5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Poison Ivy 2: Lily, a sheltered art student (Alyssa Milano) finds Ivy's diaries and, after reading them, is lured into uninhibited risk-taking to become a wild woman!
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Johnathon Schaech, Xander Berkeley, Belinda Bauer, Camilla BelleErotic | 100% |
Romance | 40% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Much like Drew Barrymore, Alyssa Milano was hunting for a different image during the 1990s, working to lose the brightness of her “Who’s the Boss?” years, entering the seemly world of B-movie entertainment to redirect her career. 1996’s “Poison Ivy II: Lily” wasn’t offering an acting challenge, but it did gift Milano an opportunity to continue her work in seductive endeavors, picking up the “Poison Ivy” brand for a spiritual sequel that attempts to be a little more sympathetic to the ways of sexual gamesmanship and the creation of identity.
Much like the original feature, "Poison Ivy II: Lily" hasn't been freshly scanned for its Blu-ray debut. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation battles age, resulting in a slightly muddy viewing experience, with softness apparent throughout. Skin surfaces lack texture, along with costumes and interior decoration, which could use a sharper presence considering the film's interest in art and sin. Colors are muted, without compelling primaries, finding only sun-drenched vistas the most communicative with blues skies and greenery. Reddishness periodically invades, diluting some skintones. Delineation solidifies at times. Grain is thick and somewhat blocky. Banding is detected, along with mild judder. Unrated footage blends better into the sequel than the original, but a few jumpy frames identify the merging of sources.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix presents "Poison Ivy II: Lily" with a more aggressive soundtrack presence, finding alternative rock cuts providing intended edge, while scoring needs retain their thinness with synth beats. There's a wider sense of life on the track, which samples a few moments of separation, but doesn't get too ambitious. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, capturing heated sensuality and louder argumentative moments. Sound effects are noted but never remarkable.
Potential for a proper obsession thriller is shot down fairly quickly in "Poison Ivy II: Lily." It's more of a softcore endeavor, with chunks of the runtime devoted to watching the lead character deal amorously with Grendin and Donald. Director Anne Goursaud at least tries to pretend she's taking the material seriously, striving to use the influence of art and creativity as an aphrodisiac, with such skill also a prison for Donald. However, teases of bare flesh and awkward cinematography wins out in the end, giving the longest "Poison Ivy" installment the least to do. Long gone are psychological interests of the original effort, replaced here with Zalman King-style dreamscapes and melodramatic challenges for underwritten characters.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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