Decadent Evil II (2007) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: Charles Band
STARRING: Jill Michelle, Daniel Lennox, Ricardo Gil
RATED: UR/Region: A/1:78/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Full Moon Features
If you thought the first Decadent Evil was scraping the bottom of the bargain-bin vampire barrel, along comes Decadent Evil II to grab a shovel and start digging underneath it. Once again directed by low-budget genre king Charles Band, this sequel proves that when the original movie barely had enough ideas for one film, the logical next step is apparently… making another one anyway.
The story—if you’re feeling generous enough to call it that—picks up with more vampire nonsense, more shady characters lurking in poorly lit rooms, and more dialogue that sounds like it was written five minutes before the camera started rolling. Plot points sort of drift in and out like confused ghosts, while characters behave as though they just read their motivations scribbled on the back of a napkin.
To be fair, Decadent Evil II does manage one impressive accomplishment: it’s actually a little more entertaining than the first movie. That’s not exactly a high bar—clearing it mostly involves having something happen occasionally—but at least this sequel has a bit more goofy energy. The pacing is slightly less comatose, the absurdity is a little more noticeable, and every now and then you might find yourself mildly amused instead of just checking the runtime every five minutes.
Unfortunately, the improvements are pretty minor. The acting still ranges from stiff to bewildered, the production values scream “weekend shoot,” and the overall vibe feels like a late-night cable movie that even late-night cable forgot it aired.
The Blu-ray release doesn’t do much to elevate things either. The transfer is perfectly watchable, but nothing about it really pops. Colors are flat, detail is just okay, and the presentation never feels like it’s taking advantage of the format. It’s the cinematic equivalent of shrugging—functional, but not exactly something you’d use to show off your Blu-ray player.
In the end, Decadent Evil II is the rare sequel that technically improves on its predecessor while still being… well… pretty bad. It’s slightly more chaotic, slightly more watchable, and slightly more entertaining than part one—but that’s like saying a mosquito bite is slightly better than a bee sting. Either way, you’re still swatting at it and wondering why you bothered.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Full Moon Trailers
Original Trailer
Behind the Scenes
Battle of the Bands
Visions Auditions
