31 Days of Draughts and Darkness: Volume III
Sinister 2 (2015)
That old Bughuul is up to his...er, it's old tricks again.
The sequel to the intensely-disturbing "Sinister"
is getting a nasty reception by critics, but I disagree with much of the
backlash. It's not as ghoulish or inventive as the original, but as far as
horror sequels go, it's honestly better than most. Though less chilling, "Sinister 2" does help deepen the series lore. And if
you're as much of a monster-fan as I, learning more about the mysterious Boogey-Man is a treat, even if we have to endure a few cheap jump-scares along the
way.
Note: Some spoilers from Part 1 will be discussed...
The Plot:
Set a few years after the
original, Bughuul has continued his reign of terror across multiple families,
the most recent having been murdered in a church. Yikes.
The deputy from the first film
returns, now a private investigator, seeking to understand the murders and
hopefully end the chain. He's quite receptive to the idea of Bughuul being
real, so much so that he plans on torching the church murder-scene to the
ground. As we learned from Pt. 1, Bughuul only prompts a family's youngest
child to kill after the family tries to leave the haunted house. Once a family moves into an old
murder scene, it's not until they flee from the ensuing haunting that their
fates are sealed. The axe falls the moment they settle into a new home. That's
how the 'Boogey Man' travels to find new victims.
This time, it's a mother and her
two sons, on the run from an abusive husband. It isn't long before one of the
sons starts having strange visions of ghostly children who are very, very
interested in movie night. The ghost-children beckon Dylan, the younger of the boys, to watch their series of "home movies", each depicting the
horrific murder of their respective family members. By them.
If you've seen Part 1, you already
know where this is going. The question is, can the deputy figure it out before
Dylan goes all Lizzie-Borden on his mom and brother?
The Flavor:
"Sinister 1" was more disturbing than
it was the "Boo!" sort of scary. There were a few jumps, but much of
the horror came from the bone-chilling content of the snuff-films. Part 2 ups
the jump-scare factor, with way more instances of Bughuul suddenly
popping up alongside a loud sound effect. The new home-movies are creepy, but
whereas Part 1 implied much of the gore without showing it, "Sinister
2" goes for the shock-factor. Expect a lot more blood and carnage. Yes,
they are still very creepy, and do a good job setting the tone, but don't have
as much nuance.
Whereas the first "Sinister" worked on a
psychological/paranormal mystery level, the sequel is more straight-forward horror story. Which is totally fine, especially seeing as we
already know the dark twist of the premise. Just go in expecting a plot that's
more predictable. The deputy's investigation mirrors the protagonist in Part 1,
making things a race against the clock before all hell breaks loose. Thing is,
in Part 1, we didn't know the clock was ticking until it was too late.
So what makes "Sinister 2" worthwhile? Depends on
how much the lore of Bughuul intrigues you.
The sequel expands on the mythology of the film's demonic
villain. We get to see more of his (its?) terror throughout history, going back
to before cameras existed. I really liked the idea of its attachment to other
forms of more primitive media. Perhaps
set "Sinister 3" in the past and involve a radio, or paintings,
rather than 8mm film? The idea makes Bughuul into more of a timeless villain,
as he's not only a Boogey-Man anymore, but now an entity that attaches itself
to forms of human inventiveness and artistic expression. That's a whole lot of
implication for writers and filmmakers to work with, and can go in many
directions.
Though Bughuul's design is basic, his modus operandi is
fascinating. He's more of an influencing voice, seldom taking direct action. He
subtly manipulates children, who effectively become undead slaves, to do his dirty work for him. This portrayal
of a Boogey Man who recruits rather than simply consumes his prey is creative and makes the idea of Bughuul far scarier than the costume or
make-up.
He doesn't just destroy a child's family. He makes them do
it.
Bughuul is more frightening off-screen, his implied presence
or silent nod in the background far more chilling that when he's going
"RAWR!" at the camera. There's serious potential to take this series
and the lore behind Bughuul into some really interesting places.
"Sinister 2" doesn't fully explore these, but it's starting to head
in that direction.
Best Paired With:
Anyone who was a fan of "Sinister 1" should give
the sequel a watch. Not to expect gold, but to gain a few more puzzle pieces
into the larger mystery of how the hell to actually defeat Bughuul.
Those simply looking
for a fun, straight-forward scary movie to enjoy on a Friday night should also
get a solid kick out of the film. Although watching Part 1 beforehand helps, if
your only intent is to pick up two hours of scares, you could do far worse.
"Sinister 2" is gorier than the original, so
harden yourself and fellow viewers to the approaching bloodflow. You may also
never looks at rats the same way again...
Brew
"Sinister 2" fits the Halloween mold well, but
it's got a dark, twisted side, too. I'm thinking something seasonal with a
strong bite to it.
Name:
Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale
Brewery:
Alltech's Lexington Brewing Co.
Where
Brewed: Lexington, KY
ABV:
10%
Style:
Pumpkin Ale (Barrel Aged with Bourbon)
Color: The
dead-center of the ale radiates a faint amber which lightens as you work your way
outward. Towards the edges of the glass you get a nice golden glow. In between
these ends, a rich orange gives this ale the classic appearance of a pumpkin beer.
Something about that orange hue, something so Fall.
Aroma: Your nostrils immediately pick up a sweetness, though
one that takes on an almost toasty quality. That'd be the vanilla, the aroma of
which begins to grow just as strong as the sweetness after a few sniffs. When
the spices, the usual Fall Trio, appear, they far from take over. Rather,
they almost play as supporting notes to that upfront sweet bite, made a bit
sharp by the higher ABV. If you're a fan of bourbon, you'll likely enjoy this. It's certainly a welcome departure from a purely spicy
scent and delivers a lot of depth.
Taste: Initially, you'll find all the usual, welcome flavors
of a pumpkin brew. This ale starts off with the slightest vegetable tang (that's
the pumpkin!) and quickly transitions into sharp sweetness and spice. Fortunately,
especially for such a highly-alcoholic ale, the sweet-factor is not overdone.
Too many imperial pumpkins become cloying in their intense sweet levels. This
one balances it just enough.
Then, as the brew washes to the back of the tongue, the
surprise factor hits. The good folks at Alltech's certainly did not skimp on
the bourbon flavors, as a strong vanilla character kicks in and transforms the spicy sweetness into a blend of flavors that resemble something
of a bourbon-pumpkin cocktail. Unsurprisingly, the spices go beautifully with
this transition, working to lively up the taste to prevent it from being all
vanilla. That said, the vanilla presence is strong here, and most certainly
takes center stage once it arrives...
Aftertaste:..as well as into the aftertaste. With each sip,
the vanilla/spice character clings to the tongue for quite a while. You'll note
the slight hop character at the back of the mouth directly after swallowing,
but it's very faint. The spices give the light hop quality a bit more oomph,
but it's clear this beer isn't about hop-factor. This is easily a brew you
could drink for over an hour. A slow-sipper, something to be savored.
With such intense flavors and scents, it's best to give your taste buds a rest
between tastes. Even now, literal minutes after my last sip, I can taste this
ale as I write this very review.
Body: I gotta say, for a barrel-aged ale marked by sweetness
and a high alcohol percentage, I'm surprised the mouth-coating quality isn't
more prevalent. Oh, it's there at first,
washing that seasonal-sweetness, spice, and vanilla over every little bud and
pore in your mouth. But while the flavor sticks around long after each taste,
the brew goes down quite easily. That's the strange thing: for as
heavily-flavorful as this ale is, it's also quite drinkable. Bear that word of
caution in mind, friends.
Pairing: With all this sweetness and spice, I'm craving a
savory cut of pork. But one that's only mildly spiced. I'm talking salt and
pepper only here, folks. Okay, a dash of garlic, too. My point is, with an
ale so rich in flavor, you want mild food flavor to go with the beer rather
than clash with it. I'd also add some butternut squash to the mix, as the
spices in the beer would provide the perfect level of seasoning. Just take a sip before each bite and the aftertaste will
provide plenty.
If you're looking for more of a palate-cleansing type of
pairing, the earthy qualities of rosemary, say baked into a bread, would work
well to temper all the sweetness and spice. Add some butter (the salt factor
ups the taste) and use this tasty bread in between sips (and bites!)
for maximum flavor.
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