User reviews

For sure, it could be said this entry lacks that which made the first something more special. Is it using old shorts from YouTube? Maybe. Is it the lack of a proper foreground story? Probably.

But nonetheless, it's a fine combination of horror shorts - obviously some lesser than others but that's a very subjective opinion. None of the shorts are overly gory and the ones which stand out stand out VERY well and it's quite clear why they should be featured in this movie. The cinematography and acting is surprisingly solid throughout all shorts and the effects aren't too shabby either.

All in all, it's not a terrible waste of an hour and thirty minutes of your life - but I wouldn't plan a movie night around it.

Anthology films are few and far between recently. This project uses the structure as a way of showcasing nine often very short vignettes independently created by a different team and shown as a collection of unsavoury tales collected on a videotape. The tape falls into the hands, or rather is left at the door, of a young woman (Andrea Monia). The purpose of the videotape forms the enveloping story-line.

I won't go into details about the instalments, because their originality is very satisfying and it would be a shame to spoil that. Sometimes, instead of any detailed story, they are simply moments, like in a dream, of surreal occurrences which are nevertheless detailed and grounded enough to satisfy on their own merits. There are moments that had me turning away due to the graphic special effects, but this is far from drenched in gore. Rather, each weird tale builds up an ambience that is deliberately uneven and unpredictable.

This is a sequel to the original 'All Hallows' Eve' (2013), which was directed and produced by a different team. According to some reviews, the original was superior to this. This excites me, because I haven't seen it, and for the most part, I found this refreshingly original and generally well made.

I liked Art in the first one, but I didn't need him to be in the sequel for it to be good. In fact, I do appreciate that he isn't in it, because I don't want to see him become a cash cow that gets milked whenever someone wants to make a buck.

That said, the reason Art worked in the first one is that he tied the stories together. I felt that, overall, the shorts didn't connect, at least not for me. I didn't mind most of them, but they were too short to make an impact. Just when you start getting into them, they end. I think fewer shorts, each getting more time to develop, would have made this better.

I also didn't feel any connection to the woman watching the films. I liked Katie Maguire in the first one. The woman in this one is forgettable.

Overall, fun, but not great.

My quick rating - 4,7/10. Another horror flick in the anthology format. If you are unfamiliar, these are short stories bundled together into one film, usually bound by an underlying central theme. This one, as the first one was (and also the "VHS" movies) is centered around a mysterious videotape appearing and the contents of it. That plot is nothing more then fodder to bring the stories on. This one had a few good shorts, some average, and the rest garbage. Pretty typical of anthology flicks. Not going to break them all down, that will be up to you but the first "All Hallows Eve" was definitely better and also had a much creepier encompassing story to it. Make sure on this Halloween to save some trick or treat candy for sweet tooth ;)

I like to watch a portmanteau style horror film every once in a while, so with an idle afternoon Amazon Prime recommended me "All Hallows Eve 2". I haven't seen the first one, I'm hoping that it doesn't matter. Unlike some other films like this, where the short stories were created specifically for the film, these appear to have been a selection of previously produced shorts, some even as much as 10 years old at the time the film was released. It is, as with a large proportion of films like this, mostly rubbish.

Calm to the point of idiocy, a woman (Andrea Monier) is delivered a VHS tape by a pumpkin masked madman, carrying a knife. She watches the tape, the stories of which make up the bulk of the film. Then the least surprising thing happens.

The first is "Jack Attack" in which a young boy Jack (Tyler Rossell) and his babysitter Elizabeth (Helen Rogers) are preparing a pumpkin for Halloween celebrations. Having roasted the seeds, they each eat some, but soon discover, to their horror that the pumpkins are growing inside them. The visual effects were pretty good on this one, but the story was over before it really got started.

The second "The Last Halloween" sees for young children trick or treating in a post-apocalyptic world. Though rewards are small, and danger is high, it's not until they're refused access by Jack (Rob Basch) and Kate (Emily Alatalo) that the true dangers of this world come to life. This was better, the effects work perhaps a bit less impressive but a better story. It also had Julian Richings in it, as the films first recognisable face.

"The Offering" sees a father (Bob Jaffe) and his adult son (Jared Mark Smith) driving to a remote location to prepare a ritual offering for an unseen force, arriving at the site, the father discovers that he has forgotten a key aspect of the offering and must made an unthinkable choice. All in the mind and the performances this one and was all the better for it.

"Descent" sees a woman, Andrea (April Adamson) discover her friends' body, and have to hide from the killer in a cupboard. Weeks later, she's trapped in a lift with the same man and has to maintain her composure, as she works other whether this is a co-incidence or something more sinister. A nice twist in the tail of this one, but the performances are so-so and the short (from 2004) has dated more than the others.

"M is for Masochist" is an ultra-short, where three young man stumble upon a circus and are offered the chance to hurt a "masochist" for the chance to win prizes. Two of the boys begin immediately, but Sam (Fin Kobler) is reluctant. When the masochist's mask comes free, Sam discovers that the victim is his father, who beats Sam at home. He takes his chance for revenge. It fills the running time, I suppose but it's not particularly interesting or well made.

"A Boys Life" was a confusing one. Lengthy and well shot, and starring a young Griffin Gluck, it felt like a psychological chiller, where a boy who hears a monster in his room and is scared sets traps to capture it. But it could just as likely be unprocessed grief over the death of his father, a military man. Until the last minute which, though classic horror fare, undermined the work that had been done before. It felt more like a proof of concept for a larger film, than any of the others.

"Mr Trickers Treat" sees Mr Tricker (Michael Serrato) torture and kill two men and then use them in his front garden Halloween display. It's . . . Not particularly well done - let's just leave it at that.

Finally, "Alexia" which despite being entirely in Spanish and presented without subtitles, was entirely the best. I'm guessing a bit at the plot here, a man (Sergio Beron) is closing down the facebook account of his girlfriend Alexia (Pilar Boyle), who has taken her own life. He has a conversation with his new lover, whom he has invited over and at the conclusion of that, his PC and then his flat is haunted by the ghost of his ex. The visual effects on this one were really well done and this is the really the only one I actually found at all scary.

So, as predicted the film is mostly a waste of time, but a couple of the films are worth your time, particularly Alexia and The Offering, maybe skip to those ones or hunt them down outside of this film.

Whatever happened to the art of the horror anthology? In the good old days, they would consist of a handful of terrifying tales topped off with a suitably ghoulish resolution; nowadays, anthologies seem to comprise of numerous brief creepy vignettes with no story arc, no character development, and no satisfactory conclusion. All Hallow's Eve 2: The Reaping is a prime example, not one of its many chapters making the slightest bit of sense.

In the opening part of the wraparound story, a young woman finds a VHS cassette outside her apartment and pops it into her player (as if anyone has a video machine these days); on the tape are several spooky tales...

In the first, a babysitter carves a pumpkin in record time for the boy she is looking after. She cooks the seeds in the oven for a snack, but when eaten, pumpkins rapidly grow inside their bodies. This one is fairly gory, but logic plays no part, and the result is confusion.

In the second, a group of young trick or treaters menace the residents of what appears to be a post-apocalyptic town. It's a real head-scratcher, as the kids turn into horrific versions of their costumes (a ghost, a demon, a witch, and the grim reaper), with no adequate explanation for what is happening.

The third story sees two men making an offering to an unseen creature, but forgetting the vital ingredient. This tale left me totally non-plussed.

Next up is the story of a woman who witnesses the murder of her friend, and, six months later, finds herself trapped in a lift with the killer. This episode had potential, but blows it with another weak finish.

Part five is hardly worth mentioning: a carnival sideshow allows people to take their aggression out on masochists. It's so short and inconclusive it barely qualifies as a story.

Tale number six sees a young boy (who wears huge glasses) afraid of a monster that he swears prowls his bedroom at night. His mother does her best to convince the lad that his room is free of nasty creatures, but in the film's extremely predictable ending, she realises how wrong she is.

The penultimate story sees a man decorate his lawn on Halloween, using real corpses as props. Had this been a decent anthology story, the bodies would have come back from the dead to turn the killer into one of his own decorations. The actual ending just leaves the viewer hanging.

The last story is entirely in Spanish. I didn't have a clue what was going on.

The film closes with the girl watching the video being killed by a creepy figure in a pumpkin mask who emerges from the TV.

2/10. A huge disappointment, especially considering that I really like Art the clown and I was hoping that All Hallow's Eve 2 would give me the fix I needed until Terrifier 2. But he's not there! Not even a brief glimpse.

As a massive fan of Art the clown, from the first film and Terrifier, i was excited to watch this... He's on the picture, but not actually in the film, which is pretty disappointing, and this film lost a few stars from my rating because of it. Otherwise it's a good film, but still prefer the first!

Firstly, the reviewer who rated 1 star should be ashamed of themselves, that's absolutely ridiculous, and should be deleted. He seems to suggest that it's no good because he wasn't scared out of his mind, why does that make a good film good, a mild scare is fine for me thanks very much!

I tuned in expecting be disappointed within minutes at the poor quality, storyline/ whatever, as with all other similar looking movies, but, something kept me going and I was soon hooked. I'm really difficult to please & don't really like 'small' films, I think I've been 'damaged' by big budget special effects & expect too much now, but this movie manages to pull it off, or should I say movies, as they're all totally indie films, sewn together with a VHS plot device.

They're all short & to the point, so before you've even a chance of being bored you're on to the next one, and pretty much everyone leaves you wanting more.

Only pass for me was 'Masochist' with the kids at the fairground.

Stand out was the Spanish one at the end - Wow! Amazing feel & production values, this team is Hollywood ready, expect more great things from them.

I liked this so much, I'm gonna watch again - unheard of ;-)

Anthology can be a trick medium, you have many short stories told in such limited amount of time and with different direction. This formal is prone to consistency issue throughout, which is what happens to this particular anthology. The quality of each one is also varied, depending on the runtime as well as underlying concept, it can feel jarring and detached, especially on the longer less interesting ones.

This is a string of stories made in one theme, a woman watching a mysterious VHS of many strange occurrences. The similarity is vague, some stories might just end abruptly or simply too bizarre, creating a messy undertone. A couple of them even drag for a bit without too much pay off, this not only creates dull moments, it also hampers the pace for the other tales that follow.

At best it's a varied degree of successful short clips of campfire story. They don't have much depth in terms of narrative as many of them end in five or ten minutes, and the shocking revelations might not be satisfying. Others collection of short stories have presented nifty twists in the same amount of time, and while there is decent use of practical effect here, it's not the same level of dread.

The overall theme and quality displayed are not refined enough for more than average short bursts of thrill.

In most every way this one was better than the first... except for one big part. The lack of the character Art the clown left this one as much more of a compilation of short films and not so much an anthology. While I'm sure they wanted to do something different with this one, Art was not only a wildly creepy addition but was also the connecting factor and cohesion throughout.

The actual over arching storyline between the shorts took a huge backseat and was very lacking which was unfortunate. Plus the pumpkin man severely paled in comparison to Art, but it didn't seem like they even tried tbh. In general it just felt a bit lazy.

Now, in every OTHER way this one was better than the first. The picture quality, the stories, the acting, the level of engagement and intrigue... all better. Because of this it kind of evens itself out to its predecessor landing pretty middle of the road. 5.5 rounding down to a 5. Would recommend.

I wish there had been a real review of this movie out there before I paid money to rent this.

There was absolutely nothing about this movie that approached frightening. possibly a child under 8 years of age would be scared.

Please do not waste your money on this. It is not clever, scary, concise, funny or any other adjective you may want out of a horror flick. It borders on theft. I had only one thought when it was over: how do I get my money back?

Be warned. Do not waste your time. Rent some older movie instead, you will be more startled by a good movie which you have already seen.

"All Hallows' Eve 2" (2015), directed by Jesse Baget, Elias Benavidez, and Andrés Borghi, is a sequel that continues the chilling horror themes of the original, albeit with a slightly different approach.

Plot The film follows a group of friends, including Sarah (Katie Maguire), who are once again haunted by supernatural forces on Halloween night. This time, they find themselves trapped in a series of terrifying visions and nightmares, brought to life by a mysterious video cassette. The film explores themes of psychological horror, with a focus on the characters' inner demons and fears.

Characters Katie Maguire delivers a strong performance as Sarah, once again bringing a sense of vulnerability and determination to her character. The supporting cast, including Sydney Frei and Cole Matheson, also deliver solid performances, adding to the film's sense of unease.

Atmosphere and Visuals The film's atmosphere is dark and oppressive, with a focus on psychological horror. The cinematography captures the tension and horror effectively, with a mix of practical and digital effects that add to the film's visceral impact.

Conclusion "All Hallows' Eve 2" is a well-crafted horror film that builds on the themes and atmosphere of the original. While it may not be for the faint of heart, it delivers on its promise of intense and unsettling experiences. The film's focus on psychological horror makes it a standout in the genre.

Rating: 7/10.

Has the feel of an indie straight-to-tv movie, and yeah, there's plenty to criticize. From bad acting to cheesy attempts at scares, this one's far from perfect, and falls a quite a bit short of its predecessor. But that doesn't mean it's not a good, Halloween-themed thrill ride.

The over-arching plot starts off basic. They rush the first few segments, and rush the breaks with the main arch in between.

The first segment is actually really, REALLY cool. It's short, but kinda shocking, and leaves the audience going "whoa." And as a bonus, there's a bit of a John Carpenter's "The Thing" element to one certain part. It's fun, shouldn't disappoint.

The second segment feels like a production of Spirit Halloween. Has an interesting premise, some cool aspects with the kids, but has a cheap execution. Very rushed, feels like an early Peter Jackson short. Not to say it's bad, but it's far from great.

Third segment is interesting. It's rushed as well, very short, and hardly any context is provided. Yet, somehow you're able to piece together what is happening, and create your own theories what led the father and son to this point. Acting's not bad. Nothing shocking on screen, but it feels like a campfire story told in 3 minutes by a scout leader to a bunch of wide-eyed cub scouts. And when the scout leader is asked by the scouts to explain everything, the scout leader takes a pull from his flask and tells them to shut the hell up and figure it out themselves.

By the 4th segment, we're only a third of the way through the movie. Starting to feel like the "ABC's of Death," only with more scares, thought, creativity, budget, and talent. And less rushing. Still, this segment isn't half bad either, despite trying to hard to be clever.

By the 5th segment, you may be wondering how many freaking segments there are. And this segment is just stupid. Maybe it could have been better, but, and I hate to sound like a broken record, it's WAAAAY too rushed. Feels like filler.

6th segment (holy crap, is that Pam from "The Office?!?" Wait, no it isn't) tries to tug on your heartstrings a bit. There's more context, time to think. Throw in a disturbed kid, a parent in mourning, cliche drawings of a child, it becomes real easy to predict. Kid's a great actor though. Characters do earn some sympathy points. And she gets the "Mother of the Year" award.

7th segment, well, it catches the spirit of Halloween no doubt. Despite it apparently being made on someone's mid-2010's smartphone using random people around a Californian neighborhood for actors. It's weird, not bad, but not great.

8th segment tries to be with modern tech. It's ok, some freaky imagery, but otherwise it's a bit weak. And the guy really needs some decor in his apartment.

That's......pretty much it. Some lows, some highs. 1st and 3rd segments were my favorite. The main story arch is entirely forgettable. Whole thing worth a watch, nonetheless.

I first saw the most recent film in this series, "Terrifier", and liked that. I saw the first "All Hallows' Eve" and found it decent, but not as good as "Terrifier". I thought that this film was far inferior to both. It felt almost like the material that wasn't good enough to put in the first one.

There are eight short films (some very short) that make up the film all together. The wrap-around sequence is similar to that from the first film in that a young woman all alone is left a VHS tape, but there is no babysitting this time. So little of the film is dedicated to the wrap-around that it is hardly worth including. The ending is absolutely pathetic, especially after the first film had such a shocking ending.

Of the eight films, the best ones are "Descent" and "Alexia". These two justified the three stars. "Mr. Tricker's Treat" seemed to be doing well, but it ended so soon that it didn't feel very satisfying. I felt bored during "The Offering". "M is for Masochist" was so short that it was pointless to include.

One last point is that there is a lot less gore in this film than in either the first "All Hallows' Eve" or in "Terrifier". It still has an 18 certificate here in Britain, but I can imagine that some people might have found the other two too gorey to stomach. I can stomach a lot of gore, but I thought that I'd mention it for those who are not so keen.