I Spit on Your Grave 2 (2013)

Directed by: Stephen R. Monroe

Starring: Jemma Dallender, Joe Absolom, Yavar Baharov, Aleksandar Aleksiev, and Mary Stockley

Genre: Horror, Slasher, Exploitation, Rape-Revenge

Rated: R

Katie has just moved to New York in hopes of beginning a modeling career. In need of new photos for her portfolio she answers an ad offering a free set for prospective models. However, answering this ad brings her to the attention of some very dangerous men, and soon Katie finds herself trapped in a nightmare of rape and torture – one that the perpetrators will soon regret inflicting upon her.

I’m not really certain why this sequel was made, except to cash in on the success of the remake and cult status of the original film. The filmmakers tried to take it in a different direction this time, tackling the human trafficking issue, but I feel it may have taken on more than it could handle.

I found the plot a lot harder to believe than that of the previous film. Katie is extremely naïve, and I found it foolish of her to think that such an ad could be entirely on the up-and-up. When is something ever given away for free without some kind of catch, especially a photo shoot that typically costs about $2,000? I understand that she’s a country girl, but that doesn’t mean she’s foolhardy enough to walk into something that is obviously shady. (Let me be clear, I am in NO WAY victim blaming. The character did NOT deserve or ask for what happened to her. I simply think she was written as far too naïve for a girl living in a slummy part of town, who is obviously smarter and more resourceful than that. If anything it’s an insult to her character and to the audience.)

The initial attack I did find believable. One of the men from the photo shoot, Georgy, appears at her apartment to drop off a flash drive containing the pictures. He later breaks into her apartment, ties her up, and brutally rapes her – a graphic and honest portrayal of the horrific act. What follows is a bit more far-fetched, as the super catches Georgy in the act, and is stabbed to death in his attempt to rescue Katie. Georgy then calls his brothers to rescue him and Katie is drugged and packed in a crate, only to wake up in Bulgaria, laying naked on a bare mattress in a basement. (How they got her to Bulgaria is anyone’s guess, and has been a topic of much debate on the imdb.com message boards.) There she is brutally raped and tortured by the brothers and one man who paid the brothers for a turn. (This was the point where the flimsy human-trafficking subplot comes in.) Once she has been beaten to near unconsciousness, she is once again drugged, packed into the box, and left for dead. These men underestimate Katie’s strength, and for that, they will pay with their lives.

As in both previous films, Katie comes back with a vengeance and the viewers get to watch these rapists and their conspirators get their just desserts. I did like how Katie twisted the tortures each man inflicted upon her back on them as she was taking her revenge. However, I found it hard to believe that she could manhandle these grown men as easily as she does, as she is more petite than her predecessors, and these men easily ranged from 170 to over 250 pounds. To drag them through the sewers like she does would take greater strength than she looks like she could possess, but maybe she’s running on pure adrenaline.

I didn’t find the performances as convincing as in the remake or the original. Jemma Dallender does well in the first hour of the film as the victim, but when playing the badass revenge seeking heroine of the last portion of the movie, I feel she falls short. Joe Absolom was probably the most convincing as Ivan, the ringleader of the group, and he’s a little scary, but mostly just comes off as an angry older brother trying to clean up another mess Georgy has made. Baharov (Georgy) is really only menacing in the initial rape scene in Katie’s apartment, and Aleksiev’s Nicolay is nothing more than an egotistical drug-addled douche bag.

These actors cannot take the entire blame for these characters not holding up; they were just working with what they had. Georgy appears to be written as almost sympathetic after the initial incident in Katie’s apartment. He comes off as a little mentally and intellectually troubled, and I wonder if he’s a half-hearted homage to Matthew from both the original and remake. It appears that Georgy thinks that he and Katie have some kind of connection, and tries to take care of her – not understanding why she rejects him. In a twisted way he almost becomes sympathetic, except, like Katie, the audience cannot forget that this entire scenario is his fault. Unlike Matthew, Georgy was not coerced or forced into participating, he initiated the attack. His brothers wouldn’t have gotten involved if it weren’t for him. He may be intellectually challenged, but he is also violent and dangerous.  

The character of Nicolay seemed only really good for one thing, and that was supplying the drugs to keep Katie under control. Honestly, he was just there to add to the rape count and further humiliate Katie, and his obnoxious character was not really necessary. I think the film would have worked better if Ivan had the drugs and Nicolay wasn’t even in the picture. His character seemed like an afterthought – like “Oh, we need a fourth man, because the original and remake had a group of four,” and he could have been left out entirely.

To be honest, the human trafficking angle didn’t work, as there was only one paying “customer,” so he could have been left out as well. His entrance into the film wasn’t handled very well, as him being a customer isn’t explicitly made clear. He is just suddenly in the room with Katie with no introduction. The torture he inflicts could have been performed by Ivan, (if it had to be in the film at all) and the human trafficking subplot could have been dropped, as it doesn’t work with this particular formula.

I think this film would have worked better if it the men had left Katie for dead after the apartment incident. That scene was plenty brutal enough; her ordeal did not have to be extended to being transported overseas for continued rape and torture. The human trafficking angle could have been dropped, and the film could have just followed the original formula. It may have been a rehashing of the previous films, but it would have worked better than the contrived plot the filmmakers went with.

The rape, humiliation and torture scenes are very graphic. There is full frontal nudity from Katie and Ivan, as well as genital mutilation performed on both characters. The deaths are relatively slow and seem excruciating, which these men absolutely deserve, but at the same time, they don’t seem like enough after the forty-five minutes to an hour of watching Katie suffer. She is tortured for days, and raped repeatedly, director Monroe obviously ditching his previous less-is-more angle, exposing her completely to her assailants and the audience. As mentioned above, the rape scenes could have been trimmed back to the apartment scene and still been effective.  

Overall, this was an unnecessary sequel that attempted to take on too much while sticking to the original formula. However, it is not terrible for the kind of film that it is, although after watching the heroine be tortured for the majority of the film, having all of the rapists’ deaths crammed into the last half-hour was a little unsatisfying. This film focuses more on shock value than characterization and plot. It will make you cringe, both for the acts committed against Katie, and those she commits against her attackers. Still, I think the film would have worked better if the excess characters and subplots were removed, and there was equal focus on the demise of the rapists as there was on Katie’s ordeal.  

5.5/10

Trailer: 

The Roommate (2011)

Directed by: Christian E. Christiansen

Starring: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka, Danneel Harris Ackles (as Danneel Harris), Frances Fisher and Billy Zane

Genre: horror, thriller, drama

Rated: PG-13

College freshman, Sara Matthews, seems to have everything going her way this year. Despite breaking up with her high school sweetheart, she seems to be getting everything she wants. She’s caught the eye of the cute drummer, Stephen, landed a coveted spot in a specific design class she wanted, gotten to party with her friends and seems to have a pretty cool, if a bit odd, roommate named Rebecca. What Sara doesn’t realize, however, is that Rebecca has developed a psychotic obsession with her, and will stop at nothing to keep their friendship alive.

Hello, Single White Female rip-off! We thought you were done after the 1990s ended, yet here you sit, watering down a classic thriller from its R-rated glory for this new generation of teenyboppers. It took me a long time to bring myself to watch this movie as I knew what it was from the trailer and just sighed at the lack of creativity coming out of Hollywood. I really didn’t want to see talented actresses like Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh replaced by the cream of the CW crop in what was sure to be a far less suspenseful film. It was playing on cable late last night, so, rather than go to bed, I opted to finally give it a watch. The result? About what I had expected.

Many plot points were lifted directly from the obvious source material with only slight changes made – such as the roomies having a pet they share that *SPOILER* eventually meets a bad end (In this film it is a kitten, in SWF it was a puppy); the crazy roommate copying a very personal aspect of the heroine’s appearance and eventually completely disguising herself as the heroine; the heroine dealing with unwanted sexual advances from a man in a position of authority; the heroine dealing with an ex that refuses to give up on their relationship. All of these similar plot devices and the absurdly obvious foreshadowing used early on cause the movie to be incredibly predictable.

The body count is lower than its predecessor, with Rebecca opting for assault and kidnapping over murder. There is little to no blood, even in scenes where there should be, either during the numerous assaults, or when Rebecca finally does resort to killing people. Her weapon is incredibly impractical too – I’m sorry, movie, you have not sold me on the idea that stabbing someone in the back with a 1 inch box cutter blade can fatally wound them.

The performances are okay at best, with Meester’s being the strongest. Leighton Meester is able to bring Rebecca to life and even make her somewhat sympathetic, while at the same time portraying her as crazy and a little creepy. She was the only interesting character, and the only one I felt anything for throughout the entire film. Her victim, Sara, is rather bland, and despite her social life and varying interests, I found her rather dull and boring. I couldn’t understand why Rebecca became so obsessed with Sara, as she could barely hold my interest. Honestly, I found the character of Irene (Harris-Ackles), Sara’s friend and mentor, to be far more interesting than Sara herself, and Irene had maybe ten minutes of total screen time. Billy Zane is charming as always, despite playing a lecherous professor – the man is far too charismatic and talented to be reserved for such a bit role in a flick like this. Cam Gigadet is somewhat charming as Stephen, but I was put off by his character when his first conversation with Sara involved him and his fellow frat brothers having to get women drunk to have sex with them. 

Aside from the performances, the film does have a few other positives going for it. Despite being predictable, it is able to generate some decent suspense in places – such as the shower sequence and when Sara enters Irene’s apartment toward the end of the film. I did like the atmosphere created by the dimmed lighting, dull set coloring, and soundtrack – it gave the film a tenser vibe. Lastly, I liked that the girl-on-girl kiss scene was done well, seductive without being exploitive, which is a rather rare thing these days.

Overall, this is yet another rip-off of the far superior Single White Female from 1992, only this time it’s based in college. The films are incredibly similar to the point where each action Rebecca makes is predictable. Some details have been altered from the original story, but not enough to cover the glaring inspiration. There are some positive aspects to this flick, but nothing to raise it above the mediocre copy cat that it is.

5/10

Bad Milo! (2013)

Directed by: Jacob Vaughan

Starring: Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton, Mary Kay Place and Peter Stormare

Genre: Horror, Comedy, Horror/Comedy

Rated: R

Duncan is a regular guy with a relatively normal life. He has his own house, a beautiful wife and a decent – if stressful job. However, Duncan also suffers from severe stomach pains and digestive issues. Upon examination, doctors find what is believed to be a polyp which can be removed with surgery. However, Duncan soon learns that this is no ordinary polyp that has set up shop in his intestines. He has a little monster living inside him that comes out to protect him when he is stressed, angry or upset, and often brutally murders the cause of his host’s distress. With the help of his therapist, Duncan realizes that the only way to stop this little monster is to bond with it, learn to control his emotions, and learn to stand up for himself.

While the premise seems silly, this film is more than just a bundle of laughs (which it is that too). On the surface it is a ridiculous flick about a man with a people-eating monster living in his butt, but it also delves into serious issues about stress levels and always being a yes-man. In this film, Duncan lets everyone walk all over him – his domineering mother and her much younger second husband, the fertility doctor his mother insists he needs to see, his boss and his new office mate are all people that treat Duncan poorly and never let him get a word in edgewise. He just sits back and takes it, resulting in Milo – the name he gives his butt monster- coming out to play.

I sympathize with Duncan’s character. I understand how stressful it can be to constantly try to please your boss, only to be given less than you deserve. I understand working a job that stresses you out so badly you find yourself in the bathroom a good part of the day. I also understand how letting anger build inside and never saying anything is never a good idea. While in the movie, when Duncan is stressed, upset or angry Milo comes out and rips someone apart, he is just a metaphor for the angry outburst a person finally has when they’ve let their anger simmer under the surface for far too long.

Ken Marino’s performance as Duncan definitely helps make him a sympathetic character. He plays Duncan as sweet and good-natured with a relatively calm demeanor considering the constant stress his boss throws at him. Patrick Warburton is perfect, as usual, as Duncan’s jerk of a boss – a character type he appears to have mastered. The last performance that really steals the show is Peter Stormare as Duncan’s therapist, Highsmith, who just happens to know everything about how to handle stress-induced butt monsters like Milo.

I found Milo himself to be adorable, despite the fact that he lives in Duncan’s butt. When Milo isn’t murdering the people that threaten Duncan, and he’s outside of Duncan’s body, the two cuddle and spend time together. When Milo was calm, I found myself wanting to cuddle him too. In those moments he looks so innocent and in need of nurturing. 

I mean, come on! Look at that face!

Just look at it. 

I liked the fact that Milo was brought to life entirely through practical effects – he is a puppet, not CGI, and a throwback to the good old days of horror.

The humor in is movie is often on the immature side, delving into the potty realm, but that is to be expected in a movie about a butt monster. There are a lot of poop jokes, and a scene where Milo latches onto a doctor’s face, pulling back inside Duncan so the doctor’s face is trapped between Duncan’s butt cheeks as Milo chews on it. There is also a lot of dark sexual humor relating to his mother’s sexcapades with her much younger second husband and just what they have stored in their basement.

The gore is relatively minimal considering how Milo tears his victims apart. In one particularly graphic scene, Milo bites off his victim’s penis, but you kind of feel like the guy deserved it. 

Honestly, I was rooting Milo on the whole time. I truly didn’t feel sorry for any of the victims – they all had it coming for being such horrible people and making Duncan’s life so miserable. With Milo offing these jerks, Duncan is able to find himself a happier existence.

Overall, this was a hilarious horror-comedy that doesn’t shy away from using bathroom humor to make a good point about personal health. As Milo is an embodiment of Duncan’s stress and anger, he is a part of Duncan, and Duncan must bond with and accept Milo in order to make peace with his inner turmoil. Leaving this stress and anger locked up inside can have serious repercussions on your personal health (digestive problems, for example) and leaving it unaddressed can lead to you saying or doing something drastic that you will regret – such as blowing up, ripping your smug boss a new one and possibly losing your job. While scenarios may not include protective butt monsters murdering those who stress you out or hurt you, they, like Milo, are the results of holding back stress and anger for far too long.

This was a great movie that made me laugh and think at the same time, which is not what I was expecting when I decided to watch a movie about a monster living in a man’s butt.

7/10

Trailer: