When putting this title on my wish list I had no idea it was a sequel. I guess when Seed 2 was picked up by a distribution deal it was re-named Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge to attract a bigger audience…which I guess worked because, Hell, someone bought it for me didn’t they? Still, without knowing it was a sequel – I just thought Seed wanted revenge for shits and giggles – I was still interested enough in the movie to ask for it. Here’s my thoughts on Seed 2 aka Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge having watched it in full last night.
Seed 2 is written and directed by Marcel Walz (James St. James Presents Avantgarde) based on characters from Uwe Boll (Seed) and translations by Annika Strauss. Cast members include Natalie Scheetz (Madison County), Christa Campbell (2001 Maniacs), Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Hatchet 3), Jeff Dylan Graham (Bloody Bloody Bible Camp), Manoush (13 Til Midnight), Jared Demetri Luciano, Annika Strauss, and Nick Principe (Laid to Rest, Army of the Damned) as Max Seed.
In Seed 2, “Christine and her friends are driving through the hot desert of Nevada on the way back from her bachelorette party in Las Vegas. But they are not alone – serial killer Max Seed is back and he brought the whole family with him.”
Honestly, the biggest thing Seed 2 seems to be lacking is a worthwhile plot. I had already missed the first installment in the franchise, yet I felt like I didn’t miss out on anything. I watched this title late at night, with the volume as low as possible and without closed captions, and still I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. To me Max Seed is just a generic, albeit fucked up, serial killer who doesn’t bring anything new to the table. He wears a Leatherface-esque match, but has the body of Jacob Goodnight in See No Evil. He gets really turned on my graphic violence and has trouble controlling his impulses in regards to said graphic violence. Even the addition of his family members didn’t bring anything new to the table. We’ve seen that before, too. Sure, he crucifies a chick in the middle of the desert and violates a woman with a gun, but I wanted more. Why go for basic revenge when you can get real revenge?
Luckily, the part that makes up for the lack of plot and character development that most of the cast are horror film familiars who we all know and love. Seriously, they are really great here. My first thought was, “Oh. Look at these ‘Rock of Love’ rejects,” but then I noticed their faces a bit more and I was actually happy to see them all in a new movie. And, I think having been in horror films before, all of the leading ladies had natural performances that fit really well with the grittiness and mood of the movie. Special shout out to Christa Campbell and Caroline Williams! I would buy any movie that Williams is in. She’s fantastic and I wish she had a bigger role here. Also, shout out to Nick Principe for letting himself get as dirty, deranged, and evil as he did in this movie. It must have been difficult, especially without words.
I’m not exactly sure what happened at the end, but the last twenty minutes started to go off a cliff and free-fall for straws to grasp at. The character I mentioned above who is crucified, she escapes and somehow manages to run a great deal of distance, barefoot through the desert…despite having just had a huge fucking nail through her feet. Then everyone starts turning on each other. And the end made no sense and lacked a connection with reality. I won’t spoil it for you, but there’s no way a breakdown like that could happen so quickly. It’s always wise to end your movie with a good, somewhat realistic ending because that’s usually the part people always remember. I probably could have rated Seed 2 a little bit higher and stuck with its guns (no pun intended) and just been a brutal hack and slash…and other things.
I thought Seed 2 was going to be horrendous based on some of the reviews I read online and comments I heard from other reviewers after I already received the movie. I’m glad I gave it a chance, and I can’t say I agree or disagree. Seed 2 isn’t the worst movie ever, it’s just not original or groundbreaking or even that interesting. Luckily, it has beautiful cinematography, breathtaking backdrops, awesome special effects from Ryan and Megan Nicholson, and a great cast. So, despite the lack of plot and an ending that is kind of way out in left field, I’m still going to rate Seed 2 a 5 out of 10.
