Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray Movie Review

Modern Horror at its worst.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 16, 2013

He'll kill us all.

It could be argued -- and quite effectively, given the modern Horror landscape -- that today's scare pictures are built around one of two things (and usually both), each of which usually ties in with the other in some form or fashion: one, marketing campaigns and two, "frightening" character poses and appearances. Forget artistic creativity beyond the promotional materials and special effects. Long gone, it seems, are the days of the truly terrifying Horror films and their filmmakers, the former just a shell and the latter now replaced by executives who only care about how to sell the movie, not producing a quality movie. Make a scary (or at least abnormal)-looking poster, claim "footage too frightening for theaters!" on the home video promotional material, make sure there are plenty of "oh my Gods!" and screams and weird looking people, places, and things in the trailer, and fill in the details later. That seems to be exactly how The Last Exorcism Part II came together. Here's another awful modern Horror movie built around recycled ideas, stale plot devices, and cheap technical qualities that showcase all of the same old nonsense that's defined the middling Horror landscape for some time now. This one has it all, and as such has nothing. It's an empty, meaningless movie with no dramatic value and no novelty in its scares. In other words, there's no reason to see it.

Whatever.

Nell (Ashley Bell), survivor of the events in the previous film, has been removed from the psych ward and placed in a New Orleans-area home for girls where she's encouraged to work through her demons (in the figurative sense of the term, though the literal would seem to apply) and move on with her life. She seems to accomplish just that. She strikes up a friendship with fellow girl-in-need Gwen (Julia Garner) and lands gainful employment cleaning hotel rooms. But this is a sequel so expect that her life isn't coming up all roses. No, just as things begin to return to normal, poor Nell finds herself in the midst of a lousy Horror movie, er, in the midst of real trouble. She fears the return of the demon Abalam and must set out to rid her body of its wicked ways once and for all and through any means necessary.

Oh, dear. This one really captures the essence of everything that's wrong with the modern Horror landscape. Here's a summary of all of the lame ideas, old tricks, and faux-frightening elements that make The Last Exorcism Part II a terrible movie. It opens with standard operating procedure Horror, showing two people scared out of their wits searching their home for the source of noise. Heavy breathing and a low hum shape the mood. Then, GOTCHA! One of the two people suddenly emerges from off-frame, accompanied by a loud musical cue, to scare the other and, presumably, the audience. Yawn. Later, a head tilts and...shock music! Somebody is suddenly standing somewhere other than where they were a moment ago and...loud sound! These sorts of nonsensical "scares" are scattered throughout the movie, and none of them are worth a darn. And then there are the other clichés at work. A telephone rings...must be the boogeyman on the other end, because it wouldn't be a Horror movie without a "scary" ringing phone accompanied by jump scare music! How about characters that slowly turn their heads to reveal...blackened eyes! Oh, the horror (and sharp musical cue number who-knows-which!). And then, the coup de grâce, the ultimate insult to Horror fans everywhere: the obligatory girl-asleep-on-bed-begins-to-levitate trick. Oh, this one has it all, the arched back, all the extremities limply hanging downward but for one arm caressing an erogenous zone, the long hair following suit. Oh, please. Stop. Please. Come up with something new, anything new. Just ditch the possessed levitation gag. Please.

It's truly an unbearable experience. There's not a hint of originality anywhere in the film. It's all about the "instant fear" of the manufactured variety. It's as if these sorts of movies know they stink and lack an honest plot and legitimate scares and are forced to resort to lame tricks to fill in the gaps and make sure the audience leaves with a few chill bumps that are the result of the sudden combination of flash movement and perfectly timed musical cues. Audiences are quickly becoming desensitized, and these pictures are so terribly formulaic anymore that it's easy to predict ahead of time when these "scare" scenes will appear. Long gone, at least in the general Horror landscape, is the true Horror experience, one that really sinks under the skin and takes its time doing so, the kind that unsettles the stomach, clenches the fist, and closes the eye, all reactions usually well out of the audiences' control. No, it's no longer real manipulative storytelling but rather instant "gratification." Who needs a story when a director can flash a strange image across the screen and simultaneously send a "scary" musical note through the speakers? This is Horror at its least artistic, least valuable. Even plotless gore-fests are better than this; at least many of them they have the courage to just be what they are rather than hide behind cheap tricks and lame promotional material to sell tickets.

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Last Exorcism Part II opens with a terribly cold and almost painfully flat and sterile blue and gray tinted sequence. The smooth HD video quality fails to support or even underscore the scene, instead making it feel all the more painfully dull. The technical quality is fine; it's just that inorganic digital doesn't really seem to do anything for Horror other than keep production costs down. When the action shifts to New Orleans, however, the benefit of the digital shoot becomes more apparent. Exteriors offer positively dazzling colors; whether more grassy and isolated locales or right in the middle of the city and its colorful festivities, the palette explodes off the screen in a display of brilliance reserved only for the finest top-end transfers. Details, too, are splendid. The most minute skin and clothing textures are effortlessly revealed, as are all of the interior and exterior background elements, regardless of how bright or dark the scene may be. It's still very flat and very clean, but it looks quite nice. Black levels are faultless, and skin tones appear neutral. There are no major instances of banding or noise or other problem areas often accompanying HD video shoots. This is a superb effort all around from Sony.

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Terrible though the movie may be, The Last Exorcism Part II's lossless soundtrack is anything but. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation opens with heavy bass, so heavy it rattles rather than remain tight, but that's pretty much the extent of any negative observations. Musical elements prove very smooth and naturally convincing; light piano notes flutter through the air with an ease and spaciousness that's nearly second-to-none. Gentle surround support aids the package, both in music and ambient environmental recreations both in more calm and serene locales as well as in the more festive and active downtown New Orleans moments. On the other end of the scale, those corny heavy scare sounds are at least well implemented from a purely sonic perspective; the screeches and crashes and clanks and whatever it is that make them all come together in strong technical harmony. The film ends with an aggressive hard Rock beat that shreds the speakers with potent energy and amazing clarity. Dialogue remains clear and firmly grounded in the center for the duration. This is a top-end soundtrack from Sony.

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Last Exorcism Part II contains a commentary track and a few featurettes.

• Audio Commentary: Director Ed Gass-Donelly and Producer Eli Roth discuss the challenges of making a sequel, the quality of the film, Gass-Donelly's style, influences, production design and the shift in style from the previous film, the work of the cast, and much, much more. The two manage to share the stage well together, despite both being quite chatty, fast-speaking, and craving the spotlight. English subtitles are included.
• Nell's Story (HD, 2:37): Cast and crew discuss the first film and the plot of the second.
• Shooting in New Orleans (HD, 2:16): Cast and crew speak about the benefits of shooting in New Orleans. This featurette repeats a few moments from the last one.
• Hair Salon Scare: The Last Exorcism Part II Goes Viral (HD, 2:21): Ashley Bell scares some people at a hair salon. What would have happened if the customer had jumped and been inadvertently stabbed by the stylist's scissors?
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• UV Digital Copy.

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Last Exorcism Part II earns a point for a professional polish and acceptable acting; it's a step above the worst The Asylum has to offer, but that's very remote praise and a real stretch for something positive to say. This is Horror cinema at its very worst, a movie built around stale visuals and styles that aim to scare the audience in the moment rather than build a narrative and atmosphere that really terrifies long after the movie ends, the kind that makes people afraid to turn off the light or fearful that it might really happen. This is the essence of watch-and-forget, a movie that won't stick to the ribs or linger in the mind and certainly not make anyone afraid of the dark, except, perhaps, for a fear that the lights going down might mean the movie is again starting up. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Last Exorcism Part II does, no surprise, feature standout video and audio. A few extras are included. Stay far away.