Director(s) – Jennifer Nangle (Spirit Board, Dare You), Tory van Buskirk (Come to Me Sister Mary, Alone), Stephen Wolfe (Dacula’s Coffin, Doll Factory), Max Groah (Never Say Dead, Carpool), and Drew Marvick (Scared to Death, Pool Party Massacre)
Starring – London Grace (The White Witch, Ghosthunters), Jennifer Nangle, and R.J. Wagner (Terror Tales, Hans Crippleton: Talks to the Hans)
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “More blood soaked tales of horror and the macabre”
Halloween is fast approaching and this is the most excited I’ve been for the holiday in sometime. I’ve watched so many horror movies this month getting in the holiday spirit but with Halloween just around the corner I want to switch gears and check out some Halloween flicks.
Last year I watched the horror anthology 10/31 produced by Rocky Gray with segments directed by several amazing filmmakers. The film was perfect for the Halloween season but the film was rather forgettable. A few days back I was tagged in a post on Facebook by a friend. Rocky was looking for reviewers to check out his follow up 10/31 Part 2. Thanks Rocky for allowing me the opportunity to check this one out!
**Spoiler Alert**The film begins with Malvolia who tells us the stories we are about to watch. The first, A Samhain Liturgy, follows a babysitter who is watching a little boy on Halloween. She sneaks her boyfriend over and find something unnatural living in the basement. When they investigate they find themselves in the middle of a cult with their blood on the menu. The second tale, Dead Lift, follows an Uber-like driver waiting for his next fair on Halloween night when a man dressed like a vampire approaches him. What happens next is anything but your typical vampire tale. The third, Apache Hatchet Massacre II (not a tomahawk but a hatchet), follows a group of party goers celebrating Halloween when they meet a gruesome end from a hatchet wielding maniac. The fourth tale, Overkill, follows a masked wielding maniac stacking up the body count on Halloween when he spots his next victim. However, he is not the only killer walking the streets. The final tale, Sister Mary, follows a nun with a different past who has to deal with her own demons on Halloween.**Spoiler Alert**
Halloween anthologies are the backbone of any Halloween viewing. Most people toss in classics like Creepshow, Trick ‘r Treat, and even All Hallow’s Eve to an extent so I’m always open to check out a new anthology. 10/31, as I said earlier, was a fun movie but one you won’t remember from Halloween to Halloween. 10/31 Part 2 once again delivers a Halloween filled fun anthology but some of the segments are not consistent.
The acting in this one is one of the few aspects of the film that is consistent. Every segment is fairly well acted but some do have a little more entertaining characters than others. The cast in each segment do a fantastic job portraying their characters and they move the stories along nicely.
The stories for this one is the biggest inconsistency of the film. What makes anthologies so much fun is the wraparound segments. These segments hold the whole film together while offering a nice and neat bookend to the film when everything is said and done. I wasn’t digging the horror host angle of the Malvolia: Queen of Screams wraparound. It would have worked if the character had more personality like Elvira or Sister Sadie Safeword but she didn’t. Her segments just played through but they don’t really pull the viewer in.
The first segment does a great job kicking the film off. I really enjoy movies centered around Satanic or Pagan cults and this one was really fun. In fact, I really wish it was a little longer. The second tale, Dead Lift, was decent and an interesting story but the pacing of the segment was a little on the slow side which threw the anthology off beat somewhat. Don’t let the slow moving short fool you though. It’s enjoyable if you stick with it. The third segment, Apache Hatchet Massacre II, is the shortest segment in the film and possibly one of the weakest. With that being said, it does have the more memorable characters in the film. It just feels underdeveloped and rushed.
The next segment, Overkill, is the highlight of the film. The story is so damn entertaining and can be expanded upon in so many way. Director Drew Marvick needs to give us more of this. The final segment, Sister Mary, was the low point in the film to me. The short has a decent story but the way it is told on camera makes for a bit of a boring experience.
Finally, if you want some blood you will find it here. Each segment stands on their own in very different ways. Some of the shorts are much more bloodier than the others but amazing practical effects can be seen pretty much throughout. I really enjoyed the quality of carnage the film brought. Overall, 10/31 Part 2 is another worthy Halloween horror film that should be added to your Halloween movie rotation. One segment stands above the rest but the whole movie is enjoyable. I highly recommend checking this one out this Halloween season.
