Hotel sin salida 2: el inicio

Vacancy the original was so much better, however this one was decent for a prequel. I felt like there were some moments that felt more silly than anything, which I don't think personally is good in a horror film. The acting was pretty well done also. Good if you just want to watch it or have extra time on your hands but you wouldn't be missing too much if you skipped out on this one.

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.

A direct-to-DVD sequel to the surprisingly successful VACANCY, a supposed horror/thriller that I wasn't too fussed about if I'm truthful. I felt that VACANCY was a film I'd seen a hundred times before, and the same can be said for this low budget sequel which takes the form of a prequel set in another motel.

The story is very predictable and aimed at the torture porn market. A travelling group of three teenagers end up staying at a remote motel (is there any other type?) and fall foul of a group of weirdos who decide to make a snuff film. There are no shocks or surprises here, and the writing is merely perfunctory. The characters act dumb and stilted, and the worst thing is that there's no sense of empathy; you never care as to who lives or dies.

Agnus Bruckner (THE WOODS) is the typical pretty blonde heroine but her character is severely underwritten to the point that the villains are more interesting than the supposed protagonists. The direction is insipid and uninspired and despite the plentiful chase sequences there isn't an exciting moment in the whole movie. Can't say I'm too surprised...

Vacancy 2: The first cut is a film that is better than it really ought to be.

I have said this comment countless times before, but an idea that has been implemented to great effect in the first film makes it interesting, and suspenseful.

Now with a prequel, it begins to give off some bad vibes, as if the ending has already been predetermined, and therefore it would need something truly unique to make it memorable.

Thankfully it created its own distinctive story about how the culprits began their operation at the Meadow View Inn, and how they turned into the monsters that terrorized couples, and families from the original Vacancy.

The acting was decent enough, although there won't be any award winners.

The psychopath Smith who was played by Scott Anderson was the absolute standout for me. He was bone-chilling, vicious, cruel, and sadistic. I couldn't believe the motel perverts trusted, and sided with him knowing how unstable, and deranged his actions were.

I would be a little more intrigued, into his past, and why he became such a savage to be able to commit these horrendous acts without remorse.

The good was that there is a lot of tension. You want the kids to survive, therefore you are alert, and on the edge of your seat constantly barracking for their survival.

The bad is that this is a very limited story, and doesn't deviate whatsoever from that blatantly obvious plot, so there's nothing that makes it stand out.

I can't give much more in-depth information here, this is a film that you already know won't reach any great expectations, It does sit below par because it's not entirely terrible, but I'm not sure that it warrants much of your time.

4.5/10.

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")