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Directed by Written by Starring Presented by 93 minutes |
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BOOGEYMAN 2 Review
After serving as editor for genre fare such as the two GRUDGE films for Ghost House Pictures, the production company under Sam Raimi, Jeff Betancourt is promoted to director to helm a sequel to a modest PG-13 rated slasher (though the film was shot with the intention of an R rating) that’s in name only, featuring new characters, a new setting, and with its direct to DVD approach, more freedom from the censors. Having viewed an unrated version of the film, BOOGEYMAN 2 manages to be a rare sequel that succeeds the original in almost every way, despite its many flaws and an all too familiar feeling. The film centers around Laura Porter (Danielle Savre) who along with her brother Henry (Matt Cohen) witnessed the brutal murder of their parents as children. Now in their late teens, Laura voluntarily checks into a mental hospital to deal with the fear of the boogeyman. She is under the care of Dr. Mitchell Allen (Tobin Bell, Jigsaw from the SAW movies) and Dr. Jessica Ryan (Renee O’Connor), who put Laura in a group session with a bunch of troubled teens that all claim that an unnatural presence looms the hospital halls at night. When they start to die one by one (by what look to be suicides), it seems that Laura’s fear of the boogeyman has come back, but will she face her fear and fight back this time? The one thing with all of the films made by Ghost House is that the production has been absolutely stellar, and in BOOGEYMAN 2, it’s the film’s biggest strength. This has the look and feel of a theatrical release, and the hospital has a very creepy atmosphere to it. The special effects are also done very well here, with good use of lighting (in scenes where “The Boogeyman” appears and plays with the lights of the hospital) and director Betancourt does a solid job of editing as the film flows through its 89 minutes well. The characters have a bit of a likeability factor to them, but the group of kids are the clichéd group, such as the obsessive compulsive, the ultra thin bulimic, the wrist cutting goth chick, and the pot smoking addict. All of them are facing their fears in the hopes of getting better, and it is these fears that lead to their fate. The two doctors are very good, with Tobin Bell doing more than he did in all of SAW as Dr. Allen, and Renee O’Connor giving a really solid performance as the caring Dr. Ryan, who does believe that something is amiss herself. Danielle Savre is also a good lead as Laura, showing strength and vulnerability in that she’s willing from the beginning to conquer her fear of The Boogeyman. That aspect alone makes THE BOOGEYMAN 2 viewable, for although the teens are clichéd, the main character isn’t. The script by Brian Sieve, his first, isn’t the most original but it makes the best use of the film’s one location: the hospital. The film does at points seem to rehash from other horror movies of the 1980s, namely BAD DREAMS and ELM STREET 3 in its setting, also in the setup of the kills does feel a little like SAW (which makes sense because of the casting of Bell) but they are inventive, and in this unrated version, very gory. One of the most gruesome moments involve the after effects of ingesting cleaner and a body literally exploding a la Monty Python (spoiler alert). The film’s ending was a bit of a let down, and settled on one twist after another that really didn’t surprise as it should’ve. Regardless, it is a superior sequel to the original and since this has no connection with the previous film, I would bet that this would’ve been a minor hit if this came out first in theaters. It definitely had the feel of it for sure. In all, I would have to say that BOOGEYMAN 2 is a satisfactory film worthy of a look for fans looking for something to watch on a Saturday night, with some moments of gore that will whet their appetites and offers a decent directorial debut from Jeff Betancourt. The strengths are in the production value and editing, which are far above average for a movie released direct to DVD. A worthy rental for a fun night with some friends looking for some good old fashioned slasher entertainment, but nothing more than that. BOOGEYMAN 2: 6 Out Of 10 Maggots CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JEFF BETANCOURT! CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH STAR RENEE O'CONNOR!
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