EVIL TALES 2

Written, Produced, and Directed by Ryan Cavalline

It's always hard to review anthologies. Generally the short films are very uneven, ranging from very good to god-awful. In the past I've always picked the best film and discussed my reactions. That's unfair to both the filmmakers and fans. An anthology should be graded on how well all films compliment one another, and the buyer needs to be made aware of the quality of each film included.

EVIL TALES 2 is the director Ryan Cavalline's follow-up to his anthology 3 EVIL TALES. While ET2 lacks a stand out short like 3ET's Day of the Axe, it is an overall improvement and shows growth in Cavalline's ability as a filmmaker.

The tape is comprised of 4 films, two disturbing shorts bookended by two weaker efforts.

FREE and FALLEN SOUL start and end the tape respectively. Both have much in common in terms of style and format. They rely far too much on narration to move the story along and set up the "punchline".

The second film, THE X-STALKER, plays like a murder fetish video. A young woman is harrassed by her former boyfriend who breaks into her house and tries to kill her. There is no point, plot, or build up, just violent murder. The film is so raw that it's hard to watch. There is a slice of life quality that pushes it over the edge. Picture America's Most Psychotic Home Videos.

LUNATIC is the longest of the bunch and plays like a much shorter version of Tim Ritter's TRUTH OR DARE. The film focuses on the inadequacies of our nation's mental health facilities.

Like THE X-STALKER, LUNATIC involves a young man who obsesses about a past flame. Of course she wants nothing to do with him. He harasses her multiple times and ends up in an institution only to be released and repeat the cycle. Each time he is released, his actions toward the former girlfriend become more and more severe.

LUNATIC builds upon each sequence and could play nicely as an extended feature. There are many interesting avenues the story could explore. Cavalline never shows the woman and her reactions, that would be a nice touch. It would allow for suspense instead of unease. But which do you remember more, a film that scares or a film that disturbs?

Perhaps Cavalline could take the best shorts from this and the best from 3ET and produce a truly fine product. While it could be better, ET2 is a worthy effort worth adding to your collection, especially if you want to see the progression of a filmmaker.

You can order EVIL TALES 2 directly from the 4th Floor Pictures website.