my thoughts on.... 'The Collection'

I really enjoyed all of the 'Saw' films. I own them all and have seen them all, several times. What does that have to do with 'The Collector' and/or 'The Collection'? A lot, actually. Marcus Dunstan, co-writer and director of the 'Collector' films, was also the co-writer of parts 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the 'Saw' films. Maybe that's enough of an endorsement to sway you one way or the other, right off the bat. Maybe now. Either way, I really appreciate Mr. Dunstan's love of the genre and he has quite the eye for horror. His films have their own unique voice and vision. While they might not be the top of the heap, they're pretty damn amazing overall.

I recently talked about, on episode 65 of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour', the new crop of horror directors to keep an eye on. For whatever reason, I passed over Marcus Dunstan and that was a shame on my part. I'm now officially adding him to my list. I mean, after seeing how his films evolved from 'The Collector' to the 'The Collection', I can see big things in his future. His visual style reminds me of an early Alexadre Aja ('High Tension'). There was something very fresh about both of these films. This review is really for 'The Collection', but I feel that there should at least be some mention of the other films he's worked on. The world that 'The Collector' set up, is very similar to the world of 'Saw'. Where those films end, seems to be where 'The Collection' begins. It's almost as if it was a hybrid of those films.

'The Collection' begins with a brief back story on our main heroine and then quickly jumps right into the meat of the film. With the characters having already been established in the last film, there's no need for a ton of exposition. That, to me, is the way a sequel should be. You soon are re-introduced to the main character from the last film and all hell breaks loose from there. It's as if 'The Collector' was the appetizer and 'The Collection' is the main course. This film is amped up heavily with more kills, bigger sets, bigger production value, a meaner killer, a stronger set of heroes and a whole lot of horror. There's so much good going on in this film, that it's hard to find the negative. The big thing to keep in mind though, is that this is a horror film and not an academy award nominated film. It's meant to entertain and scare you, nothing more. Granted, he re-invents the wheel in some ways, but this won't re-write the genre. There's a lot of things here that are familiar, but it doesn't matter.... because there's so much more that's new and interesting. It's as if The Collector is Bruce Wayne/Batman, if he was a psychotic mass murderer with no remorse and no regrets. Not unlike the much lower budgeted 'Laid To Rest' movies. Those follow a very similar character arc and storytelling. The big difference is style and budget. Those are by far the lower budget movies. Mr. Dunstan seems to have some people with money that think he has promise and something new to say. It shows.

I feel like I'm heaping a whole lot more praise on these films then I did after the first time I saw them, but over time.... I've seen other movies and grown to appreciate what I missed the first time out. 'The Collection' is a fun, thrill ride that starts out strong and never really lets up. It has a memorable and likable cast. It has characters you actually care about and root for and it gives you an ending that leaves you feeling full and satisfied. It begs the question of a sequel, but doesn't assume that one will actually happen. My hope is, that it will spawn another installment, as I want to see where things go. I never expected these films to become a franchise, but with the path it's taken, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes on a life not unlike 'Saw' did. There's a potential here for another horror soap opera of epic scope. Even the potential to turn an extremely dark villan into a really dark anti-hero. I don't want to provide any spoilers for the endings, but things could head many different directions in part three.

If you're like me and you think that you've seen everything....twice, then this might be the film(s) for you. It's like settling down for another viewing of 'Friday the 13th' on a 25 year old VHS copy, that's been watched to death. Then, suddenly, putting in a Blu-ray special edition of it and watching it in full stereo surround sound on a 100 inch flat screen. It's night and day. This is the way horror should be made. Again, it's not the greatest ever and it's not adding anything new to the genre. It's really just a clean, fresh breath of air on a hot, muggy day. Just what that doctor ordered, whether you realized you needed it or not. It also has instilled a firm belief in me that Marcus Dunstan is a man to watch. He's just getting warmed up and I feel that there's some more amazingness headed our way soon. Mark my words.

3 out of 5 stars, heavily leaning on 4.

If you like 'The Collection', watch: 'The Collector', 'Laid To Rest' and 'Laid To Rest 2: Chromeskull'

my thoughts on.... 'The Collector'

what do you get when you have the writers of the last few 'Saw' movies write and direct their own movie....? you get 'The Collector'.... a dark and moody horror movie all about killer who likes to torment his victims, but he always keeps one in the end.... thus making him The Collector.... visually this movie has a lot going for it.... soundtrack wise, the same thing.... the characters are interesting and the plot is fairly original.... the killer is creepy as heck.... there's plenty of blood and gooey stuff for those who like that kind of stuff.... all in all a very nice first outing.... and considering the pedigree of the director, it makes sense.... i came into this with little to no expectations and was pleasently suprised by how enjoyable it was.... in the moviegoing sense.... it kept my interest and i cared about the people involved.....

basically, you quickly learn that our killer likes to leave a little trap for his victims to get their attention.... from there he sets traps all over the entire house so that his vicitms can't escape and so he can also see them suffer while trying to avoid the traps.... granted, it sounds a bit like the 'Saw' movies, but it's not.... the traps are much more simple and more realistic.... the movie starts with our hero working on a house with a whole lot of other people for a family who's just moved in.... our hero has decided that he is going to rob the home, like he's done in the past for a partner he has that moves the product for him.... once the family has supposedly gone out of town, he shows up at the house and breaks in.... soon he realizes that he's not alone.... our killer is also in the house and has taken the family hostage.... and he must decide whether to help them out or make his getaway, if he can....
my biggest drawback to this movie is the fact that the traps would just take way too long to set to be practical.... unless this guy plans on being there for hours on end.... not too mention, once he's caught the husband and wife, they only have the two children that are left to catch.... so the traps remain kind of pointless, unless a third party breaks in and messes things up.... but perhaps that's his game.... in case the cops show up, they'll be disabled....? who knows.... but it makes for an interesting story.... and makes it much more difficult for our hero to do what he has to do.... it's obvious the 'Saw' influence is here, but not overwhelming.... this guy is a bad guy and has no method to his madness.... he just likes to kill....

i gave it 3 out of 5 stars for style and substance.... but it has some pretty big flaws.... i'll be curious where our director goes next.... he has a lot of talent.... and if it's a sequel that's next on his plate, so be it.... but i'd love to see him branch out and show of what he's really capable of.... the movie itself seperated from the storyline and characters is very well done.... all in all a solid effort and worthwhile to watch.... i would recommend it as a diversion or a late night time waster.... check it out....

if you like this see: 'Saw', 'High Tension' and 'P2'