Some spoilers!

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Wrong Turn 2:

I really had no expectations concerning this latest horror offering; I never intended on seeing this film. I just find most DTV (direct-to-video) fare to be pure rubbish nowadays. After hearing "good word" from the horror circuit (and reading several positive reviews), I figured I would check it out at an advanced screening.

The verdict: It's not that good. I was unfortunately right... It tends to have a DTV coating surrounding it -- and isn't reality tv, as an original idea, dead? Yes folks, this movie, once again, uses the cliched "reality tv" motif, only this time in the woods.

I found myself partially disappointed because this film tricked me into thinking that it would be a semi-decent genre piece. The movie starts off fairly well, and contains one of the most inventive opening death setups I've seen in a long time -- it's gruesome, creative, and disturbing. Not only that, but there are a few moments of tension to be found. When the murderous creatures are kept hidden in the woods, this movie sort of works.

However, around the 30 minute mark, everything goes to hell... The creatures are unshadowed, start talking (and arguing with each other no less), and everything basically collapses into nonsense. Big mistake! Any tension to be had is thrown out the window, and we are left with a giant block of seeping mozzerella.

Example: Bruenette bimbo in bikini, breasts glistening in the sunshine, is taking an afternoon swim in the lake which happens to be in a fairly wooded area. This scene occurs after everybody's favorite American girl is caught giving the reality show's creator an afternoon blowjob. Consequently, she is rushed, attacked, and killed by a jealous mutant/mongaloid girl -- after said mutant/mongaloid girl argues with her mutant/mongaloid boyfriend who, while hiding behind trees, was caught ejaculating to the site of the big breasted beauty. A slap upside the head is even exchanged between the couple.

This is actually one of the better moments the film has to offer.

Later in the film, the creepy duet is found during a raunchy sex session (by a couple of reality tv stars no less) while the mutant/mongaloid girl is dressed up in the bimbo's ensemble from earlier.

This film unfortunately descends to even worse levels when we get to know the killers: seeing their arguments, relationship issues, and knowing they like to watch tv is no way to build suspense. It kills everything the first 20 minutes established. All in all, it's a case of a film starting out decently, and getting worse as we move along.

One important caveat: Someone involved with this film's creation has an obvious bondage fetish. The mutants sure like tying young guys and girls up (dead or alive). Even when these characters could have just been easily killed, the killers still prefer tying them up first (which leads to some escaping). The mutants appear to want everyone dead, so it really doesn't make much sense why all these people with worked-out bodies are tied up at various points throughout the film? You get a tied up mulatto male, a tied up army guy, a caged girl, a dead girl tied to the mutants' truck, and other offerings.

Bottom Line: This is another case of the horror genre being so stagnant right now that we're expected to lap up these mediocre, at best, titles. Basically, it's taking what you can get, and pretending it's better than what it is just to get through the patchy times.

Sorry, but not me. This one's for the can... And don't forget to flush!

Grade: D+

WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END (2007)


I saw the first “Wrong Turn” its opening weekend in theaters back in 2003. It was a very entertaining and fast-paced (granted it was only 81 minutes long) thrill-ride that rarely let up until the credits rolled. I wanted to see a sequel all along, but a Direct-to-DVD one wasn’t what I had in mind. Sure a sequel wouldn’t likely be a big Box Office hit as the first grossed just a bit over 15 Million at the Box Office (on a budget of under 13 Million), but it had pretty solid legs for being an under-advertised slasher flick that opened in 1,615 theaters. They were especially impressive considering it opened at the start of summer and had big blockbuster movies as competition. But it was a fun movie that seemed to please audiences looking for a scare and that helped make its life at the Box Office a bit longer. Since it then went on to become more popular on DVD, making a pretty penny in rentals and sales, Fox eventually decided to make a sequel. I thought that if they aimed for a theatrical release and opened it in the horror-hungry month of October it could easily make more than the first. After all, many more people saw the first on DVD and the name would bring in a bigger audience the second time around. It could have been able to scare up 20 Million at the Box Office alone. But alas, they figured it would be cheaper to just send it directly to video store shelves. They are right too. They managed to save millions in marketing by dumping it on to DVD and relying on the name to sell itself, like most Direct-to-DVD sequels. And with an estimated budget of just 4 Million, it will pretty much be instantly profitable. It’s just not going to get the exposure that a theatrical release does.

So, yeah, when I heard about this being a Direct-to-DVD sequel with a plot about reality show contestants no less, I was expecting it to be entertaining crap at best. But once the movie was wrapped and people were able to see screenings of it, surprisingly positive things were actually being said about it. Some were even saying it was better than the original. How could that be? Were these people that just didn’t like the original and found it easy to surpass? I didn’t see how a Direct-to-DVD sequel with a plot I wasn’t very thrilled about could manage the feat of being better than the first. But after reading mostly encouraging reviews for it I began to think that maybe this really would be good.

Were the reviews right or were my fears realized? Well, I must say I’m very happy to report that this was a shockingly good sequel with the quality of a theatrical release. It really did deserve to be released in theaters. After a killer opening with a nice death scene the movie does slow down a bit to set-up the storyline with the reality show contestants, but soon after it gets going and is an exciting, gore-filled time. I was really impressed. This is actually a very worthy follow-up to the first movie and in some ways it actually surpasses it. I’m kind of surprised they even managed to make this movie for as cheap as they did. If this cost only 4 Million then where the hell did the almost 13 Million spent on the original go? I sure can’t figure it out.

It’s kind of sad that the awful sequel to Alexandre Aja’s “The Hills Have Eyes” remake was given a theatrical release earlier this year but this gets sent Straight-to-DVD. I know it’s because “The Hills Have Eyes” was a much bigger hit, but I would recommend this a million times over before ever recommending that movie. Just because this was sent to DVD without a theatrical release doesn’t mean it’s not good. Ok, so I know that’s usually the case, but sometimes you can be surprised by a gem. And sometimes movies of Straight-to-DVD quality end up in theaters (like The Hills Have Eyes 2). From a strictly financial point of view I really don’t blame Fox for sending that one to theaters. But it’s easily one of the worst quality theatrical releases of the year. Worst of all was the unbelievably atrocious dialogue (which I could not believe I was hearing). If I heard they actually had a drunk, idiotic frat boy write the script I’d believe it. I don’t see how a professional could write such childish dialogue. So, you have these two horror flicks from Fox, both involving cannibalistic, deformed mutants, and the exceptionally bad one is the one that showed at your local multiplex. I mean, it wouldn’t be as bad if this got a theatrical release too, but it didn’t. And with the “Hills Have Eyes” sequel’s disappointing (though not catastrophic) Box Office and rental performance (the sequel took in less than half of the 41.8 Million that the original grossed theatrically), “Wrong Turn 2” actually might have been more popular. Say it made 20 Million (and this would be very possible in October) with a budget of just 4 Million. That would be 16 Million after covering the budget (though not including marketing costs), compared to the 5.8 Million of “The Hills Have Eyes 2” (and you know it cost more than that to market), so it would actually be in the negative after its run at US multiplexes. “Wrong Turn 2” could have taken in just as much if not more in rentals. The only place “Hills” would easily beat it is in sales, and that’s because it’s a bigger name. But either way, “Wrong Turn 2” would have most likely ended up turning more of a profit. Like Fox though I’m sure I wouldn’t have thought this before “The Hills Have Eyes 2” opened, but after that and after viewing this movie I think they should have made the decision to go with a theatrical release. That’s just my opinion though. They’ll still turn a profit with this and viewers who liked the first or just horror flicks in general should be pleased with what this sequel has to offer.

I’m not too sure what to say about the actual movie. This is one where I really don’t have many comments about the events in it. I just had a really good time and I enjoyed Erica Leerhsen (Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – 2003) in it. Her character, Nina, was my favorite and the most interesting. Aside from her character, the only others I liked were Amber, Mara, Jake, and especially Dale (played by Henry Rollins in a pretty kickass role).

The major problem I have with most of the endless line of Direct-to-DVD sequels being released is that the majority of them just copy the plots from the previous films. Some even annoyingly feature the exact same type of scenes that were in the original, with the exact same thing happening to another character. It’s really infuriating, not to mention unrealistic that this same exact thing with either identical or similar dialogue would be happening to someone else. Not as similarly as it does in these movies anyway. It gets so sickening to see the exact plot from the previous films being copied with only the characters being different. What these “sequels” should really be called is remakes, which is basically what they are. And the thing is that some of these sequels can actually be quite entertaining, even if they are mostly the same thing recycled over and over again. Yet when they do this I can’t help but be incredibly bothered by it anyway. I have no problem with Direct-to-DVD sequels being created, except when they’re just cheap cash-ins using the same plot. If they can create a different plot that’s actually good and don’t have someone new playing a character from a previous entry, then I really don’t mind.

Thankfully “Wrong Turn 2” is none of this. This is a perfect example of a Direct-to-DVD sequel with its own idea. I wish the quality of others could be this good.

Since this is going to be a profitable title for Fox you can bet we’ll see a third entry sometime in the future. But advice to them; keep the same writer and director. Such an impressive job was done with this one that bringing in someone else could just screw up what is so far an enjoyable series. I will be disappointed if the next one has all new filmmakers. I trust that with them and another new plot (one different than the previous two) they will deliver another winner.

Grade: 8/10 (B+)

It is really violent and makes up for 1408. A lot of people seem to like this one, as they should. It's very enjoyable.

Goofy and clearly very low-rent but it makes up for it thanks to imaginative deaths in an unpredictable order. It's also probably the first horror movie using the reality TV angle that actually utilizes it well... Enough at least. Oh yeah and Henry Rollins is a fucking god. I'd highly suggest you watch it with a bunch of intoxicated people, audience reaction is half the fun and if you can find a bunch of people who will watch it together all the way through sober, you've got a better social network than I do.