Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
Stars Tom Lodewyck, Greg Johnson, Carmela Wiese, Melissa Jo Murphy, Matt Ukena, Lloyd Kaufman, Edy Cullen, Paula Waterman, Jason Paul Collum, Michael Katzenberger
Written by Cory J. Udler
Certification Unrated
Runtime 70 minutes
Directed by Cory J. Udler
It is no secret, or shouldn't be at least, that a sequel should always have the qualities to top its predecessor. What is the appeal of a follow-up if it doesn't look like a more refined film? Unfortunately, superior sequels are a rarity these days, especially in Hollywood. We haven't had anything quite as good as Aliens or Terminator 2: Judgement Day for as long as I can remember, but that's not to dismiss the impact of The Dark Knight in comparison to Batman Begins. If you want a recent example of just how not to do a sequel, look at Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But, moving away from these glossy, multi-billion dollar brands and onto the independent scene, where undoubtedly the most interesting films are being made today, we have film-makers like Cory J. Udler, who are putting everything they have into creating an enjoyable movie on very little money, or explicitly in his case, a second and final chapter to a story that he has been extremely passionate and vocal about telling.
The underground hit Incest Death Squad was Udler's first feature film; a modern day exploitation movie that spun a warped tale of sex, violence and comedy, taking the most prominent elements of grindhouse era film-making from the '60s and '70s and throwing them into a new millennium melting pot. After reviewing it, I subsequently fell in love with the concept and became incredibly eager for the sequel when it was announced, so much so that I directly gave my support behind the scenes. So for me, the wait is over: I got to see Incest Death Squad 2. Alluding to my aforementioned point that a sequel should naturally be a better crafted film than what came before it, I am very excited to announce that it holds true for this final instalment.
Not only is Incest Death Squad 2 a superior film technically with its better performances, cleaner editing and smoother cinematography, it's also a very different beast. The first movie had a very dark, but very funny sense of humour running the whole way through it and the second part doesn't. It's altogether a far more serious work with a harder attitude and only a slither of comedy, though it remains as black as night.
In the original, we got to know the incestuous brother and sister duo, Jeb and Amber Wayne, who, believing to be doing God's work, kill tourists in the backwoods of Wisconsin. Now, one month on, the Waynes journey to the city on a deadly road trip in order to clear the air with journalist Aaron Burg (Lodewyck), whose child Amber is carrying after she raped him during the gruesome events at the, as you can tell, extremely nasty finale of the first film. Tom Lodewyck's performance as the nice guy reporter was show stealing in Incest Death Squad 1 and yet again he's wonderful here, portraying his character in a fashion that's worlds apart from what he gave us before, a man altered physically and mentally by his fateful meeting with Jeb and Amber. It's such a stark, frightening transformation that shows us a different side of Tom's abilities and further proves that he's a great actor.
Performances all round have been stepped up, from Burg's fiancee and former motel manager Andrea Stein, to the hell-raising Wayne siblings. Greg Johnson as Jeb is especially good, and I really cannot think of anyone else who could play the bible-bashing behemoth, it's just such perfect casting. The accent, the look, it's all there; he's the total package for the grisly character.
The movie has noticeably less blood and guts than the former, but there's certainly no let up in the content living up to the title. Rather than recycle kills, bloodbaths and crucifix-licking, Udler has gone in a more refreshing direction and delivered all new filth, from skull fellatio to close ups of a dead foetus. It's sick, twisted, but once again, a lot of fun - a rock 'n' roll freakshow of blood-spattered mayhem.
It is evident that Udler has meticulously sifted through what did and didn't work in his debut movie and presented a much to-the-point 70-minute cut. It's a breezy, well-paced and tight watch with zero fat, so the story is wrapped up both cleanly and neatly inside the hour and ten minutes, providing you with a little pill so to speak of exploitation, bursting with shocks, spills and sickness. Incest Death Squad 2 gets two dismembered thumbs up from this satisfied, taken aback critic.
Incest Death Squad 2 will have its world premiere online for free on September 17.