I really dropped the ball this weekend. I intended to write and post this as a Streaming Saturday but I ran out of time. Then on Sunday I wanted to write it but only after I posted my review of its predecessor, The Collector. I thought I could squeeze in my weekly TV write up first, but that ended up taking a lot of time so alas, it is Monday and here is my review/Streaming recommendation for 2012’s The Collection. Enjoy.

The Collection picks up shortly after the events of The Collector. The opening credits play over news footage that not only details the events of the first movie, but also expands the sheer scope of the Collector’s villainy. The newscasters describe the MO of the killer and setup the fact that he, well, collects people. There are some shocking statistics given that reveal just how widespread the Collector’s hold reaches.

We are then introduced to Elena (played by Emma Fitzpatrick). She’s a young woman whose boyfriend has just blown her off. Her friends convince her to come to an exclusive, password-only nightclub to blow off steam. Unbeknownst to them, however, The Collector has the nightclub rigged and soon there is a bloodbath.

I like The Collection, if only because what I just described could be the basis for its own movie but it’s used as setup for the movie’s main plot. In fact, the characters that the writers take the time to setup in this opening section are largely all complete throwaway characters.

The real plot of the movie follows a private security team’s assault on The Collector’s warehouse. The movie does everything a horror sequel should do here. It creates more complex situations for the characters, ties into the original movie in a satisfying manner and it ups the ante in several areas.

The simple fact is, if this is the type of movie you’re looking for, you’re not likely to be too disappointed. It isn’t quite as satisfying as the original movie was for me, but in a genre rife with horrendous and cheaply made sequels, it’s nice to see a solid flick get a worthy follow up. So on this Monday, I give this my honorary Streaming Saturday stamp of approval.

Obsessive Grade: Bargain Buy

Regarding the Saw comparisons

I was going to end this post here but I wanted to address something and didn’t want to detract from my thoughts on the movie. So I decided to put a brief epilogue on this review.

In my review of The Collector, I mention that it has been compared to Saw for several obvious reasons. What I neglected to mention (simply because I didn’t know) was that the writers/director (Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton) team behind this pair of horror movies actually wrote the final 4 entries in the Saw franchise.

Imagine my surprise upon learning that the guys responsible for the movie I recommended to Saw fans looking for a more engaging plot, actually wrote the only entries in the Saw franchise I haven’t seen. I may actually seek them out now, solely because of them. I won’t get my hopes up though.

I have one other quick note about the filmography of Melton and Dunstan. They got their start after winning season 3 of the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck produced HBO (then Bravo) series Project Greenlight. This blew my mind a little as I, cynic that I am, didn’t expect someone from Project Greenlight to make it very far in Hollywood. Yet they have proven me wrong. Good for them.

So, have you seen The Collection? How about The Collector? Let me know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to follow the blog around the web with the links below.