Vacancy 2: The First Cut

Indeed, when the movie starts the credits tells us that this is a prequel, how it all started. But somehow it fails to deliver us a story. The first ten minutes has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, it is just there to clock the movie in at more then a hour. There is more blood then the original Vacancy but somehow it just don't work. They should have made another movie with another title. And the parts, for example, were you should jump out of your seat, well, it's not scary. You can guess what will happen. It's a pity that they always have to make a franchise out of movies that make a bit of money. Watch vacancy forget this one. Watch this one, as a movie on his own and then you will be satisfied.

Vacancy 2 is not as great as the first, but it does have some of the same suspense in the first half.

I found it pretty interesting and entertaining, especially as seen as a prequel. I did like how the order of the killings were not as obvious as other slasher films, but I do not like how it ripped off from The Strangers (a superior film) in the killers' masks. Saying that, the ending also sort of fell apart, and the reason is because there is just way too much chase. However, it still makes for a quick and mostly entertaining film that manages to be alright for a quick Saturday night, but do not expect it to be as great as other horrors, since the original was not all that either.

In 2004, the redneck managers of the Meadow View Motel Gordon (David Moscow) and Reece (Brian Klugman) use room 6 to videotape the intimacy of the guests to sell porn movies. When the mysterious Mr. Smith (Scott G. Anderson) checks in with a young woman, they witness the sadistic psychopath guest stabbing and killing his mate. The footage is a success and they decide to make other snuff movies with Smith. When Caleb (Trevor Wright), who is traveling from Chicago with his fiancée Jessica (Agnes Bruckner) and his best friend Tanner (Arjay Smith), decides to rest in Meadow View, they have a nightmarish night and try to survive from the sick intention of the gang.

The underrated "Vacancy 2: The First Cut" is a decent prequel to the original "Vacancy" (which is also a reasonable movie, nothing more than that). There are some stupid scenes, like for example Jessica beating on the window instead of escaping; or the attitude of Tanner in the house of Otis and Doris; or the conclusion with the police finding no evidence of the murders; but the final result is not bad or mediocre like mentioned in some reviews. The screenplay and the story could be better but work on DVD. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Temos Vagas 2 - The First Cut" ("Vacancy 2: The First Cut")

"Vacancy 2: The First Cut" is the prequel of the classic movie "Vacancy" and in this movie we have three young people who are in the classic motel and they are fully unaware of the psycho employees and their sick-minded intentions.

I liked this movie as prequel but I have to say that the first one was better than this, it had more action and we were unpredicted for what it will come up, and that was something that I did not have in this movie. I also think that "Vacancy 2: The First Cut" had nice plot and the storyline was great.

Finally I have to tell you that you have to see it because with this one you will understand better what's going on in this motel.

The Pinewood Motel was shut down in April 2007 and 200 videotaped murders were discovered from as far back as September 2004. It all started with motel clerks Reece (Brian Klugman) and Gordon (David Moscow) videotaping the sexual escapades of their guests and selling them to the truck driver (David Shackelford). Then they film the mysterious Mr. Smith murdering a woman in the room. They take Smith prisoner who sells them on making more snuff movies. Young couple Jessica (Agnes Bruckner) and Caleb (Trevor Wright) with their funny black friend Tanner (Arjay Smith) arrive at the motel just in time.

It's a real disappointment that neither Frank Whaley nor Ethan Embry come back for this prequel. The connection to the first movie is lost. I only know Bruckner and she's played this damsel-in-distress before as all young actresses do. The concept is basically the same as the original which means that there are no surprises. The first one was a well-made simple B-horror elevated because of compelling good actors in the cast. The simplicity means there is no place for this to go. The lack of good actors is really where this falls down. Fank Whaley was creepy in the first one. This is just a straight-to-video cash grab.