Long before I became a mega-wealthy movie blogger, I worked as (sort of) a social worker in downtown Philadelphia. During one (very) lazy Friday afternoon, I decided I was going to leave work early and go see a movie ... which partially explains why I don't have that particular job anymore. The only new movie available to me was something called Strangeland, and that film held some appeal for two distinct reasons: 1. It was a horror movie, and we all know how I feel about horror movies, and 2. The movie starred (and was written by) Dee Snider, the Twisted Sister rocker who dove into hardcore horror moviemaking long before Rob Zombie made it cool.I wish I could say I really enjoyed Strangeland, but that would be a lie. I did find it a creatively (and aggressively) nasty tale about a killer who stalks his young victims by way of the internet, but mostly I found it pretty amateurish and rather dull in between the nasty bits. The flick does offer some early work from gals like Linda Cardellini and Amy Smart, plus it's also got Robert Englund, and he's always a treat -- so if you're a gorehound who's never seen Strangeland then I'd call it certainly worthy of a rental. (Lionsgate will be releasing an Extended Version DVD of Strangeland this July, and I'll be happy to give the freaky flick a second chance when that DVD arrives.)
So I told you all that just so I could tell you this: Mr. Snider (who recently reacquired the Strangeland rights after a rather drawn-out legal battle with the original flick's production company) is planning to revisit "Captain Howdy" in Strangeland 2: Disciple. Guess he figured he was a few years ahead of the "torture porn" curve when the first Strangeland hit the screens, but now with Rob Zombie, Eli Roth and the various Saw-makers churning out some joyously harsh horror, the time is just right for a Strangeland sequel.
categories Cinematical
