Fangoria Blood Drive Volume 2
(Koch Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(2005)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Rather than giving an overall rating for the Fango Blood Drive 2, I've decided to rate each short separately, as we get a mixed bag in the second installment of short films. Although the first Blood Drive was not very well received, Tony Timpone and company decided to give it another go with 8 new indie horror shorts by up and comers from all across America.

We All Fall Down - By Jake Kennedy

The first installment on the Blood Drive 2 disc is a creepy little tale about a group of teenagers that inadvertently kill a retarded girl and dispose of her body in an abandoned apartment building. Although the premise of this ghost story is quite trite (they even use an asian girl as the haunt), Kennedy's execution by way of gore and painful situations makes the short worthwhile.

4 Skulls

The Gibbering Horror of Howard Ghormley - By Steve Daniels

Easily the most artistic of the lot, Daniels' black and white about the adventures of a crazy man give the audience some first hand knowledge as to the frustrations of paranoia. Coming upon a seemingly abandoned house in the middle of the woods, poor Howard Ghormley is led on a cat an mouse chase by the house's inhabitant. Unfortunately, Howard is not pleased at all when he discovers what lies behind the locked doors of the desolate cottage.

4.5 Skulls

Means to an End - By Paul Solet and Jake Hamilton

The goriest of the group, Means to an End is the story of two FX artists who go to the extreme to get themselves noticed in the horror industry. Unfortunately, the acting and storyline is not quite as fantastic as the convincing FX work sported in this short. Ultimately, the audience is left with a bare-bones crash course on how to gross your friends out.

2.5 Skulls

Mainstream - By Adam Barnick

Already privy to this short (see earlier review) I was curious to see how the short played out amongst its peers. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the film even more the second go around. Barnick really knows how to use a camera effectively and the coldness displayed by the lack of human element is quite remarkable.

4 Skulls

Disposer - By BC Furtney

My least favorite of the lot, Disposer is a tale of phone sex gone awry. The shortest of the short films, let's just say that Furtney's expose on phone sex operators is a "cut" below the rest.

1 Skull

The Journal of Edmund Deyers - By William Rot

First off, Bill, ditch the lame last name. Second, guys with dreadlocks don't make convincing serial killers. A decent amount of gore, but an equally present amount of bore. Next.

1.5 Skulls

Sawbones - By Brad Palmer

Another one of my favorites, Sawbones tells the story of a Civil War doctor who slowly loses a grip on reality. After inadvertently causing the death of a fellow soldier, hallucinations begin to seem all too real and the good doctor ends up performing a little life saving surgery on himself. Filmed in good ol' North Carolina!

4 Skulls

Working Stiff - By Erik A. Candiani

The last installment of the Blood Drive 2 shorts, Working Stiff puts a severe negative spin on the whole "what if I could just leave my job" dream scenario. Plagued by horrific acting, the saving grace of Candiani's work is the striking similarity to the old Creepshow storyboard methods, which gives much life to an otherwise dead end-film.

3 Skulls

All in all, the Fangoria Blood Drive 2 is an excellent compilation of short films by some directors that will hopefully gain the resources to release full length features in the near future. Because it is a mixed bag this go around, the Blood Drive will most certainly have something for all walks of death. Oh, and did I forget to mention the 20 minute interview with B horror legend Bruce Campbell? That's right, ol' Ash makes a special lengthy appearance where he discusses everything from future Evil Dead projects to the setting of his home in Oregon. Hmm, sounds like an interview a certain DFTD would conduct. Nevertheless, Blood Drive 2 comes highly recommended and should be sought after by all fans of the genre, mainstream and Indie.