Le Fear 2: Le Sequel
First, let me address the elephant in the room: no, I have not seen the first “Le Fear.” There is one, but I haven’t seen it. Now, I want to, and not just because of any narrative continuity it might provide. Honestly, this was a film very easy to follow despite not having seen the first film; it’s that type of movie.
We begin the film as Carlos (Kyri Saphiris) is looking to start production on a sequel to his previous film, “Le Fear,” with a higher budget (“blockbuster,” in his words). Things seem to go well in a meeting with moneyman Dirk Heinz (Andrew Tiernan), who promises him his “blockbuster” budget if he puts in 500,000 pounds of his own money. However, from the moment he gets on set with his on-set producer (Efi, played hilariously by Seye Adelekan), things begin to go very, very wrong. Unfortunately, his cameraman and assistant are feeling the negativity, as well, and none of them are capable to pulling the production out of this tailspin.
This is the type of movie filmmakers make more than they probably should, and sometimes, for catharsis over something similar happening to them. Sometimes, this will click with the general public, but often times, it’s a little too “inside baseball” for people. No matter: writer-director Jason Croot understands Carlos’s pain, and it’s palpable and deviously entertaining. For people like Carlos, there are dreams to be realized, and when they seem to be just out of our reach, it’s a painful experience. But Croot is capable not only of sympathizing with him, but also making his struggles funny to watch, especially when it comes to special effects which make Ed Wood’s painted bowl UFOs seem like the Oscar-worthy work of ILM, and an actress brought in to play a vampire, but who doesn’t want to do stunts, and is undirectable as to what movements a vampire would do. In the end, though, Croot will seem cruel when we see the fate of Carlos’s film, but not before allowing him some perspective to see something special in what he’s accomplished, even if, as a director, he sees how painful it is. It’s the perfect setup for a third film, which, if it happens, probably means I should catch up with the first film to finish up the trilogy. I’m game.
