31 Days of Horror Day 17: ABC's of Death 2 2014 - REVIEW by Jay Pendlebury

Horror and genre fans thrive on the anticipation of a film we haven't seen yet. The promise of a film terrifying us, making us squirm or thrilling us enough to earn it a spot among our favorites. Unfortunately we also thrive on the fact that we have to sit through many less than quality films in our search for satisfaction. As a result we depend on the word of friends , blogs, reviews to help us find that uncovered gem. For this reason I think The ABC's of Death, original (2013) and the sequel (2014) are worth a view.

I just recently watched the ABC's of Death 2, I think I enjoyed it more than the first. While I don't consider either film to be among my favorites I believe there is something for every horror fan in both. For those of you who haven't seen either they are unique. The beauty of them is they are anthology style. I enjoy anthology style horror films. Trick or Treat, Creepshow one and two are among my favorites. The ABC's of Death films take that idea to the next level and matches a story to every letter of the alaphabet. Rather than just three or four stories , these films offer up twenty six a piece. With so many short stories, even if you aren't enjoying the current one its just a short matter of time till the next. In that regard I find them satisfying to watch because of the quick set-ups and payoffs. With twenty six per film, and each film clocking in around two hours long, each story is eager to please. Even the ones I didn't really enjoy still kept me engaged while I wondered how they were going to relate to the specific letter they were on. Its unique style offers incredible freedom to the individual directors to go ahead skip appetizers and the main course, lets get to desert!

While the first film left me cringing a little more I still found the second more enjoyable. That being said I would recommend watching the original first. The second was a little more tongue in cheek, better quality directors (Soska sisters, Vincenzo Natali etc.) Be forewarned, there were a few moments that are obviously going to elicit reactions from the viewer at any cost. This stands for both movies. I found one story in particular fairly disgusting and not from a gore standpoint. With twenty-six stories per film, I'm sure certain directors had a goal of standing out, either positively or shockingly. I want to remain clear about these movies though. Not every horror fan is going to love them start to finish. This remains a key selling feature of these films, something for everyone. I liked a lot less of the first and a lot more of the second. Especially with the second I found each reveal of the word at the end of each story to be humorous, clever and sometimes quite poignant. Overall, I would recommend watching, especially if you are seasoned horror lover. "Twenty-six directors, twenty-six ways to die." Who wouldn't love the anticipation of watching that?

Interview with Lee Majdoub From the Upcoming Movie "See No Evil 2"

Today I had the pleasure to talk with one of the stars of the upcoming horror film See No Evil 2, Lee Majdoub.  Lee also did a segment for ABC's of Death 2 as well.  A big end of the year for this actor.


TC: So Lee, how did you get into acting?

LM: Acting was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but I never thought it would be possible to pursue professionally. I was in line at a movie theater with one of my sisters (for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, btw) and there was a promotions booth for acting classes. Knowing it was something I really wanted to do, my sister pushed me to sign up for a draw. I didn’t win, but I did start taking classes there. Classes were what sparked the notion that I could really do this as a career.


TC: How long have you been an actor?

LM: I started training back in 2002, and I’ve been acting professionally since 2007


TC: You have a couple upcoming films namely See No Evil 2. What is your role in this film?

LM: I play a guy named Carter, who is Tamara’s boyfriend (played by Katharine Isabelle). He seems a little “douche-y” when you first look at him, but at the core he’s a nice guy.

It’s funny. When I first booked the role, I had no idea the character would end up looking the way he did. The writing of his personality didn’t change, but I didn’t know what I was walking into. This guy’s wardrobe was awesome! I never get to wear clothes that, so when I went in for my fitting and saw the selections, I peed a little.


TC: See No Evil 2 is packed with stars : Danielle Harris and Katherine Isabelle to name a couple. How was it working with them?

LM: Everyone was absolutely great to work with.

Danielle brought her experience in the horror genre and her professionalism on set was remarkable. She was a leader and is extremely kind.
Katharine was a load of fun. She kept me on my toes in our scenes together. She’s incredibly free when it comes to her acting. I learned a lot from watching and working with her.

I miss that entire team, really. It felt like a family.


TC: The Soska Sisters are up and coming directors, what was your experience with them like? From an actors standpoint.

LM:  Jen and Sylvia are some of the smartest people I’ve met. I think their love of film making stuck out to me more than anything else. Their passion, joy, and energy is contagious. The Soskas have this innate ability to make everyone feel like they are a part of the team. I don’t think there are enough good things I can say about these women to convey their amazingawesomecoolness. That’s a word, right? Amazingawesomecoolness? Yeah... I think it is.


TC: So where was See No Evil 2 shot at?

LM: It was mainly shot at Riverview Hospital. It was a Canadian mental health facility, but was shut down a while back. Let me tell you, some of the areas in that building are insanely creepy. Thinking about it gives me the shivers. You want to test your courage? Go to Riverview in the middle of the night.


TC: Another one of your upcoming projects is The ABC's of Death 2. Tell us a bit about your segment in this?

LM: The segment I’m involved in is “T is for Torture Porn”, also directed by the Soskas. I love working with them. The segment focuses on something like a porn “casting couch”. A woman is being exploited and then... you’ll have to check it out. I swear to you, though... my character is innocent... maybe not... you be the judge ;)


Twitter: @LeeMajdoub

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2837384/