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In 2011 the "lost footage" of the promising new reality show, "Grave Encounters" was released. The cast and crew went on a journey to find the paranormal and got more than they bargained for. Each member of the crew comes to an untimely end and the host is the last man standing. But his time will come as the building and it’s medical staff look to "release the demons" from him.

As a low budget movie it was pretty good. It had twists and turns, scares and chills. The reactions were mixed with some people loving the amateur look and feel,while others mocked the cheesy special effects.

But what if it wasn’t a movie? What if it was real? What if the real deaths and the real events of the asylum had been bundled up, edited and sold off as a horror movie to cover the costs of the lawsuits and settlements?

That’s how we jump into Grave Encounters 2. Alex, a film students and his friends uncover there might be more to the original movie. The "actors" haven’t been in another movie since. "Sean" hasn’t been seen or heard from again. And then, out of the blue, Alex gets a tip that he might be on the right trail. After setting up interviews and digging deeper he discovers Sean might be in the hospital, according to his mother, who just happens to have dementia. But the clues keep coming and Alex ends up within the walls of the asylum trying to prove the original movie, was indeed real.

Taking it’s cue from the original, the sequel has plenty of jerky camera movements, night vision shots, hallways that lead nowhere and a building that can actually change it’s layout. There are lots of twists and turns and plenty of confusion. This sequel mimics the original in a lot of ways, which may be a good or a bad thing depending on who you are. I liked the atmosphere. It’s dark and creepy and you’re always expecting something to come around the corner. There’s a bit more gore this time around, and still more of those damn rats.

For the most part, the cast is pretty likeable. Alex is a little too Capt Kirk if you asked me, but Trevor as the dope fiend is quite amusing. Alex’s "girlfriend" Jennifer sticks by her man, but we all know in the end, no good will come from their relationship. Tessa is the badass chick you want along no matter what you’re doing. She’s good with the bolt cutters.

If you like the first movie, you will enjoy this one. While it’s not the same movie, so many of the original elements are there that it’s basically a continuation. It’s more comedic than the original, at least while Trevor is around. There story doesn’t become any clearer, in fact, things get a little muddied by the time we hit the end. I have no doubt there will be a 3rd movie in the series to tell us more about the "satanic doctor" and spirits of the ward.

It may not be the greatest of movies, but if you turn down the lights and let this one play, I’m sure it’ll get a jump out of you. It had some laughs, it had some scares, it had some tense moments, it had some cheesy effects. What can I say, I liked it. Let’s face it, it’s not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. A cheesy-ass horror film isn’t always a bad thing.

You can check it out on Amazon or iTunes.

Grave Encounters 2 on Amazon Instant Video

Grave Encounters 2 on iTunes

Other Articles of Interest:

• Grave Encounters
• Paranormal Activity 2 – Do we really have to do this?
• Van Helsing – Rating 1 out of 5
• Saw II
• The Dead Matter
• The Gravedancers – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For
• Priest – A quick overview
• Best Halloween Movies?
• The Conjuring – First Impression
• Reincarnation – After Dark Horror Fest – 8 Films To Die For