All Hallows' Eve 2
by Jess Baget, Elias Benavidez, Andres Borghi, Jay Holben, Mike Kochansky, James Kondelik, Jon Kondelik, Bryan Norton, Antonio Padovan, Ryan Patch, Marc Roussel
I love a good anthology film. They come in all different shapes and sizes, tones and styles. From classics such as From a Whisper to a Scream, Creepshow, and From Beyond the Grave to more modern works such as Trick 'r Treat and the V/H/S series, the concept makes for one of my absolute favorite horror sub-genres. Some anthology films such as one of my person favorites, John Carpenter's Body Bags, as well as several others I've mentioned go for straight-up fun with a festive frame story or mysterious storyteller. Others, like the ABC's of Death take on a more "collection" feel with a large amount of usually high-concept short-films. I've seen good and bad, memorable and forgettable, from both categories. I will admit I'm more partial to the traditional type of the anthology concept but there is a lot of fun to be had with all the different styles.
One of my favorite recent horror anthologies is 2013's All Hallows' Eve. I've heard a lot of contrasting opinions on the film, but I personally saw it as something special. It was fresh while still maintaining the classic things I love about horror. It was weird and crazy without being confusing. I loved the design of the sinister clown who worked as a through-line guiding the audience. Nothing about it seemed stale or boring to me and I was sucked right into the film. I found out that a sequel had been released a little while back. Anthology films are especially capable of producing good sequels, since they are made up of smaller stories and don't need to worry so much about damaging individual elements of a beloved first installment. But how did this one fair?
All Hallows' Eve 2 begins with a young woman half-jokingly asking the "Spirit of Halloween" through a Ouija board why her boyfriend hasn't called her yet. Her concentration is broken, however, when she becomes aware of a strange person in a mask standing in front of her house. The mysterious entity drops off a VHS tape, which the young woman subsequently pops in and watches. Unlike the first film which was written and directed by Damien Leone, All Hallows' Eve 2 has many credited writers and directors with each short story being designated to a specific person and crew. There are eight stories in total, not including the frame story, so let's dive right in.
The first story involves a young woman who is looking after a small boy on Halloween. They make a Jack 'O Lantern and bake some pumpkin seeds. It is the seeds that get them into trouble. It's a lot of fun, completely unexpected and a great introduction story. The next deals with kids Trick 'r Treating during a seemingly dystopic time. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, nor are the events ever really explained but it's fun to watch and is well done. We then find ourselves dealing with a father and son on a lone road, out to make some kind of offering to a malevolent being.
The frame story isn't all that worked in. There isn't much progression, the film doesn't cater so much to its own "masked weirdo stalking this woman" concept but it makes enough sense as she still needs to sit around and watch the movies. The masked killer never really reaches the level of horror as the clown in the first installment of the franchise, but it's not a real problem. I'm fine with the frame story not being especially involved and just serving as a point of origin for the surrounding tales. Most of the stories go on uninterrupted with a few cases of the young woman looking scared and shocked by what she's just seen after a viewing.
Subjects that follow the stories involve a carnival attraction that means torture and misery to some, a thrill and retribution to others. We find out what happens when a woman walks into a murder scene with the killer still in the room. We learn about the messy way to make Halloween decorations and, from another story, learn that sometimes there is reason to be afraid to sleep alone at night. With stories involving social media, monsters, amusement, tangible and supernatural horror, there is a whole grab-bag of goodies in store. The frame story's ending is brief but acceptable and brought closure to the film competently.
All in all, I really enjoyed All Hallows' Eve 2. I admit I was a little concerned learning about the differences between the two films and the overall different style. I was worried that the "eight short films" concept would remove it some from the fun ride-like anthology experience I crave so much, but I was completely wrong. Though the stories all differ in style, tone, and subject matter, they all end up being fantastic in contrast to one another. While I certainly have favorites, none of the stories felt like a weak note to me and they all offered up something new and exciting. The stories range in length, some only lasting a few minutes but they all leave their mark and some of my favorites are the short and sweet tales. From the stark and bleak to the riotous and frenzied, all the elements fit into their place nicely.
In the end I'm glad this project ended up being different the way it was from the original All Hallows' Eve. What could have been a cheap rehash of the fantastic first film with less interesting material was instead a total blast in its own way. I can't say that what made the first special is alive in the exact same way in this one, but only because this sequel is unique and entertaining in its own right. So regardless of your thoughts on 2013's All Hallows' Eve, if you like anthology films I would recommend looking this one up. There should be something for fans off all different kinds of horror, just as an anthology should be.
PJ Griffin, HMS