I Spit On Your Grave 2 (2013)

As soon as it was announced that a movie entitled I Spit On Your Grave 2 was being released fans of exploitation fare started to get a bad taste in their mouths. The original movie was an astonishing, powerful piece of nastiness, praised and pilloried in almost equal measure. The 2010 remake, on the other hand, was better than expected, mainly because it walked a fine line between the unpleasant aspects of the material and the fun to be had watching the leading lady get her revenge. I Spit On Your Grave 2 has nothing to appeal to fans of the previous movies, other than a title that instantly lets people know there will be rape and revenge.

Jemma Dallender plays Katie, a young woman who wants to try her hand at modelling. Her portfolio needs updating, but she can't really afford it. Well, that is until she finds an ad that offers a free photoshoot. Unfortunately, when she's at the photoshoot, Katie is asked if she wants to do some topless shots. She doesn't. And THAT starts off a chain of events that lead to her being kidnapped, raped and abused, which then leads to a vengeance-filled third act.

There's a degree of technical competence on display here, and that's the only reason that I rate this movie as highly as I do. Director Steven R. Monroe tends to keep the camera pointing in the right direction. Oh, and Jemma Dalllender does fine in the lead role, and there's one pleasingly nasty moment during the final few minutes. That's it. Three reasons to save this from the lowest score possible.

Everything else in this movie is dross. The script, by Thomas Fenton and Neil Elman, is lazy, none of the supporting cast members make a decent impression (and Joe Absolom is the worst of them all with his horrible, fake accent), and both the first and second half fail at whatever they're supposed to achieve.

It's obvious that those involved just didn't have the guts to go through with something genuinely shocking, but they should have realised that you can't make a rape revenge flick for a wide demographic. When the main abuse is either too polished, or edited in a way to make it easier to stomach, it loses a lot of its power. Watching any such abuse should make viewers uncomfortable. It's the least that any such cinematic victim deserves, because this kind of thing can't just be a plot device for a lacklustre thriller. It's not something to be used lightly, otherwise we'd end up with a situation that puts Liam Neeson in a film entitled Taken III: I Spit On Your Shamrock. Or something.

Likewise, revenge being doled out should be visceral and harsh, but also believably delivered. As sorta-decent as Dallender is, she never convinces in the second half of the movie, which leaves the revenge feeling quite flat and unentertaining (strange choice of word, but you know what I mean - it's always satisfying to see scumbags get their just desserts onscreen).

So, I think that just about sums up all of my feelings on this piece of rubbish. I know that some people will enjoy it more than I did, but I seriously doubt that this is a movie that any of us will even remember by next year.

3/10

http://www.amazon.com/Spit-Your-Grave-Blu-ray/dp/B00DMUFYZQ/ref=sr_1_2_bnp_1_blu?ie=UTF8&qid=1401480117&sr=8-2&keywords=i+spit+on+your+grave+2

I Spit On Your Grave (2010)

Another remake of an infamous horror title, for some reason this movie has a few supporters and people who reluctantly accept that it's a lot better than they thought it was going to be. Well, it's a decent revenge movie with some moments of real nastiness but it's still nowhere near as brutal as the original film and it also misses the entire point of that classic film (yes, I do think it's a classic even if it's not one for the whole family to sit down and enjoy). You see, THAT film had a woman being terrorised and brutalised and horrifically violated because of her sexuality before using that same sexuality to exact her revenge. This film has a young woman being terrorised and brutalised and horribly violated because of her sexuality becoming an efficient and skilled hunter/trapper/killer and even budding Jigsaw protege.

The basic story remains the same as it was the first time around. Young Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) heads off to an isolated cabin to get some writing done but finds herself fearing for her life when some of the local boys come around to have their fun - their idea of fun being far, far removed from any normal idea of fun. It all starts, in a way, from some joking around about getting the handicapped Matthew (Chad Lindberg) a chance to be with a woman but it soon gets even worse for young Jennifer as all of the boys decide to take their turn with her and "teach her a lesson". And the local law enforcement is worse than useless. It's up to Jennifer to keep her spirit intact and find a way to fight back.

On a technical level, everything here is just right. Steven R. Monroe does just fine in the role of director while Stuart Morse has adapted the original movie into an acceptable screenplay. There are some nice moments of tension in between that hard-hitting first half and that vigilante-centric second half but there are also one or two sassy one-liners that remind you of how removed the movie is from the essence of the original.

The acting is all pretty decent. Butler is, admittedly, pretty brave to even go near such a controversial role, while Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard, Daniel Franzese, Rodney Eastman and Chad Lindberg all do a good job of playing characters of varying degrees of unpleasantness. And Tracey Walter is enjoyable as old Earl.

There are a few moments that will certainly impress those who want something a bit stronger in their horror movies but for me, personally, the whole thing still feels sanitised and far less interesting than the original film because of that refusal to explore the real power of the sexuality at the core of the movie. Basically, it's a decent film that misses the mark by a long way.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spit-On-Your-Grave-Blu-ray/dp/B004AER3KC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344848238&sr=8-2