Bughuul is Back for More Children in 'Sinister 2'
Released by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Production Year: 2015
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:37:13
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Video: 1080p (2.40:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
THE FILM - [ 3 / 5 ]:
In the followup to the 2012 hit horror film, a protective mother (Shannyn Sossamon of TV's Wayward Pines) and her nine-year-old twin sons (real-life brothers Robert and Dartanian Sloan) find themselves marked for death in a rural house as the evil spirit of Bughuul continues to spread with frightening intensity. James Ransome, who played a deputy in the first film, returns and ends up trying to help save Courtney Collins (Shannyn Sossamon) and her young boys from the clutches of Bughuul. Director Ciaran Foy follows up his impressive full-length directorial debut "Citadel" with "Sinister 2."
This sequel could have easily gone the route of paint by numbers and give us a near-cookie cutter copy of the first film. What I liked was that we get a glimpse behind the curtain at the spirits of the children. We don't fully step in to their world like in "Insidious," but we do get to poke our head in the door. I think the film had a couple rather good scenes that unfortunately had their effectiveness spoiled due to their inclusion in the trailer. Ciaran Foy also touches on it during the commentary. As is sometimes the case, in an effort to make trailers more exciting and attract viewers, film effectiveness is sacrificed. It is why depending on the type of film, I try to avoid most trailers beyond the first one that I see. Anyhow, I enjoyed this film more than its predecessor. I did only watch "Sinister" one time so perhaps I need to watch it again. But as of now, I would say if you enjoyed the first film, I think you will be pleased with its sequel. I have read rumblings that a third film may be in the works which shouldn't be a surprise since nowadays if a film is a success, it's sure to get at least a sequel if not become a trilogy.
I thought the principal cast did an admiral job in their roles. I don't know if I have ever been disappointed with Shannyn Sossamon. She always seems to do a good job of playing a woman suffering in some way, from something. The Sloan brothers and the main ghost children did a great job, I thought. I appreciated their work more after seeing them being themselves in the making of featurette. Lea Coco also gives a nice performance in his small but effective role as Clint. He certainly makes it easy for the audience to hate him which is a good sign he's done his job.
"Sinister 2" supplies some wicked kill films, the first one (seen around 19 minutes in to the film) being my favorite. The creepy ghost kids gleefully share their films as they proudly admire their grisly handiwork. You can see a little more of the films in the special features section under "Extended Kill Films."
AUDIO - [ 4.5 / 5 ]:
"Sinister 2" features an English DTS-HD Master Audio track. The audio sounded excellent on this Blu-ray release. The overall balance between dialogue, sound effects and score was well done. The dialogue can sometimes come off sounding a little quiet but I really didn't find it to be a big issue. The sound effects were used effectively to help create jump scare moments with sudden jarring effect. Some haunting music provided by tomandandy ("The Strangers") successfully helps set and further the mood. I did not encounter any problems with the audio while watching the film. The Blu-ray also includes English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Bughuul returns to Blu-ray in "Sinister 2" thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is presented in 1080p with a 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio. The film looks very clean and detailed on this Blu-ray. It really shines in close-up shots with an increase in sharpness. A fair amount of the film takes place in areas of varying darkness and while the Blu-ray could have really faltered with its black levels and shadow detail, it instead did a wonderful job of providing deep black levels and an abundance of eerie and effective shadows. Colors were represented well, appearing strong without suffering from being over-saturated. Skin tones looked natural and pleasing as well. I didn't notice any negative issues with the video portion of the Blu-ray.
Audio Commentary with director Ciaran Foy - I thought this was an entertaining and fascinating commentary. Mr. Foy is very technical and precise in his dissection of scenes as well as his explanations of mood and intent throughout the film. He talks about numerous aspects of the production from the cast, characters and script to special effects.
Deleted Scenes (9:22) - There are five scenes titled, "New Chain," "A Late-Night Warning," "Stupid Bird," "Lipstick" and "Stomberg's Last Drink." You can watch the scenes individually or consecutively via a Play All option.
Time to Watch Another: The Making of Sinister 2 (10:11) - Here we are treated to several brief snippets with a few members of the cast and crew regarding the film.
Extended Kill Films - Included are "Fishing Trip" (1:32), "Christmas Morning" (1:34), "Kitchen Remodel" (1:41), "A Trip to the Dentist" (:35), "Sunday Service" (3:05) and "Cornfield (3:11)."
Previews - Trailers for seven films are included with several playing automatically when the Blu-ray is first inserted.
This Blu-ray release also includes a Digital HD copy of the film.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment once again delivers a great home video release that sports superior audio and video quality as well as several added special features. If you already own the first film then I probably don't even need to suggest adding this to your collection. I would recommend that those who were maybe a little unsatisfied with "Sinister" to rent this one from Redbox, DigitalHD, etc. as you may be pleasantly surprised.
OVERALL RATING: [ 4 / 5 ]
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