Spooky Season is nearly upon us, and with that comes the time-honored tradition of horror movie binge watching. For some, this is a year-long event, and not sequestered into a mere four to six week period. Others, however, may prefer to save their scary movie marathons for when the air turns crisp and Halloween decorations adorn their home. While tuning in to watch the typical classics may be your annual cup of tea, perhaps you’re looking for something new to add to your list. 10/31 Part 2, a horror anthology of 5 gruesome shorts, sits squarely amongst the ranks of campy, fun B movies to watch this Halloween season.
Right away, you get a sense for the comedic flair 10/31 Part 2 is going for when even before it begins, they provide you with a handful of fake movie trailers, each one more ridiculous in concept than the next. And that’s exactly what they’re going for. You can tell that the filmmakers are comfortable with the fact that this movie is full-on camp material, but that’s part of what makes it fun. There’s a short introduction in the beginning by host Malvolia the Queen of Screams (Jennifer Nangle), who has obvious Elvira Mistress of the Dark vibes. She sets the tone for what you’re about to experience perfectly, which helps gets you in the right mood.
Anthology films work well with horror stories because they are often easily told in compact, digestible segments without the need for much set-up or exposition. This holds true for all five shorts in this movie, all of which are diversified enough to set themselves apart from one another.
The first short, A Samhain Liturgy, is your typical “babysitter watches a creepy kid and things go awry” storyline, but takes its time to add in a few serves along the way. Part monster story and part occult story, it’s a gory and traditional way to kick things off.
Dead Lift, arguably the least horror-like of all the stories, tells a tale of a ride-share gone wrong, complete with a creepy old man with an eerie knack for mind control.
Apache Hatchet Massacre, the shortest in length, is by far the most nonsensical of the bunch. It’s the one you’ll find yourself screaming at the TV more than any other, saying “Why did they do that?!” as you watch a group of clueless campers who stay the night on, you guessed it, ancient Indian burial grounds.
The most original of the mini-films lies with Overkill. The concept is simple but brilliant; what if more than one serial killer goes after the same victim? It presents some of the most clever dialogue in the entire movie, and has a lot of fun with the plot while offering up enough creep factor to still be considered horror.
Ending things off is Sister Mary, a strange tale of a nun with questionable morals whose bad decisions come back to haunt her.
Overall, 10/31 Part 2 offers up enough thrills and chills, with a spattering of well-timed laughs, to make this a watchable option this Halloween season. This isn’t a work you’re likely to see in the festival circuit, and if you’re particularly squeamish, you may have a difficult time with the over-the-top gore. If you’re looking for a comical, frightful movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, then kick back with some popcorn and hot chocolate and give this little B-Movie a try.
6 out of 10
10/31 Part 2 | ||
RATING: | NR |
10 31 PART 2 Official Trailer |
Runtime: | 1 Hr. 45 Mins. | |
Directed By: | ||
Written By: |