Reviewed by Jay Hawkinson
If you’ve seen the first ABCs of Death (2012) then you know what to expect from ABCs of Death 2 (2014), which had its world premiere at the ongoing Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. Applying the same format, a horror-tinged short film for each letter of the alphabet done by a different director, ABCs of Death 2 is a tighter, more consistent follow-up that is less the mixed bag of the first film and a hell of a lot more fun. Sick, twisted fun.
Kicking off with “A for Amateur,” directed by E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills), the dark humorous tone is established. His short was also an audience favorite, which is saying a lot with the level of quality on display; pulsating music over the glossy, gross underbelly of Los Angeles, Katz maneuvers an assassin in for the kill. However, things don’t go as planned leading to a rather unexpected and hilarious outcome.
The bar is set high from the beginning. Framed within a grim children’s book (the opening credits sequence is a delight, watching animated teachers slice off body parts of their pupils), this loose anthology of sorts follows that lead, in which nearly all the directing teams step up to the task. From killer animals to beheadings gone wrong and home invasion, ABCs of Death 2 covers a lot of ground without ever reducing to the toilet humor found in the first installment (which apparently was one of the ‘new’ mandates thrown down by producer Ant Timpson, “No more fart jokes”).
Clearly, these directors accepted that challenge and rose above it. The contest winner, “M is for Masticate,” directed by Robert Boocheck, was viewable online and yet works even better on the big screen. The letter Y, by VFX artist and first time director Soichi Umezawa, was a late entry after another director dropped out. Older by a few years, this creative short still fit in perfectly with the rest and is another standout.
Other highlights include the segment by Bruno Samper and Kristina Buozyte, the writing and directing team behind Vanishing Waves (2012), a previous festival darling, and Jerome Sable (Stage Fright) turns in a wicked “get what you deserve, Brodude” short for the letter V. The man behind Astron 6, Steven Kostanski, doesn’t disappoint with another audience favorite that’s basically a toy commercial that becomes reality. Directors Jim Hosking and Chris Nash each file comical, yet grotesque segments about becoming someone you’re not. They couldn’t be more different in approach but both are unforgettable.
Like the initial ABCs of Death movie, plenty of festival favorite directors are included, but give a hat tip to producer Tim League & Co. for the international flavor. From Canada to Israel, Lithuania to Spain and more, distinct voices and countries are represented. Not every segment is a knockout but there are easily more hits here than misses. Whether you saw the first movie or not, ABCs of Death 2 brings something new to the table that makes it worth seeing.
Surprising no one, a third film is teased at in the end credits…
