[Rec] 2, as reviewed by Jason Ours

“…I will not fear the night terrors, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that stalks the darkness…”

-- Rec 2

Ah, the moan and groan-inducing world of the sequel. It’s the only world where such complimentary masterpieces such as Evil Dead 2, Aliens, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day co-exist with the absurdly horrible S. Darko and Exorcist 2: The Heretic. It’s a world where a light is shown on true intentions – is the studio making a quick buck (and making the SAME movie again) or is the potential for EXPANDING the world and characters being creatively utilized? Is anything gained by this sequel or is it interchangeable with its predecessor(s)?  Perhaps most importantly…why should I care about this sequel?

Jaume Balaguero’s [Rec 2] is, without a doubt, a complimentary sequel to the already intense [Rec].  One can tell passion went into both the writing and execution of this gonzo-type tale. 

The film starts with a SWAT team approaching the quarantined building of the first [Rec]. The team is outfitted with cameras on all their helmets – a la Aliens (“Wierzbowski!?”) and seem ready to tackle whatever lies in that building. Upon arrival at the scene, they are met outside by a doctor from the Ministry of Health, who also assumes command as they enter through the gates of Hell…

What sets [Rec] 2 apart from just another sequel is that EVERYTHING is improved, from the sound (discussed soon) to the ability to successfully – and believably – tie up loose ends from the first movie. Most of the time the film does not feel like a straight-up sequel, but rather a biological extension of the monster that is the world of [Rec].

One of the greatest attributing factors to ANY horror movie is the sound – without it, there is no scare. That said, if you never have, I URGE you to invest in a high quality pair of headphones. Viewing (horror) movies via headphones with built in 5.1 (or higher) is an entirely new (and terrifying) world.  In the case of [Rec] 2, the sounds – from whispers in the backgrounds not heard without the headphones, to the rapid, scared breathing of the camera-man, create a perfect atmosphere of fear. This reviewer admits to not having a 5.1 + sound system, however, the headphones added intimacy – which is CRUCIAL for (well-made) horror. When watching [Rec] 2 a third time for this review – and the first time with headphones – I can honestly say that I was genuinely scared, all because of the horrible sounds I never heard before.

Another aspect of appreciation for not only [Rec] 2, but the entire world of [Rec] is the long-shot. Given the medium – the gonzo “found footage”-esque approach, the cast is required to fulfill their scenes in long takes. A keen eye for cinematography can spot these scenes in other movies – whether it’s the 2 minutes and 43 seconds of action in the hospital in John Woo’s Hard Boiled, or the 3-days-in-the-making infamous hallway scene from Chan-Wook Park’s Oldboy – it’s always a beautiful (underappreciated) aspect to film. [Rec] 2 is comprised mostly of these awe-inspiring shots, where one wonders how many times they were done to be “just right…” One extends an extra kudos to the cast for excelling at this.

Almost ALWAYS, the use of CGI detracts from the movie experience – not every movie is as fluid as District 9. While the approach of filming this type of movie adds to the suspense and tension, it also limits it in terms of visual effects – namely action scenes. What is beautiful about the world of [Rec] is that the action is usually very fast paced anyways – the camera frantically moving around and reacting to the environment – so the CGI blends in very well as one does not get a strong, long glance at whatever it may be. Usually one is too immersed in the action to stop and say “wait a minute, that’s fake!” – a good thing, as immersion is KEY in films of this nature. One needs to feel that they are with the characters to fully feel the fear. Remember the first time you saw Aliens and the marines were entering the colony of LV-426? That shit was terrifying because you were there with them every step.

The world of horror movies is filled with (sometimes) creative homages to past films within the genre. This is usually done tongue-in-cheek as the writers know that horror fans stick to their genre – it's fun too. [Rec] 2 is no exception: take for instance a scene which a crucifix is held up to a person and the shadow is all you see projected onto that person’s face – quick, what movie is that? See- fun! Now take a scene in which blood is being tested and bursts into flames– which Arctic-expedition-gone-wrong film from the 80s instantly comes to mind? Good, you know your movies.

So, if you enjoyed the first [Rec] …or…Quarantine – the bastardized Hollywood remake that is 99.3% identical EXCEPT for a MAJOR plot change and ONE scene– then I wholeheartedly recommend [Rec] 2.

“(A)bandon all hope – ye who enter here”

-Inferno, cto. 3, 1. 9,

[Rec]

Comparable to H.P. Lovecraft at his very best and infused with some of the most devastating jump scares known to cinema, [Rec] is a relentless and exhausting film that never ceases to scare and excite.

TV reporter Angela Vidal, fantastically played by the effervescent Manuela Velasco, is assigned to do a story about a fire house for a local TV show. While taping the show, the firemen receive a call about an elderly woman trapped in her apartment, and the TV crew tags along on the call. At the building they are joined by the police. When they try to talk to the old woman, who, by the way, is wearing only a nightgown and is covered in blood, she attacks and bites one of the policemen. From there, everything goes to Hell very quickly.

Angela and the other firemen carry the injured policeman down the stairs only to find that the health department has sealed the building; no one comes in, no one gets out. Hysteria ensues. Vague explanations and warnings are doled out via megaphones by the inspectors outside, sirens blare and flashing lights blind, everyone is shouting, the camera is shaking and being shoved by a nervous officer, and, to make matters worse, a fireman falls down the circular stairwell from at least three stories up and lands with a crash and accompanying screams, one of the many perfectly timed and executed scares in the film.

This first attack occurs about thirteen minutes into the film, after we've watched Angela and the firemen hanging out, eating dinner, playing basketball. We've gotten to know them a bit and seen them having fun, so we can genuinely care for their safety. Later, after the old woman is killed, the injured men stabilized as best as possible, and all the exits verified to be sealed, another period of calm takes place, where Angela interviews several of the tenants, including a Chinese couple, a sick seven-year-old, and a suave but somewhat prejudice older man. These people are now made characters rather than glorified extras, allowing us to care about them.

A fireman has a toolbox containing an axe and a mallet, and one policeman has one pistol. That is all the weaponry used in the entire film. Everyone trapped in this building is as vulnerable as possible. The only things with which they can defend themselves are their hands, minds, and whatever small trinket that happens to be lying around. They are sealed in like lab rats, entirely cut off from the outside world save for one health inspector who comes in to take blood samples. There is no cavalry coming to rescue them. They are utterly alone.

Once the health inspector enters the building, he first tends to the injured officer and fireman. While giving them some sort of injection, they jump back to life and attack the inspector and the medical intern helping him. Later we learn that it's the sick girl and her dog who first spawned this sickness, and she violently attacks her mother, biting her eye right out of its socket! The violent, frenzied delirium resumes, and does not cease.

I must admit that some of the scares feel a tad gratuitous. The lights will go out and then come right back on just before the scare. Ever so briefly I feel that I'm being picked on by a bully who keeps yelling "boo" loudly next to my ear, only instead of being annoyed I'm terrified. But the scares are so well timed and well set up that they keep scaring me, no matter how many times I'm hit with it. It keeps the fright and insanity going; the hairs on the back of my neck are given no time to relax and fall limp.

Angela and Pablo the cameraman are forced to escape into the penthouse of the building, which is nothing short of a meticulously-decorated Lovecraftian mad scientist's lab of horrors. Dozens of newspaper clippings are hung on the walls relating to the possession and exorcism of a Portuguese girl, among many other disturbing readings, tools and equipment. There's even a tape recording of a scientist describing an experiment. All very strange, confusing and eerie.

The light atop the camera, which has been used marvelously throughout the film as a plot device, finally goes out, and Pablo has to switch to night vision. He can see, but only through the camera; Angela can see nothing. Out of a dark recess within this penthouse walks some tall monstrosity that may have been a human at one point, but now only barely resembles a human. It lumbers toward Pablo and Angela, wielding a hammer.

I'd tell you what happens next, but it'd spoil the experience for you, if you'd even believe me. One of the best examples of the shaky-cam, or acknowledgement-of-camera, genre, [Rec] is an all-out blast, a thrill ride of terrifying proportions. Watch it alone, in the pitch dark if you dare, but you may wanna notify your neighbors that this movie will be the reason for your screams.