Despite being directed by a guy with the first name Nimrod, 2007’s Vacancy, a thriller about the dangers of leaving the comfortable asphalt confines of the
interstate, managed to locate some primal,
gut-level reactions to darkness, jarring noise, faceless killers and
the like. Its straight-to-DVD sequel jumps back to the beginning of the bare-bones mythology laid out in that film, sketching out another stalking tale of very bad acts at a desolate hotel — this time in the form of some peeping Toms who catch a psychotic killer in the act, and then decide to enter into a black-market snuff film pact with him.

At the end of the first film, authorities shut down the remote Pinewood Motel after discovering over 200 videotaped murders on the premises. Vacancy 2: The First Cut charts how the grisly terror began, fleshing out a tale that’s three parts barbarism to one part unlikely opportunism. Suspecting only a night of hard beds and tacky decor, Caleb (Trevor
Wright), his sexy new fiancée Jessica (Agnes Bruckner) and his
sarcastic best friend Tanner (Arjay Smith, very much the token black
guy), the ultimate strange third wheel, check into a rundown rural inn. They have no idea that it’s not
just another lonely motel, but in fact a horrific trap where guests are
brutally tortured and murdered while the sadistic Smith (Scott G. Anderson, reprising his homicidal character from the original movie) and his greedy accomplices, Gordon and Reece (David Moscow and Brian Klugman), film the grisly slayings for profit. Caught in
a deadly game of cat and mouse, the three young friends now must fight
to survive. Can they outwit the deranged killers and escape the roadside trap by morning, or will their fate be forever sealed on video cassette?

Vacancy 2 works in a couple good, or at least good-ish, head feints, including an elongated set-up that introduces a just-wed couple who don’t get axed. Gordon and Reece, you see, are at first just into taping sex acts of randy travelers passing through; it’s Smith who whets their appetite for artery-severing mayhem, after they catch him in the fact of murdering a prostitute. While narratively improbable, I give the movie some credit for piecing things together in a way that interestingly fits with the original film. There’s also some decent performances here, considering the laid track of the script. Still, it remains undeniable that certain character combinations and actions make no sense, be it a honeymooning couple who lay over on a whim or the fact that Tanner is even around in the first place. Also, director Eric Bross (Restaurant, Ten Benny), while slipping in a few moments of downbeat menace, can’t fully resist the impulse to cram in a couple thunderously stupid scene cappers — one early sequence ends with a character menacingly stabbed a dart onto a nearby countertop, and intoning, in chilly fashion, “Let’s get to work.” I mean… really? Do killers, or even those who have yet to kill, say stuff like that?

Housed in a regular Amray plastic case, Vacancy 2: The First Cut is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Owing to its whopping slate of Dolby digital 5.1 audio tracks — six different languages, plus a group commentary track — the DVD is fairly slow to navigate, unfortunately. And that grates. Subtitles in seven languages are also available, so if you speak only Thai but still really like stalking American horror pictures of contained space, then by all means this is right up your alley.

In addition to a collection of deleted scenes, two making-of featurettes are included, including a 13-minute general-interest/behind-the-scenes piece and a stand-alone seven-minute bit that examines the construction of the movie’s exterior inn location. The most engaging supplemental inclusion, however, might be a feature-length group audio commentary track consisting of actors Moscow and Bruckner, director Bross, executive producer Brian Paschal and producer Hal Lieberman. Sharing anecdotes of rampant poison oak outbreaks amongst cast and crew, this lively chat-fest covers a lot of ground. It’s perhaps a bit eyeroll-inducing when Bross starts talking about the “continually shifting balance of power between the antagonists,” the contrast in visual levels, and how certain framing (in the door jamb of a car, for instance) is designed to evoke a “V,” for the movie’s title. Still, there’s some fun, engaging stuff here; it’s not all just empty back-patting. For the movie’s trailer, click here; to purchase the DVD via Amazon, meanwhile, click here. C (Movie) B- (Disc)