The Collection

I was more than pumped to see this film. I thought the first one was outstanding. I loved the creativity of it, the intrigue of this mysterious villain (the titular Collector), and the tension/suspense that made several of the sequences in the first film so memorable for me. It wasn't flawless but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it regardless. So upon hearing of a sequel, I was chomping at the bit to learn more about this strange new addition to the pantheon of horror villains.Did The Collection deliver? ...Eh, kind of. I walked away from this film quite frankly a little disappointed. I think this film had the potential to be a really great horror film. I'm not saying it was a bad horror film. It had the gore, the body count, traps (for want of a better term), and plenty of our masked madman. Yet, it was just lacking in three key departments that really hurt the film's overall impact and value, keeping it from standing taller than its predecessor:1- Tension?Part what made the first film work for me were those tense stalking, walking, whatever moments. Or the chases. Who can forget that great shot where the camera goes vertical above the two rooms to watch Arkin trying to be quiet and the Collector pursuing him. Very tense and kept you interested. These scenes made the film exciting because they weren't simply the typical chase scenes, they had a little style and momentum to them that allowed their impact. The Collection, on the other hand, has none of those types of sequences. There are chases and cat & mouse stuff galore don't think me a liar but none of them are tense or exciting. They play out in rather predictable slasher fashion. Entering the den of the killer who can appear anywhere and it ends up feeling more like a carnival spook house than a genuine sequence of suspense. That was a bit of a let down because I thought the story had real potential for some tense scenes but ...2- Plot/CharactersOk, ok, I know we're talking The Collection here not Silence of the Lambs. And don't think I'm a high brow snob here either (hell, I'm one of probably 8 people that thought A Serbian Film was disturbing and artistic) but, again I have to be honest they just dropped the ball. I wanted to know more about the collector or learn about the collection or how or why or when or what etc. To be fair some of those questions do get answers in a remarkably hurried coda at the end of the film that was most unsatisfying in my opinion. What made Jigsaw a compelling character was a) Tobin Bell's performance, b) the intrigue of his method/madness, and c) that we learned more about him, his history, and the way he thinks in each film. Even Freddy got a little more in depth each go round (with varying degrees of success). But here, I'm just left hungry. I'm not at all saying the film needed to be a biopic about him or some prequel or ANYTHING like that. Just a little bit of insight as we go is all I'm asking.The characters were just schlocky in this one though, I'm sorry. The first one was simple and I thought well done. We don't have an innocent hero, we have a criminal in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's real and we root for him. I don't root for sweet virginal recycled archetypes. Maybe I'm alone in that but I don't really take an interest in someone who has no personality other than they are ...good I guess? It takes very little time and a good actor to get an audience to connect with a character but all the characters just feel like leftovers from the last Hellraiser sequel. And I like these actors in other stuff! The characters themselves, the way they are written and "developed" are so poor that it is honestly distracting. Arkin was awesome in the first one, and he wasn't bad here but it was just missing that charm.And I can't be the only one that wanted to see more of the actual collection or spend a little time with those he captures rather than the immediate escape escapade.3-Traps/KillsNow no one can accuse this film of not delivering in terms of the body count - which I was really thrilled about. That night club thing does beg the question of "how did he ever put that together without someone noticing?" but hey it was fun so who cares? I was just...disappointed I guess is the best word. The traps are aplenty but very repetitive and boring in my opinion. Two iron maiden type traps? Lots of spikes? I don't know, just wanted something more bizarre or eccentric. Setting up bear traps in a home or covering a floor with glue (like in the first one) I can kind of see, but all these foot triggered traps make me question his engineering background. Like I said, I can not fault them on gore, body count, or anything like that, I guess I was just expecting more variety or creativity in the kills as the film rolled on.Bottom Line:Let me state again: this is NOT A BAD MOVIE. It does its job, it is a perfect midnight feature, and not a bad addition. I think the fault may partially lie with me just being too excited to see it. Who knows? But I do stand by my three gripes as I feel like the film really could have been something great instead of something that was alright. So it is certainly worth a watch for any horror fan and especially fans of the first film. I would merely caution such fans to ratchet back their expectations if they are anything like me. Here's hoping for a third film that may return to the original's feel.

Elena Peters and her friends go to a party in a fashionable secret, underground club while The Collector continues to kill indescriminantly. The Collector coincidentally targets the club and kills all the clubgoers except Elena, who is trapped in the red trunk, and Arkin, who escapes from that trunk and out into the night. Elena is taken to the Collector's layer and Arkin goes to the hospital, where the police make a deal with him to lead them to the lair to save Elena. Arkin agrees only to lead them there, but they threaten him to continue inside to a madman's labyrinthine layer, full of victims, bodies, traps, and his collection.The Collection is a huge improvement to The Collector that keeps the first films innovative kills and unpredictable nature. It breaks out of a lot of the tropes it held in the first film. The beginning news montage shows the extent of the Collector's killings with hundreds of victims with no connection whatsoever and numerous people still missing. The people are terrified, but it doesn't stop teens from being teens. The mass club kill scene is one of my favorite in any horror film because it's over the top, impressive, and a little funny. Instead of the film taking place in one building like the first, it bucks tradition and takes it right to the Collector's doorstep. His place is a labyrinth of insanity and horror with a dash of culture. We get to see how he lives his day to day life torturing people, creating his works of art, and completing his collection in an almost banal way. His artwork is depraved and macabre, comprised of rearranged human bones, limbs, and skin in different combinations. He has people tortured so extremely that they either resemble animals more than humans to protect his home or are devoted to him over any sort of self preservation. Parts of his lair resemble a conventional collector's extensive collection with art, books, and animals, living and dead.Arkin and the police team have to navigate the Collector's territory where anything could be a trap. Although the public places and house he rigs are impressive, it's nothing compared to his own home where he has had years to cultivate his traps. The police officers are mostly paper thin characters that are fodder for the traps and the Collector's creations. Arkin and Elena are the only characters to root for unless you prefer the enigmatic menace of the Collector. I'm curious about him because he's obviously educated with his knowledge of entymology and biology, but also knows how to fight when needed. It's smart to leave him mysterious, but I wouldn't hate it if they explored his life more. The ending is unexpected, but I wish more movies had been made. The formula lends itself to a variety of innovative kills, a deep rivalry between the hero and villain, and the decent writing to go at least a couple more movies. This series is so underappreciated and it's definitely worth your time.

Saw wannabe. Does a couple things well, but completely lacking in ANY believability. If you like the Saw movies, you'll enjoy this well enough.

Definitely worth watching!

v good

Arrived on time, GERMAN BLU-RAY of , The Collection , GERMAN 5.1 DTS and German Subtitles which can be switched off, ENGLISH 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio . Extra's, Trailer, Alternative Scenes, Effects and Stunts, Director's Vision, Audio Commentary. Bought to Upgrade from DVD, FOR TRUE HORROR FANS OF THIS FILM, I HAVE FOUND THAT IT HAS BEEN SEVERLY CUT And SANITIZED Compared To the English DVD , in the DVD when they are caught in the Cage ,just before The Collector lights the Fuze to blow the place up , Josh Stewart's character Has to Brake his arm cast and ask's for one of the girl's to rebreak his arm , which you see Being broke in the English DVD, even though both Features are 79 minutes In length , This scene is Cut from This GERMAN BLU-RAY " Will RECAP When I watch Original UK DVD "

I'm happy with my purchase I been looking around for this one really enjoyed the first one as had before that was also hard to find and now both thank you

Apparently this movie is hard to find on blu ray here in CanadaThis was listed as an Import title, so I was unsure which region this disc was good for. Ordered from seller moviemars-canada in late 2020, did indeed receive an english language Region A discMovie itself is pretty good as far as sequels go; if you liked the first one you'll enjoy this one.

Hatte diesen Film aus der Videothek ausgeliehen. Hammerfilm !! Spannung bis zur letzten Minute. Hammersoundtracks !! Blut und Gewalt wo man nur hinsieht. In allem super Film, den ich in meiner Horrorsammlung einfach haben musste. Jetzt hier bestellt und ich musste feststellen, dass er, obwohl FSK 18, geschnitten ist ohne Ende. Sorry...wenn man den Film einmal mit allen Szenen gesehen hat und jetzt sowas geschnittes vorgesetzt bekommt, ist der Film sowas von langweilig. Schade eigentlich. Sowas müsste man eigentlich in der Artikelbeschreibung aufführen.Denn normal werden zu gewaltvolle und blutige Szenen rausgeschnitten (Deutschland halt), aber in diesen Fall müsste der Film nur 15 Minuten gehen.Aber nein....die haben wirklich die allerbesten Szenen rausgeschnitten, obwohl die auch nicht viel anders waren, als der Rest vom Film. VErstehe ich nicht.Dann muss ich doch wohl mal gucken, ob ich den noch irgendwo im Ausland finde.Aber für Leute, die ihn noch nicht vorher ungeschnitten gesehen haben, lohnt er sich auf jeden Fall. Einfach geil, sag ich nur !!