Editor's Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on February 21, 2003, and we're proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
A line of dialogue in Bloody Murder 2, and a corresponding chapter title, make reference to “Horror Films 101,” and that’s as good a description as any to apply to the movie itself. It’s a tad depressing to note that both the video success of the original and the existence of this sequel prove there’s still a market for summer-camp slasher flicks that add nothing new to the timeworn subgenre—and, in this case, have very little to contribute to its own franchise’s limited mythology. The only points Bloody Murder 2 scores are in comparison to its predecessor—it’s a little more stylishly directed (by Rob Spera), and isn’t nearly as tame. There’s nudity (topless and brief full-frontal by rising starlet Tiffany Shepis) and quite a bit more gore, though it’s sad to see talented makeup FX artist Todd Masters (Demon Knight) reduced to working on by-the-numbers dreck like this.
The plot doesn’t bear much recounting, ’cause you’ve seen it all before: the masked murderer, the nitwit victims-to-be, the heroine with a past connection to the mayhem and bad dreams, the red herrings and out-of-nowhere revelation of the villain’s identity. On Artisan Entertainment’s DVD, the movie is presented fullscreen with no compromising of the image, and gives every indication of having been shot on 16mm, with frequent grain, an overly contrasty look and occasional discoloration. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Surround audio tracks are decent, if nothing to scream about. Extras are limited to a small still gallery and a “Jump to a Bloody Murder” feature—which actually leads to three not-terribly-bloody excerpts from the first film.
And that’s all there is to say about that…
