Another collection of twenty-six horror shorts from twenty-six very different directors, The ABCs of Death 2 is, once again, an extremely mixed bag, in subject matter and in style. With such a varied range of work, it's likely there'll be something to intrigue most adventurous horror fans, but be prepared to wade through an awful lot of nonsense to get to the good stuff.
A is for Amateur, directed by E.L. Katz, kicks off proceedings in fine form. This segment follows an accident prone hired killer who successfully carries out his latest hit, even if it doesn't happen quite how he had imagined. Expertly told, with an unexpected twist and a deliciously dark sense of humour, this was easily my favourite part of the whole film—a shame because that meant that everything that followed was a disappointment by comparison.
The best of the rest:
C is for Capital Punishment (directed by Julian Gilbey), which effectively highlights the potential failings of the death penalty and boasts a really brutal decapitation.
G is for Grandad (Jim Hosking): seriously warped fun that sees a young man taunted by his grandfather, who just happens to have no penis!
M is for Masticate, a stylish zombie short filmed almost entirely in slow-motion.
V is for Vacation: a man regrets calling his girlfriend when his friend grabs the phone and shows her what they have really been up to while on vacation.
W is for Wish: two boys wish themselves into the World of Zorb, the fantasy setting for a popular range of toys. It isn't as much fun as they expected.
Z is for Zygote, which sees a woman delaying giving birth for 13 years, the child growing inside her until there is no more room. In order to create more space, the kid removes her mothers internal organs and bones. Nice 'n' grisly with a really twisted finish.
The absolute dregs:
H is for Headgame: director Bill Plympton delivers an animated short that looks like an excerpt from his 1988 film 'How To Kiss'. Yawn!
L is for Legacy, directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen: Nigerian movie-making at it's most amateurish.
P is for P-P-P-P SCARY!: No P is for P-P-P-P S**T!
What was the point?:
N is for Nexus: seriously, what was the point?
What the hell was that all about?:
Y is for Youth: seriously, what the hell was that all about?
A is for Amateur, directed by E.L. Katz, kicks off proceedings in fine form. This segment follows an accident prone hired killer who successfully carries out his latest hit, even if it doesn't happen quite how he had imagined. Expertly told, with an unexpected twist and a deliciously dark sense of humour, this was easily my favourite part of the whole film—a shame because that meant that everything that followed was a disappointment by comparison.
The best of the rest:
C is for Capital Punishment (directed by Julian Gilbey), which effectively highlights the potential failings of the death penalty and boasts a really brutal decapitation.
G is for Grandad (Jim Hosking): seriously warped fun that sees a young man taunted by his grandfather, who just happens to have no penis!
M is for Masticate, a stylish zombie short filmed almost entirely in slow-motion.
V is for Vacation: a man regrets calling his girlfriend when his friend grabs the phone and shows her what they have really been up to while on vacation.
W is for Wish: two boys wish themselves into the World of Zorb, the fantasy setting for a popular range of toys. It isn't as much fun as they expected.
Z is for Zygote, which sees a woman delaying giving birth for 13 years, the child growing inside her until there is no more room. In order to create more space, the kid removes her mothers internal organs and bones. Nice 'n' grisly with a really twisted finish.
The absolute dregs:
H is for Headgame: director Bill Plympton delivers an animated short that looks like an excerpt from his 1988 film 'How To Kiss'. Yawn!
L is for Legacy, directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen: Nigerian movie-making at it's most amateurish.
P is for P-P-P-P SCARY!: No P is for P-P-P-P S**T!
What was the point?:
N is for Nexus: seriously, what was the point?
What the hell was that all about?:
Y is for Youth: seriously, what the hell was that all about?