Plot: Boasting an all-star horror movie cast, this old-school slasher follows terrorized Marybeth (Danielle Harris) as she escapes from the bayou inhabited by Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), a vicious murderer whose outward deformities hide an even more twisted soul dedicated to slaughter. Determined to avenge the murders of her family, Marybeth reunites with sinister Rev. Zombie (Tony Todd), then returns to the gore-filled swamp to hunt her nemesis.

My Review: So I was really excited this was coming out to theaters. Then it got a limited run. Then it got pulled from the theaters. Then it was released on Pay Per View but not to my cable company so I had to wait for DVD. Then I time it perfectly to get it from Netflix, and it for once doesn’t go perfectly so I didn’t get the DVD. So I checked PPV again, nope still nothing. Then I decided to check amazon.com and they had it to rent for $3.99. Just so happens my BluRay player streams Amazon.com so I rented it tonight. Unfortunately the movie was very pixely, and the colors seemed off so it was kind of distracting, as it made it feel really old, and the first movie felt really new.

To be quite honest, at this point I was expecting crap. I heard so many mixed things about this movie that I was worried from the get-go. But I expected crap because with all my misses at seeing the movie my expectations grew bigger and bigger and bigger. I recall having rather high expectations for the first movie too. I was a little disappointed in it, but at the same time I loved it. I guess I just expected more from the hype. But the first film has grown on me over the years. And I’m also a fan of Adam Green’s Frozen, which isn’t a HORROR movie per say, but it is scary because its something that could really happen. Unlike Victor Crowley, an undead deformed ghost, or person, or whatever he is.

The movie picks up as the first one is ending (now re-filmed to include Danielle Harris as Marybeth) we see Marybeth and Victor in the boat fighting. Marybeth gets away and is told by a man out in the swamp (the man we see drinking his own pee from the first movie, played by special effects artist John Carl Buechler). Marybeth finds out from him that she should go talk to Rev. Zombie (did they ever say his name in the first one? I don’t recall, or is that just cause Danielle Harris was in Rob Zombie’s Halloween remakes? I’m not sure) and reprising his role from the first movie is none other then, Tony Todd, Candyman himself. He babbles on to Marybeth giving her a history lesson on Victor Crowley’s family and WHY Victor is the way he is.

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During the whole scene (where Zombie & Marybeth are talking about the history of the Crowley‘s), I really was trying to get used to Danielle playing Marybeth with a little bit of a southern accent and at first it was distracting, and as much as I LOVE love love Danielle I just thought her acting was a little awkward (for her) and it had me worried for a bit that she‘d be like that throughout. But later on she’s much much better. Maybe it was just that weird emotional scene.

Moving along here!

Rev. Zombie gets a group of people to go out and collect his boat (the boat used in the first movie) with ulterior motive (other then collecting Marybeth‘s families bodies), and if Victor shows up, then they will have enough manpower to hunt him – hopefully. Whoever comes back with his head gets a bunch of money. So the main characters are all hunters. I didn’t really care about them, there was nothing special about them. They were just there. I didn’t get to know any of them, they didn’t really have their funny little moments that made them stick out or anything. They weren’t fun. They were just there to hunt for something they didn’t believe in and get killed. The people in the first movie were much more entertaining and likeable.

Gore/FX: There is a good amount of gore, but a lot of it is totally unbelievable. For example, intestines being pulled out and used as rope – and the person is still alive… The intestines being thicker then the size of my wrist. A person chopped in half, crawling on the ground, being skinned alive rather quickly. I dunno, I like my kills cool looking, unique and creative, but realistic. So yes, the gore was cool (although it looked kinda shitty on the copy I watched with the pixels and discoloration) but not realistic.

Sexual Content: Two girls in a shower, two pairs of tits, and one weird doggeystyle session. Sorry boys, Danielle Harris does NOT get naked in it. She does have a shower scene but you don’t get to see anything.

Acting: If you were one of the people who complained about the acting in the first movie, then you might not want to bother with this one. I felt the acting was “cheaper” in this film then the first. I personally had no issues at all with the first movie. There are some cool cameo’s if your into that sort of thing and know the horror industry well. I know it somewhat decently, but I probably didn’t even catch all the cameos/roles – Uncle Bob (Tom Holland director of Fright Night & Child’s Play), Trent (R.A. Mihailoff who is Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, Victor Crowley (played by Kane Hodder who’s been in tons of stuff but most known as Jason Voorhees from Parts 7,8,9,10), Rev. Zombie (Tony Todd from Candyman & Final Destination), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5 as well as Rob Zombies crappy Halloween remake & sequel) and John Carl Buechler (FX great from Friday the 13th part 7 and many other films) As I said, I’m sure I missed one or two.

Overall: The movie was slightly entertaining, sort of a let down, but in the end I’d rather watch the first one. I think the movie probably would have done better to have more of a plot then these hunter people going into the woods. But it is what it is!

[rating:3/5]

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