Tuesday, October 25

31 Days Of Horror: Day 17



[Rec] 2
Dir: Juame Balaguero and Paco Plaza
Starring: Jonathan Mellor and Manuela Velasco

So, I like this talk about sequels, so I decided to talk about one of the best in the last few years. [Rec] is a great Spanish language cinema verite house of horror feature; though at times it does its best to contribute stock in Dramamine, this film resulted with high-energy action and buckets of blood. It was so well received that American producer’s, in their vast wisdom, decided to pull a Gus Van Sant shot-for-shot remake in the vein of the Psycho catastrophe, however, Quarantine is not as terrible. How do you continue a story that so simply created elements of terror in an apartment complex and ended with zero survivors? Well, you of course continue the film from the ending of the previous film, just like Halloween 2 did.

[Rec] 2 could have gone for the easy win. Continue with the formula that worked in the first film, heighten the death count, and add a few more buckets to the blood bank…well yes, they did do that, but they also took a daring turn in storytelling. How do you successfully turn an infection film into something completely different? [Spoiler Alert] Make it a demonic possession film!!! In one of the best-handled left turns that I’ve seen in a long time, [Rec] 2 changed the entire concept of the film. In a great scene of near inescapable demise, our central characters are trapped, without ammo, in a narrow hallway with the “infected” stalking down the passage. With the characters hopeless, the “infected” charge down the hall, but suddenly stop, as one of the characters throws off his jacket revealing a clerical collar and a crucifix. Why haven’t you watched this yet? Again, it’s a hard feat making a good horror sequel, and though Halloween 2 might not have surpassed the legendary original, [Rec] 2 is far superior to the first film. Day 17 from left field. 

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