Whilst you don't need to have watched the first See No Evil film recently (or at all, actually as the second films gives you a wonderful catch up on the previous instalment) See No Evil 2 works wonderfully as a double bill of horror alongside the first film. So what has changed since 2006?
Well, Glenn 'Kane' Jacobs is back as Jacob Goodnight, the psychotic abuse victim who stands (or lies as the start of See No Evil 2) at 323 lbs and 7ft in height. But he is dead ..or is he? Well, more than likely not. The main change from the first film to this second film (or second half as you can also choose to think of it) is the introduction of Jen and Sylvia Soska into the directing chairs for this installment.
Fresh from films such as The ABCs of Death 2 (where they directed the 'T for Torture Porn' segment) and the wonderful body modification film American Mary, The Soska twins have most definitely put their stamp on See No Evil 2 whilst still managing to avoid making any major changes to the look and feel of this world of Jacob Goodnight.
But they have brought their own immensely talented filmmaking skills and touches to this world and given the film a beautiful look.
The film screams 'Soska', with its cinematography, with its body horror elements and with the unnerving tension in many scenes that in other directors hands, could and would come off as cheesy. More than likely a large percentage of people who watch See No Evil 2 will have seen a whole host of 'slasher thrillers' over the years. As have it, but I found some great 'tweeks' within See No Evil 2 that weren't a retread of days gone by.
Within minutes of the opening, I was left expecting things, that in other horror films would be obvious plot points, yet here and on several occasions I was left second guessing myself as to what I thought might happen. On many (and most) occasions I was wrong which gave me a sense of being unsure about the 'rules' of See No Evil 2. Love it. More films need to do this.
Its Amy's (played by Danielle Harris) birthday and so her supervisor arranges for a bunch of her friends to show up at the hospital and have a party of sorts. This is of course a great reason to have a bunch of slasher fodder all in the same place but hey. This is a horror film after all. The rest of the cast are all varied and work brilliantly together. From the rampant boy and girl Tamara (Katherine Isabelle) & Carter (Lee Majdoub) to the protective brother, Will (played by Greyston Holt) I love it when I see a cast of characters who don't appear to have been written by the same scriptwriter. I genuinely cared about many of the characters in this film which as we all know is a risky and silly thing to do when they are faced with a 7ft tall sword wielding psychopath in a horror flick. But I genuinely worried about the dangers these guys and girls were in.
Some comments I have seen claim the film isn't 'Soska' enough, not creeping up to the gore levels of say American Mary and such like. I say WRONG on that. The film has some terrific moments and some brilliant tense sequences. Plus do remember this is a sequel and a follow on from another film, to change the motives of the killer too much would damage a perfectly good film from 2006. Jen and Sylvia have done a great job continuing the Jacob Goodnight story and added another wonderful addition to a fantastic filmography. I was first introduced to the world of Jen and Sylvia Soska last year when the film American Mary was recommended to me by my podcast co hosts Lauren Rebecca Reid and Stuart Miller on my own horror show. I took their recommendation and within minutes knew that The Soska Twins were a breath of fresh air to the horror genre and had entered that elite list of names who are pretty much guaranteed to deliver a quality, or at least something different to the films we watch. Whilst there filmography is shorter than some, (but longer than others) its a lot of fun working your way back from the debut (Dead Hooker In A Trunk) through to The ABCs of Death 2. Cant wait to see their future.
Bring on Painkiller Jane! and Vendetta, both projects that are highly anticipated by myself, but also from the legions of fans of Jen and Sylvia.
Do check out See No Evil 2, I found the film a lot of fun and so far have seen it twice. I also checked out the special features on the Blu Ray which give you a fun insight into how Jen and Sylvia work, but also glimpses into what it was like on the set of See No Evil 2. Definitely worth a purchase!
Well, Glenn 'Kane' Jacobs is back as Jacob Goodnight, the psychotic abuse victim who stands (or lies as the start of See No Evil 2) at 323 lbs and 7ft in height. But he is dead ..or is he? Well, more than likely not. The main change from the first film to this second film (or second half as you can also choose to think of it) is the introduction of Jen and Sylvia Soska into the directing chairs for this installment.
Fresh from films such as The ABCs of Death 2 (where they directed the 'T for Torture Porn' segment) and the wonderful body modification film American Mary, The Soska twins have most definitely put their stamp on See No Evil 2 whilst still managing to avoid making any major changes to the look and feel of this world of Jacob Goodnight.
But they have brought their own immensely talented filmmaking skills and touches to this world and given the film a beautiful look.
The film screams 'Soska', with its cinematography, with its body horror elements and with the unnerving tension in many scenes that in other directors hands, could and would come off as cheesy. More than likely a large percentage of people who watch See No Evil 2 will have seen a whole host of 'slasher thrillers' over the years. As have it, but I found some great 'tweeks' within See No Evil 2 that weren't a retread of days gone by.
Within minutes of the opening, I was left expecting things, that in other horror films would be obvious plot points, yet here and on several occasions I was left second guessing myself as to what I thought might happen. On many (and most) occasions I was wrong which gave me a sense of being unsure about the 'rules' of See No Evil 2. Love it. More films need to do this.
Its Amy's (played by Danielle Harris) birthday and so her supervisor arranges for a bunch of her friends to show up at the hospital and have a party of sorts. This is of course a great reason to have a bunch of slasher fodder all in the same place but hey. This is a horror film after all. The rest of the cast are all varied and work brilliantly together. From the rampant boy and girl Tamara (Katherine Isabelle) & Carter (Lee Majdoub) to the protective brother, Will (played by Greyston Holt) I love it when I see a cast of characters who don't appear to have been written by the same scriptwriter. I genuinely cared about many of the characters in this film which as we all know is a risky and silly thing to do when they are faced with a 7ft tall sword wielding psychopath in a horror flick. But I genuinely worried about the dangers these guys and girls were in.
Some comments I have seen claim the film isn't 'Soska' enough, not creeping up to the gore levels of say American Mary and such like. I say WRONG on that. The film has some terrific moments and some brilliant tense sequences. Plus do remember this is a sequel and a follow on from another film, to change the motives of the killer too much would damage a perfectly good film from 2006. Jen and Sylvia have done a great job continuing the Jacob Goodnight story and added another wonderful addition to a fantastic filmography. I was first introduced to the world of Jen and Sylvia Soska last year when the film American Mary was recommended to me by my podcast co hosts Lauren Rebecca Reid and Stuart Miller on my own horror show. I took their recommendation and within minutes knew that The Soska Twins were a breath of fresh air to the horror genre and had entered that elite list of names who are pretty much guaranteed to deliver a quality, or at least something different to the films we watch. Whilst there filmography is shorter than some, (but longer than others) its a lot of fun working your way back from the debut (Dead Hooker In A Trunk) through to The ABCs of Death 2. Cant wait to see their future.
Bring on Painkiller Jane! and Vendetta, both projects that are highly anticipated by myself, but also from the legions of fans of Jen and Sylvia.
Do check out See No Evil 2, I found the film a lot of fun and so far have seen it twice. I also checked out the special features on the Blu Ray which give you a fun insight into how Jen and Sylvia work, but also glimpses into what it was like on the set of See No Evil 2. Definitely worth a purchase!