see here are things I’ve seen before, seen done much better, and am presently seeing in no original permutation. I’m reminded of my disappointment with Apartment 143 (2011). Sigh.
Our blind nun is a needlessly cliché harbinger unironically revealed, the founding basis of the Ouija board and the “rules” governing the spirits on the “other side” were shakily contrived, and the biggest revelations in the final act packed no punch. The only thing that really worked in this film was the relationship between Veronica and her three siblings—all the child actors performed well. But that simply wasn’t enough to salvage this.
This was really a shocking disappointment for me since I loved Plaza’s [REC] 1-3 films so much. My recommendation is to simply let the phantasmal limbs drag Veronica into some other-worldly oubliette where she’ll be able to bore no more unlucky horror fans.
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The MFF podcast is back and we are finishing up the groundbreaking tournament of cinematic sea beasts! Who will win? We are down to eight monsters and we believe you will 100% accept and support our winner (perfect choice). If you are into cinematic sea monsters (or even just a couple of them) you will love every second of this in-depth podcast that explores every facet of their existence and hunting tactics. This pod was months in the making and we guarantee you will never look at cinematic sea monsters the same ever again.
Will the Merman win?
As always, we answer random listener questions and discuss sea beasts who should become land beasts. If you are a fan of the podcast make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening and hope you enjoy the pod!
You can download the pod on Itunes, Stitcher, Podbean, or LISTEN TO THE POD ON BLOG TALK RADIO.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
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MY CALL: Perhaps redeeming the franchise for the previous sequel, and matching the former glory of part 1! Oh, and sooooooooooo wonderfully, deliciously, splatteringly gory!!!! MOVIES LIKE Hatchet III: Of course see the first Hatchet (2006), Hatchet II (2010), and the Friday the 13th (1980), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Wrong Turn (2003) franchises comprise the more serious suggestions—being that these are the movies being lampooned. But Final Destination 5 (2011), Piranha 3D (2010), Piranha 3DD (2012), The Hazing (2004) and Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010) seem to better capture the flavor of Hatchet. For more gore-geared hilarity, try Drag Me to Hell (2009) and The Cabin in the Woods (2012).
Part II SIDEBAR: So after Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder; Friday the 13th parts VII-X, Hatchet) survived being burned alive and speared through the neck in part 1, he pulled a Jason Voorhees and aquatic-ambushed Marybeth (then played by Tamara Feldman), the credits rolling with Marybeth in his clutches. Replacing Tamara Feldman as Marybeth, Danielle Harris (Halloween I-II, The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond) escapes Crowley and assembles a hunting party to put an end to the curse and avenge her murdered alligator-poaching family. Part II ended when Marybeth gave Victor Crowley a mutilating head smashing with his own hatchet and then finished off his skull muck with a shot gun. So, clearly, he’s dead now, right? Psssssh.
As if apologizing for the notable drop in quality observed in part II, director BJ McDonnell picks up former writer/director Adam Green’s (Frozen, Hatchet I-II) spoofy franchise and begins part III with a mushy gooey extra sloppy opener! That’s right, Crowley impossibly got right back up with nothing but Sloppy Joe filling for a face! Gorehounds will rejoice as Marybeth buries her fist into Crowley’s caved in face with all the lip-smacking sound effects of stomping your boots in thick sludgy mud. Oh, and the chainsaw-induced gore… just delicious!
Franchise Timeline SIDEBAR: Note that part 1 took place in just one day, and part II was the very next day… much as the swift continuity of Friday the 13th parts II-IV. Now part III begins right after Marybeth shot Crowley in the face… or what was left of it. So these three movies span only three back-to-back days in movieland.
Sheriff Fowler (Zach Galligan; Waxwork, Gremlins) and his local Crowley folklore expert ex-wife (Caroline Williams; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Leprechaun 3) team up with Marybeth and SWAT leader Hawes (Derek Mears; Friday the 13th, Cursed) to put an end to the unkillable mutant hillbilly Crowley. Rounding out the cast, Parry Shen (The Hazing/Dead Scared) returns yet again in a third role (Andrew) in as many movies after playing the part II’s brother (Shawn) of part I’s tour guide (Justin)!
This third franchise installment brings viciously awesome pacing and completely redeems 2010’s slow starting (and slow middling) sequel by delivering a defibrillator death scene, loads of spine-ripping and limb-tearing dismemberment, torso rending, severed head throwing (at other victims!!!!), head gauging, head exploding, head splitting and smushy gushy head stomping. The gore is heavy and by the end everything is painted in blood! Amid the zany fun are nods to Predator (1987; shooting down the forest), Jason Voorhees’ incredible resurrections (e.g., the knife in the head), 80s death curses (e.g., Myers and Voorhees), and Fright Night’s (1985) disturbingly messy melting death.
The whole curse thing was probably the weakest aspect of the movie, but who could even care or notice? There was so much action and blood and gore… horrorhounds will find themselves smiling throughout the entire running time of this wonderful sequel that does true honor to the 2006 original and forgives any hiccups of part II.
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MY CALL: Not holding a candle to the former glory of its predecessor, this sequel offers a redeemingly gory third act after a rather boring first hour. MOVIES LIKE Hatchet II: Of course see the first Hatchet (2006), and the Friday the 13th (1980), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Wrong Turn (2003) franchises comprise the more serious suggestions—being that these are the movies being lampooned. But Final Destination 5 (2011), Piranha 3D (2010), Piranha 3DD (2012), The Hazing (2004) and Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010) seem to better capture the flavor of Hatchet. For more gore-geared hilarity, try Drag Me to Hell (2009) and The Cabin in the Woods (2012).
Part I SIDEBAR: So after Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder; Friday the 13th parts VII-X, Hatchet) survived being burned alive and speared through the neck with an iron gate pole, he pulled a Jason Voorhees and aquatic-ambushed our final survivors Ben (Joel David Moore; Shark Night 3D, The Diary of Anne Frankenstein in Chillerama) and Marybeth (Tamara Feldman; Perfect Stranger)—with the credits rolling as Crowley slovenly rages with Marybeth in his clutches. Replacing Tamara Feldman, Danielle Harris (Halloween I-II, The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond) assumes the role of our surviving heroine whose initial goal was to rid the swamp of Crowley’s curse since, in fact, it was her gator-hunting father (Robert Englund; Zombie Strippers, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy vs Jason) and brother who were killed in part 1’s opening scene.
Writer/director Adam Green (Frozen, The Diary of Anne Frankenstein in Chillerama) delighted audiences with his spoofy horror (Hatchet) paying homage to the Gods of 80s slasher movies, and now he has returned to develop his killer’s folklore. This sequel picks up immediately as Hatchet (2006) left off: with Marybeth in Crowley’s clutches in the swamp. And just as quickly as she finds safety, we learn that her family ties run deeper than both part 1 revealed and deeper than even Marybeth realizes.
Horror icons Tom Holland (Fright Night, Child’s Play), R.A. Mihailoff (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Pumpkinhead II, Smothered) and Tony Todd (Final Destination 5, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) round out the cast, which curiously includes Parry Shen (The Hazing/Dead Scared) playing the brother (Shawn) of part 1’s tour guide (Justin).
Hatchet succeeded by virtue of its simplicity: some twenty-somethings randomly get killed in gloriously gory fashion after some basic exposition about their mutant killer is sprinkled in for flavor. This sequel, however remaining playfully spoofy, tries to be more than its stage-setting predecessor, and this may have been its downfall.
The special effects in part 1 yielded outstandingly fun on-screen death scenes. A significant drop from 2006’s $1.5M budget (which was utilized as best I’ve ever seen), this sequel clocks in at $800K. And whereas some gore effects were great, the huge action gap between the opening kill and the third act was really quite boring and it wicked away the spoofy “bad movie” charm of the caricatured characters. That was quite a weak point.
But when the kills start to add up, it all gets fun again and perhaps redeems the film for those patient enough to suffer through the first 60 minutes. The ensuing macabre shenanigans include a sex scene kill complete and a double chainsaw kill—both boasting some mean genital mutilation—along with more decapitation, torso-rending, impalement antics, a brutal curb stomp and a messy head smash. There’s even a rope-and-reel disembowelment followed by strangling someone with their own intestines. The effort is all there, but the execution doesn’t always measure up to the original.
With a little patience, fans of the original should enjoy this even if it fails to do proper justice to its origins.
Movies, Films & Flix 