The Last Exorcism Part II [Blu-Ray]

Dropping the faux-documentary framing device in favour of a television drama pastiche, The Last Exorcism Part II starts where the original left off. Nell (Ashley Bell), the original cult subject, of sorts, is the sole survivor of the final climactic blow-out in the first film, running through the streets of Louisiana, eventually crawling into the bed of man whose wife has conveniently trotted off for a midnight piss. Her animalistic instincts and introduction as a wild woman crawling into bed with a strange man set the tone and thematic template for this tepid, formulaic and entirely unnecessary sequel; Nell's possession is a metaphor for repressed female sexuality. This becomes abundantly clear throughout the incessant bedtime metaphoric masturbation scenes, where she fantasizes about her abusive father, caresses her breasts and levitates in the air orgasmically at a New Orleans shelter for girls. Flash cuts and jump scares suggest some sort of baby was ripped from her loins — presumably daddy's — but it's all just fodder for standard issue Catholic superstition, with Nell, who adapts rather quickly to the status quo, flirting tenuously with local boy Chris (Spencer Treat Clark). Everywhere she turns, masked men and talking radios remind her that her chastity is "his" property, which, given the "exorcism" theme, suggests the devil, even though the amusingly simplified approach to a feminine loss of innocence with death and sin routinely reverts to rudimentary Freudian analysis, sans potty training anxiety. It's unintentionally sexist and certainly not even remotely clever, following in the footsteps of a basic Carrie template, right down to female empowerment being hyperbolically represented via a destructive, post-coital rampage. None of this comes as a surprise considering noted misogynist Eli Roth's involvement in a producer capacity. He didn't write or direct this bit of derivative fluff, but his commentary track with eager, but creatively limited — see the awkwardly pretentious and flimsy This Beautiful City and Small Town Murder Songs — writer and director Ed Gass-Donnelly suggests he was along for the ride. Their, like, conversation, is, like, painful; it's sort of like listening to two valley girl meth addicts trying to decide which Vampire Diaries cast member is the hottest. There are also supplements on filming in New Orleans and a viral video about a cheap scare tactic used at a hair salon to promote the film. Apparently, everyone was excited to use Mardi Gras and voodoo as a backdrop for this spiritually-driven sequel. The fact that the final exorcism is set up like a cross between episodes of True Blood and Supernatural isn't acknowledged, nor is the fact that watching people scream in a room for five minutes is far more amusing and annoying than scary. Still, once Nell gets her groove on with the devil, she rocks out to some kick-ass canned "rock" and lets the fire of her vagina burn the entire city down, which, considering the destruction some years ago, could imply that Nell is like Katrina: a horny hurricane with daddy issues.