Actors: Richard Harmon, Sean Rogerson, Leanne Lapp, Dylan Playfair, Stephanie Bennett
Directors: John Poliquin
Rated: Unrated
Studio: NEW VIDEO GROUP
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Run Time: 98 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars
I watch a lot of crappy horror movies and I am a fan of “Grace Encounters”, which was not one of them. So when I heard that there was a second film in the works, I was thrilled. “Grave Encounters 2” takes what was good about the first film and then really builds on its success. This film really takes a cool and unique approach to the story and comes packed with bigger scares and some great twists. The first film was written and directed by The Vicious Brothers, click here for our interview with them, but on this film they stepped aside from directing and focused on writing. This was a good move as the film is much smarter. Even though, this didn’t really leave me with the same “WTF” feeling watching it a second time, it is still a blast and a must watch for any fans or hater of the first film!
Official Premise: “Grave Encounters” was a found-footage horror phenomenon that many people believed was just a movie. Film student Alex Wright is out to prove them wrong in “Grave Encounters 2″. Alex is as obsessed with the first film, as the 20 million people who viewed its viral trailer on YouTube. While he and his friends research the events and visit the real psychiatric hospital depicted in the original film, they find themselves face-to-face with unspeakable evil, banking on the hope that their knowledge of the original film will help them survive the sequel.
This release comes as a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The 1080p transfer works well with the darkness of the film but you have to remember this was shot handheld and made to look raw. So it’s not perfect but is sharp and delivers with the way it is meant to look. At least New Video released “Grave Encounters 2” on Blu-ray since they only gave the first film a DVD release. The special features are a bit of a let down. The only thing included is “An Interview with The Vicious Brothers, Presented by American Express”. Having spoken with these guys, they are very entertaining and fun but I would have loved to seen a commentary track or some featurettes. Either way I am still counting down the days till “Grave Encounters 3″! Bring it on!
