Day 189: Boogeyman

Boogeyman

Aw, I thought this was going to be a Disco horror movie

The Boogeyman myth is found all over the world in many different cultures. The myths go back all the way to the middle ages and in some places, even further. Sure, the names and specifics are different, but the main characteristics remain. The Boogeyman is a horrible, monstrous creature that kills. He's always hiding somewhere, usually in the closet or under the bed. It's this reason why reviewing a movie based on him seems like a no-brainer. Of course, it's also an excuse for me to link to a great scene from The Simpsons where Lisa has a bad dream about the Boogeyman and Homer acts appropriately. It's also a good excuse to listen to White Zombie's "I'm Your Boogie Man".

Boogeyman is a 2005 supernatural horror movie starring Barry Watson (7^th Heaven, Sorority Boys) as Tim Jensen. As a young boy, Tim was afraid of something in his closet based off a story his father told him. One night, his father goes to check on him and is attacked by an unknown and unseen being. His father disappeared into the closet, never to be seen again. No one believed his story and everyone just assumed his father ran off. 15 years later, Tim is deathly afraid of closets and keeps his clothes in drawers. After a Thanksgiving trip to meet his girlfriend Jessica's parents, Tim has a vision of his mother (Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess, Vampire Bats) in trouble. He receives a call from his father saying she has died. He returns to his old house where the incident with his father took place as a form of closure. He is briefly attacked by something in a closet, but escapes. Tim reconnects with his childhood friend, Kate (Emily Deschanel, Bones, Cold Mountain) who still lives in town. He also meets a young girl named Franny, who also believes in the Boogeyman. She leaves him a backpack full of missing children's photos, all of whom were killed by the Boogeyman. Jessica visits Tim and takes him to a motel to relax, where she mysteriously disappears. Tim stumbles backwards into the closet and comes out into his family's home. Worried he is losing his mind, he takes Kate to the motel where they discover that Tim was, in fact, at the motel. Tim meets with Franny again, who reveals that she had been taken by the Boogeyman in 1985 and her father tried to defeat him. Will Tim be able to face his fears and defeat the monster?

And can they look even whiter?

I don't recall seeing a movie where I was distracted by the poor direction and camerawork than the story. The movie has a habit of speeding up shots and having quick zoom-ins, complete with whoosing sound effects. Once or twice is fine, but the movie is full of these. There are so many shots of doors and close-ups of door knobs that you'd think Better Homes and Gardens Magazine was involved. The action doesn't really occur until the last third of the movie and the spiraling, shaky camera shocks are dizzying and nauseating. A straightforward action sequence would have been far more entertaining and far scarier than this unfortunate camera trick. When the Boogeyman is finally revealed, the special effects used to create him are downright laughable. They look like they belong in a movie from 1997, not 2005. I've seen better cut scenes from early 2000-era video games than this. You'd think by hiding the Boogeyman for most of the movie would be for atmospheric effect, but it's just because the monster is so incredibly computerized and cheap looking.

All of this just distracts from the movie itself, which is boring, unoriginal, and confusing. It feels like there are at least 20 other horror movies that have come out in recent years where a child experiences some horrible incident, no one believes them, and they come back as an adult to face their fears. I mean, I reviewed to movies just like that, Darkness Falls and Dead Silence. The acting is fine, no one was particularly good or bad. The house set they used was actually very good looking and should have been used in a better movie. The action sequences are decent, but there just isn't enough of them. The movie focuses more on psychological mind messing, with Tim going through closets and under beds and coming out in different places. It just doesn't work and left me feeling confused. At least they tried something different.

Watching someone watching someone. This movie just went meta.

Using the Boogeyman as the villain in a horror movie is a good idea. It can translate well to different cultures and different age groups. It can be legitimately scary and thrilling if done correctly. Unfortunately, Boogeyman is neither scary nor thrilling. The direction and camerawork are just not good and distract from the rest of the movie, which isn't that good. The story is unoriginal and the special effects are downright laughable. The acting manages to keep the movie afloat, but just barely. No need for you to check in the closet, because Boogeyman should be in the $5 DVD bin at Wal-Mart.

3.5/10

Day 188: Sorority House Massacre

Sorority House Massacre

Phi Beta Whoa, Mama

If you only watched horror movies from the 80's, you'd think serial killers were terrorizing sexy girls at every turn. You would think there were horrible mass murders going on in every location imaginable. The 80's were practically a massacre jamboree. Even when “Massacre” wasn't in the title, like Sleepaway Camp for example, you still knew what it was. Crazed killer slashing his way through a bunch of supporting cast members trying to get to one specific character. Despite this cliché, many of these movies were and are still fun to watch. Of course, those are more well-known “Massacre” movies. How about one that sounds like it would fit right in, but you may not have seen.

Sorority House Massacre is a 1986 slasher starring Angela O'Neil as Beth, a young college girl who just joined a sorority. When she moves in to the sorority house, she begins to have strange, realistic dreams involving murder inside the house. She is unaware that as a child, her brother Bobby (John C. Russell, killed their family inside the very same house and was committed to a mental institution. Her sorority sisters Linda, Sara, and Tracy try to determine what the dreams mean while the rest of the house occupants go on a trip. Meanwhile, Bobby has snapped out of his mental stupor and escapes the institution. The girls are joined by a few boys, each one fitting an 80's cliché. Beth's dreams intensify, leaving her clues to what happened when she was a child. Through her dreams, she is able to find the knife Bobby used to kill her family. Bobby arrives at the house, looking to finish his business and kill Beth. He terrorizes the house, stabbing and killing the boys and most of the kills. Will Beth be able to stop him?

And will she still look like Tom Cruise?

If it feels like I skipped over a lot of story or missed something, I didn't. The movie is only about an hour and fifteen minutes long and there really is no violence until about 25 minutes left. You would think that by having a shorter movie, they'd get to the killing quicker, but no, they take their sweet time telling a story that we've all seen before in far better movies. It's not like they filled in that time with important dialogue or foreshadowing. We're “treated” to a scene where the girls try on different horrendous 80's clothes set to wailing sitcom saxophone. I guess they needed an excuse to show the girls topless, but come on, trying on clothes? That does not make for good movie watching. The story and certain scenes are very similar to Halloween. Shooting from the killer's perspective, never really seeing his face, killing as a child and going to a mental institution. Even the knife is similar. Unintentional laughs insure when Bobby walks into a hardware store and, instead of grabbing a mask like Michael Myers, he just smashes a glass case with his hand and steals a knife. They weren't exactly going for subtlety or atmosphere.

The movie tries to go a different route with the dream sequences, but they are confusing and not put together well. It is difficult to tell what is going on between dream and reality, but not in the good, crazy “whoa that was just a dream” way. It's more like “What the hell is going on. Oh, it's a dream. So?” Many scenes are too dark and the direction is too shoddy to always follow what is happening. The acting is passable, which is actually a compliment considering that the actors did not have much to work with in terms of story or dialogue. The wacky dreams bring to mind Slumber Party Massacre II, which came out not too long after Sorority House Massacre. I don't know, maybe I just have “S-word noun Massacre” movies on the brain. It actually took some effort not to type Slumber Party Massacre instead of Sorority House Massacre while writing this review.

 How can 3 sorority girls look so unsexy?

The 70's and 80's were a great time for slasher flicks. Somewhere towards the middle of the 1980's, though, the movies became lazy, repetitive, and cliched. Sorority House Massacre falls into all three of those descriptions as the story is too similar to Halloween. We've seen this type of movie many times before and when you don't do anything special to make it stand out, it's not going to end well. It takes too long to get to the slashing and there is a serious lack of blood and gore. There are no creative kills and a lack of suspense. The dream sequences were an attempt at creativity, but they failed to elicit any real depth or emotion. There is a good reason why the majority of people haven't seen or even heard of Sorority House Massacre.

3/10

Day 187: The Last House On The Left

The Last House On The Left

If they remake this again, the poster will just show a Tumblr page

When I started this blog, I made it a point to say I wasn't going to watch movies that focused on torture. Of course, some movies I have watched contain a scene or two, but I avoided watching movies where it was the main plot. No Hostel, no The Poughkeepsie Tapes and definitely not Human Centipede (seriously, fuck that movie). I am just not entertained by it. I find it painful and unpleasant to watch. But what if a movie has torture, but is considered a horror classic? It's a classic for a reason, right? Maybe I had these movies all wrong and was just needing to see a good one to change my mind.

The Last House On The Left is a 1972 horror movie written and directed by Wes Craven (The Hills Have Eyes, A Nightmare On Elm Street). Inspired by the Swedish film The Virgin Spring, The Last House On The Left stars Sandra Cassel (Teenage Hitchhikers, Voices Of Desire) as Mari Collingwood and Lucy Grantham as her friend Phyllis Stone. Despite her parent's concern, they go to a concert in the city. Before they leave, they give her a peace symbol necklace as a gift for her birthday. Before the concert, they walk the streets in search of marijuana. They come across a grungy looking guy named Junior who leads them to an apartment where his criminal family, Krug Stillo, Sadie, and Fred “Weasel” Podowski, are hiding out after a recent prison break. Krug is a rapist and serial killer, Sadie is violent and sadistic, Weasel is a child molester, and Junior is hooked on heroin. The group assault the girls and Phyllis is raped. They are thrown into the trunk of the gang's car and the drive out to the country where the gang plans to cross state lines. Mari's parents are preparing for her birthday party, unaware of the danger she is in. The gang's car breaks down right outside Mari's house. They force the girls into the woods where they are humiliated, mutilated and forced to have sex with each other. Phyllis makes a run for it in hopes that Mari goes in the opposite direction. Phyllis is caught, killed, and dismembered. Mari gives Junior her necklace as a symbol to trust her so she can escape, but the gang stops her. She is raped and then shot by Krug. The gang then heads to Mari's house, masquerading as salesmen and stay the night with her parents. Mari's mother sees Junior wearing her necklace and discovers their bloody clothes. How will Mari's parents exact their revenge?

Playing "Let's Go To Gitmo" is the best!

There was a good reason why I didn't want to see torture movies. The Last House On The Left was very tough for me to watch. The movie is vicious in it's violence, degradation, and sexual assault. It is a raw, gritty, and unforgiving exploitation film that still resonates today. Despite the advertising tag line, “To avoid fainting, keep repeating-it's only a movie..." I still felt strongly about what happens. That's a testament to how powerful the movie is. It's also a testament to why I don't like these films. A majority of the movie is the girls' torture with a few sprinkles of inept local police being, well, inept. I guess it was to alleviate the harshness of the movie, but it just wasn't funny and left me feeling frustrated. I'd say maybe that was the point, but the jaunty comedy music makes me think otherwise. The parent's revenge is decent, but I wasn't completely satisfied. For a “violence begets violence” story, I don't think the gang suffered the same amount that they made Mari and Phyllis suffer.

In horror, we have all sorts of creatures, aliens, and demons, but this movie proves that the scariest monsters of all are human beings. All four actors in the gang play their parts very well as they come off as slimy, evil, and remorseless, even when there is a brief glimmer of remorse in the forest scene. Both Sandra Cassel and Lucy Grantham play their parts convincingly well and I commend them for going through with the movie. Wes Craven's direction is a bit spotty with some of the camera angles not working and the music questionable at times. Seeing this 1972 movie in 2012 makes it feel very dated.

 I love what you've done with your rat's nest

The Last House On The Left is shocking, disgusting, and rough to watch, but it is very “real”. It's this realness that makes it so scary and difficult to endure. There were times where I wanted to turn the movie off, but I persevered. I always ask myself “Was I entertained?” The answer, truthfully, is “No.” I found it very hard to sit through and did not enjoy seeing two girls being physically and mentally tortured. That doesn't mean the movie is not a horror cult classic or that the movie isn't important, because it is. The story is very basic and doesn't go beyond torture and revenge. I think more could have been done in ways of character development and Craven's direction is not the best. I think it's time to reinstate my “No torture” policy.

5/10

Day 186: Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam

God bless AmericAAAAHHHH!

Happy Fourth of July my fellow Americans. Today we declare our love of burgers, hot dogs, terrible beer, explosions, and that terrible John Mellencamp song “R.O.C.K. In The USA”. Oh, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That too. Apologies to my UK readers (and there are a lot of you). This must be a tough time for you. In keeping with the tradition of holidays being used as the basis for horror movies, I was able to dig up one that takes place on the 4^th of July. Nothing says “America” like a B-movie involving a killer zombie soldier dressed like Uncle Sam!

Uncle Sam is a 1997 horror movie starring David Fralick (Soultaker, The Young And The Restless) as Sam Harper. Sam is killed in action by friendly fire during the gulf war, but comes back to life and kills two American soldiers inspecting his body. Back home, his nephew Jody Baker (Christopher Ogden) idolizes his uncle, taking his war medals into show and tell and expressing his interest in joining the military when he is old enough. Sam's wife Louise received word that Sam's body has been discovered and is being returned home. At the wake, Jody meets and bonds with Jed Crowley (Issac Hayes, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, South Park), a former soldier that was friends with Sam. On the 4^th of July, Sam awakens and rises out of his coffin. He kills a peeping tom dressed as Uncle Sam and puts on his costume. At the 4^th of July parade, Jody talks with Barry, a boy his age that was blinded and scarred by a fireworks accident the previous year. Sam talks to Barry and feels a kinship with him because of his accident. Sam violently kills various people throughout the parade some committing unpatriotic acts like purposely singing the national anthem poorly, and some just because. Barry tells Jody that the killer Uncle Sam is actually Jody's Uncle Sam. Will Jody, Barry, and Jed be able to stop this killer zombie Uncle Sam or will the 4^th of July go out with a bang?

Stand up for the flag, jerk!

While I'm still waiting for a horror movie about Arbor Day or Daylight Savings Time, it's fun to see the 4^th of July get it's due. There is no question that Uncle Sam is a B-horror movie, much in the vein of Jack Frost, though far less silly. The story is pretty basic with an angry, mega patriot soldier coming back from the dead and going on a killing spree. It's the details where things get mucked up. So Sam died and came back as some sort of zombie. Okay, I can accept that, but I can't accept that no reason was given for his resurrection. Unless I totally missed something, I don't think they even attempted to give a reason. No voodoo curse, no toxic gas used during the Gulf War, not even being attacked by a radioactive Iraqi soldier. Also, what is the point of making him a zombie if you're going to cover him up with an Uncle Sam costume? The zombie makeup actually looked good, so it's not like they couldn't pull it off. They might as well have had him just be a crazy soldier going on a killing spree. I guess they were trying to go for something deeper with the whole “coffin draped in the flag” deal, but it never came off as moving or touching. The inclusion of Barry comes out of nowhere in the last 35 minutes or so and is pretty unnecessary. They even give him “magical psychic powers,” giving him some sort of connection to Sam. Why do that? It adds nothing to the movie and the “supernatural handicapped character” is unfortunate and annoying.

Where it lacks in making sense, Uncle Sam makes up for it with over-the-top violence. Raising someone by their neck on a flag pole and exploding a Congressman with fireworks were ridiculous, but fun to watch. There is a passable amount of blood and a little gore, but probably not enough. The acting is good enough all around with Issac Hayes putting in a legitimately good performance. Some of the lines he says throughout should be used as samples for metal bands. The movie has spurts of good camera shots and creative direction, but it doesn't last throughout the entire movie. Why only do it a few times? You have the skill and ability, why not make it work for the full hour and a half? Uncle Sam gets really heavy-handed in it's political condemnation of both conservatives and liberals. It sends mixed messages and comes off preachy at times without a real sense of political knowledge. 

Kid, you've got problems

Uncle Sam is a silly, but fun B movie. There are some good acts of violence as well as good performances from most of the cast. The story glosses over some basic things and could have been put together more cohesively. Why have a zombie if you're just going to cover him up and not have him act like a zombie? Uncle Sam has it's moments and was better than expected. That doesn't mean it was necessarily good, but it wasn't bad. That's the American way!

6/10

Day 185: Night Of The Scarecrow

Night Of The Scarecrow

Give me a "hand" haha. Seriously, help me.

Horror is full of monsters, demons, aliens, and all sorts of evil creatures taken from the deepest, darkest recesses of the human mind. We have the classic menagerie of evil with vampires, werewolves, zombies, Frankenstein monsters, and mummies. In the 70's and 80's, we saw the rise of the slasher and supernatural killer. We've even seen multiples movies involving giant animals and mythological creatures. One monster that has made an occasional, but rare appearance is the scarecrow. Are people actually afraid of scarecrows? Are crows actually afraid of scarecrows? I know I'm not, but done correctly, I guess they could be scarely. Done incorrectly, they're just hunks of straw murdering people.

Night Of The Scarecrow is a 1995 horror movie starring Elizabeth Barondes (ER, Lois & Clark) as Claire Goodman and John Mese (Profiler, American Gothic) as Dillon. Claire has just returned to her small town where her father William is the mayor. She flirts with Dillon and invites him to dinner, much to her father's disapproval. After dinner, Dillon and Claire go to a bar, where Dillon has an altercation with a local named Danny (John Hawkes, Deadwood, Identity). A drunken Danny decides to take revenge on Dillon by taking his farm equipment and driving it through a corn field. He unwittingly crushes a stone and releases the spirit of a warlock, which possesses a scarecrow. The scarecrow goes around town murdering people, including relatives of Claire. Her uncle, Father Thaddeus, explains that when the town was settled, crops would not grown and the town was in trouble. A mysterious man arrived, through magic, was able to help the crops grow and the town flourish. He began to exert his power over the town by having crazy orgies. The town poisoned the warlock and used his own magic to trap his spirit in the stone that had been smashed. Now he is looking for revenge on the descendants of those who wronged him and to reincarnate himself. Will Claire and Dillon be able to stop this pile of magical straw?

Which way to the next Batman movie?

When a movie involves a killer scarecrow, you can't expect much. The movie tries to explain things, but gives up about halfway in hopes that the audience will be dazzled with scarecrow murder. When the plot of your story is “Warlock becomes scarecrow,” you focus more on killing and violence. Everything that occurs in the movie is very convenient and the ending is extremely predictable. It takes far to long to explain what is happening, and by the time they get around to it, you don't really care. The movie focuses on a wide variety of violence with some decent blood. It has your standard hacking and slashing, but when magic becomes involved, things start to get laughably weird. Making straw pour out of someones body is kind of funny, but it just looks so bad. I don't even think CGI and computer graphics can make something like that work. There is one scene where Claire's cousin is raped by the scarecrow. It's very uncomfortable to watch and then to see her body “explode” with straw/tentacles and it really adds nothing to the movie.

The movie is wonderfully early 90's. The clothes, hair, and quality of film makes me want to drink Surge and listen to Helmet. Elizabeth Barondes and John Mese put on passable performances, but it's far more enjoyable watching future stars, like John Hawkes and Stephen Root (Dodgeball, Newsradio) outshine the lead actors. The scarecrow itself actually looks half decent, though not scary at all. They tried to alter it's voice to make the creature more supernatural, but it just sounds like Venom from the mid-90's Spider-Man cartoon. The effects are mediocre, but not to the point where you can "see the strings," if you know what I mean.

Tentacles. Why is it always tentacles?

Night Of The Scarecrow is best watched with a group of friends late at night, possibly after some drinks. It's a fun watch in a terrible sort of way. The concept is silly and it's not very scary. There are some good killing scenes and some unintentionally hilarious ones. The orgy scene probably scarred me for life because the adult content and nudity involved people who should never be seen naked and bumping and grinding. The acting is decent with better performances coming from the supporting cast. The story is pretty weak, but you might get a kick out of watching it. Scarecrows still aren't scary and I don't know if they'll ever be,

4/10

Day 184: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

Just turn on a night light and you'll be fine

The entire world is devastated by the news of the breakup between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. I thought those kids would make it last forever. If they can't make it work, can any of us find true happiness that involves jumping on a couch on national television? It's tough, but we'll have to persevere. May Lord Xemu grant us the strength and may out thetan levels reach maximum Hubbardedness. In honor of their magical time together, I thought it was only right to review a movie involving Katie Holmes being attacked by mythical creatures. Grab on to your e-meters and let's go!

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is a 2011 horror remake of a 1973 film of the same name. Co-written by Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth), the movie stars Katie Holmes (Batman Begins, Dawson's Creek) as Kim and Guy Pearce (The King's Speech, Memento) as Alex Hurst. Alex has purchased and is restoring Blackwood Manor, an old mansion in Rhode Island. His 8 year-old daughter Sally (Bailee Madison, The Haunting Hour, Just Go With It) arrives to live at the house and immediately hates it. Kim, who is dating Alex, tries to connect with Sally, but is unsuccessful. Sally is depressed and on Adderall, thanks to her mother. She wanders the grounds of the mansion and comes across a basement hidden by trees. Mr. Harris, the groundskeeper, warns her not to go in the basement, but she ignores his warning and explores the room. She is drawn to a fireplace and begins to hear voices coming from deep inside, beckoning her to let them out so they can play. The creatures soon reek havoc throughout the house, with the blame going to Sally. They soon begin to attack her and even put Mr. Harris in the hospital. Her increased fear and anxiety prompts Alex to call a psychiatrist. Meanwhile, Kim visits Mr. Harris in the hospital who tells her to go to the library and research Lord Blackwood. She discovers artwork by Blackwood that depicts dark, evil creatures, strikingly similar to pictures that Sally draws. These creatures feast on the teeth of children and occasionally turn a human into one of them to replenish their ranks. Will Kim be able to save Sally before it is too late?

I miss Dawson and Pacey so much right now

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is different from a lot of R-rated horror movies in that the main character is a child. It's kind of odd considering the original didn't do this and you have two relatively big stars in more supporting than starring roles. While this adds a different level of fear and suspense, it also adds a new level of annoyance. I don't know what it is, but it feels like every child in a horror movie is either extremely annoying or extremely stupid. The Sally character is more the former than the latter. She is far too moody and made me cheer for the creatures to get her. By having the main character be a child under duress, the movie felt like it was geared more towards pre-teens than adults. This movie would be better suited for a sleepover party than a midnight movie. The movie tends to drag between action scenes

That doesn't mean it isn't scary. The movie focuses on good old-fashioned atmospheric horror than outright startling moments. If you like Vincent Price-style haunted house movies, you'll probably get a kick out of certain scenes. There is good usage of shadows and sound as the whispering creatures are creepy to listen to and leave the audience with an uneasy and unshakable feeling. The creatures themselves look decent for CGI special effects, but I couldn't help but feel that a swift kick to a few of them would have solved a lot of problems. There is some violence, but not as much as you would expect. Katie Holmes' and Guy Pearce's performances are both fine, but nothing special.

Looks like a Chupacabra mated with an alien

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark had a lot of potential, but just didn't fully succeed in execution. While it was nice to remake a movie that a good amount of people have not seen, the new version didn't improve upon the original. There are some good atmospheric scares and a general creepiness, but nothing shocking and truly haunting. Focusing too much on the little girl took away from the story and made me look at a character I found very annoying. The performances are all passable, but there wasn't much in the way of character development. The movie lacked an appropriate amount of blood and violence, which would have made everything far more enjoyable. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is watchable, but it's not very enjoyable. We'll miss you, TomKat.

5.5/10

Day 183: P2

P2

FU

Parking garage's are pretty scary places. Despite being only steps away from your office or the mall, it's like being transported into a dark and grimy underworld full of shadows. The concrete walls are cold and without detail. Sounds bounce off of everything, especially footsteps, leading you to believe that someone may be following you. There are isolated spots where anyone or anything can be lurking, just waiting to grab you. It should be no surprise that parking garages have become the setting for a few horror movies.

P2 is a 2007 horror film starring Rachel Nichols (Alias, Conan The Barbarian) as Angela Bridges, an overworked businesswoman trying to see her family for Christmas dinner. She is the last to leave her Manhattan office and when she gets to her car on level P2, it won't start. She goes to the security office and meets a security guard named Thomas (Wes Bentley, American Beauty, The Hunger Games). She asks him to let her onto the elevator to go upstairs and call a cab, but he insists on trying to help start her car. Thomas also invites her to have Christmas dinner with him, but she rebuffs his invitation When that fails, he agrees to let her use the elevator. When her cab arrives, she discovers that she is locked in the building and the cab drives away. When she returns to the garage, someone grabs her from behind and knocks her out with chloroform. She awakens in the security office wearing a dress and chained to a table. Thomas confesses that he has been watching her via the security cameras and is in love with her. He takes Angela to a secluded part of the garage where he has tied up her co-worker, Jim. Jim drunkenly advanced on Angela at a party, but she later accepted his apology. Thomas, angry at Jim for forcing himself on Angela, viciously beats him with a flashlight before repeatedly hitting him with a car. Angela escapes and tries to use an elevator, but it flushed out by a fire hose from Thomas. She goes around smashing the security cameras while Thomas has to deal with two police officers. Will Angela be able to escape the parking garage?

You just beat my high score on Angry Birds!

The biggest problem with P2 is that it's boring. Don't get me wrong, it's not one of those horror movies where nothing happens, like YellowBrickRoad. In fact, P2 has a lot of action and violence, it's just not particularly thrilling or entertaining. The movie is your average girl versus a stalker movie and we've seen that before. The real world setting of the parking garage does serve the movie well as it is believable and people have a genuine fear of them. P2 doesn't do enough character development in my mind which makes it feel so boring. We need to route for Angela to make it out alive and I never felt much connection with her. Part of the problem is making her a workaholic and not enough of a loving or caring person. I understand they were going with a connection between Angela and a lonely Thomas, but her character just felt too cold and distant. Most of the movie is your usual cat-and-mouse game seen in lots of other horror movies.

Wes Bentley's performance is very good and helps keep the movie from falling into a painful watch. His gleefully delirious Thomas is fun to watch as he is both vicious towards and hopelessly devoted to Angela. He wants to help her out of the car when she's hurt but then curses her when she leaves him. Rachel Nichols plays Angela well, I just think the character needed more layers for me to really cheer for her. Her cleavage deserved a supporting actress spot because it is prominently on display. P2 has a lot of violence and a surprising amount of gore. There was a scene where Angela fights Thomas's dog which I didn't like because I am not a fan of violence towards animals, especially when the scene is so vicious and bloody as this one was. The movie kept showing shots of “P2” painted on the walls of the garage, just in case we forgot the name of the movie. It's understandable because there is no real reason to remember it other than that's the level Angela's car is parked on. 

That's one lucky axe

P2 has some good moments of violence and gore and good performances, but that's about it. There isn't much of a story and character development could have and should have been much better. It actually had a wide release in theaters and did horrendously, earning just over $2 million. While the movie is not horrendous, it just wasn't good. There is nothing special about it and no real entertainment.

4.5/10