News

Movie Review: See No Evil 2

Published

10 years ago

October 22, 2014

See No Evil 2 is exactly what it is supposed to be in some regards. It was unlikely that we would have gotten anything much better than what we did with a sequel to 2006’s See No Evil. The first one was reasonably entertaining for what it was, but certainly wasn’t breaking any new ground. It’s not one I’d return to very frequently as I might with its slashser predecessors from twenty years prior.

In fact, I’ve only seen it twice – once after it hit DVD and once more about a month ago as I wanted to refresh my memory with the sequel on the way. I wouldn’t have even cared about the coming sequel if not for the names attached to it, which I suspect is a similar feeling to what a lot of other horror fans had.

See No Evil 2, now out on VOD, is directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, also known as the Soska Sisters. They really need no introduction at this point. After impressing with 2012’s American Mary, they’ve become genre stars. They also have a segment in ABCs of Death 2 (review here), which is also currently on VOD, and hitting select theaters on Halloween.

Earlier this year, news that the Soska Sisters were taking on a slasher sequel just sounded good. There probably weren’t many sitting around anticipating a See No Evil sequel, but once that announcement was made, we thought back on the first movie, and what the Soskas might bring to the table, and it sounded fun. It also helped that genre favorites Danielle Harris and Katherine Isabelle were attached. Suddenly expectations were high for a movie that probably wouldn’t have otherwise had any expectations whatsoever.

I’m sorry to say that while it may be my own fault for setting those expectations, I was a bit underwhelmed by the movie. I’m glad I saw it once, but like the first one, I don’t see myself returning to it very much down the road. In fact, I’m more likely to return to the first one if either. Then again, who knows? I may change my mind if a third installment pops up with any level of intrigue.

I like the way See No Evil 2 is set up, which is a birthday party at the morgue where villain Jacob Goodnight and some of his victims are taken. The words “morgue party” just beg for slasher movie fun, but nearly the entire film takes place in this setting, and after a while, not entirely unlike Halloween II before it, it just kind of drags a bit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, or Sam Loomis going for it.

If there’s one thing a slasher film should do, it’s deliver fun and/or otherwise memorable kills, and See No Evil 2’s generally didn’t fit those standards for my opinion, save for one pretty good throat gag.

For the Soskas, the movie feels like a step backward from American Mary, but they didn’t write, it, and that might ultimately be the biggest problem. I like to think that if they had written it, it may have turned out better. My experience may have also suffered from just having reached a point in my life where a slasher has to really offer something special for me to care. Unfortunately,that something has been harder to come by since the post-Scream era.

You can still tell they had fun making it, and there are some interesting scenes and shots sprinkled throughout. I certainly wouldn’t put the movie on the lowest end of the slasher spectrum. I’d call it roughly middle of the road. It’s worth a watch, and I still look forward to more of the Soskas’ work including the coming Painkiller Jane project.

Jacob Goodnight does get a mask in the film, and further establishes the chain as his weapon of choice, though he’s certainly not limiting himself. It feels like his identity in the slasher world has been made clearer.

Jacob would be a scary brute to reckon with in real life for sure, but on film, he’s kind of boring as movie killers go – more so this time around. I may be biased toward another murdering brute with mommy issues who has historically had more entertaining people to kill as well as more entertaining kills. Harris has also faced more interesting killers in the past (you know, like Milo in The Last Boy Scout and the Noxema girl in Urban Legend. Oh yeah, and that Mike Myers guy).

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.