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House II: The Second Story

Actor(s): Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, Lar Park Lincoln, Bill Maher
Director(s): Ethan Wiley
13

Details

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language
Movie Release: 1987
DVD Release: 06/25/2002
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 28 mins
Studio: Anchor Bay
Members Wishing: 5
Genres: Horror, Haunted House Film, Horror Comedy, Supernatural Horror

Synopsis

This mundane sequel to New World Pictures' surprise horror hit bears little connection with its predecessor apart from the participation of writer Ethan Wiley, who also assumed directorial duties. This time around, the title abode is an old mansion inherited by the great-great-grandson of its original owner, a legendary frontier outlaw. The new owner, Jesse (Arye Gross), whose parents were murdered in the mansion 20 years ago, unwisely searches the premises for a cache of gems believed to be hidden there. With the aid of girlfriend Kate (Lar Park Lincoln) and buddy Charlie (Jonathan Stark), Jesse stumbles upon the original owner himself (Royal Dano), who is remarkably still alive (albeit in particularly decrepit condition) and cantankerous as all get-out. Great-great-grandpa has been preserved by the supernatural powers of an Aztec crystal skull, which is also capable of reanimating the dead and opening portals into other dimensions. Its true powers are tested readily when the skull falls into the wrong hands, leading our heroes on a wacky supernatural chase. The horror-comedy formula that kept the original film's shaky premise afloat is far less functional here, filling the story with silly contrivances that include a collection of pet monsters and a time-travel romantic subplot. Still, the film has some clever moments, mainly from Dano, who makes the most of his difficult character by adding a cartoonish flair, and from Cheers alum John Ratzenberger's amusing cameo turn as a plumber strangely accustomed to cross-dimensional travel. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Cast

Arye Gross - Jesse McLaughlin
Jonathan Stark - Charlie
Royal Dano - Gramps
Lar Park Lincoln - Kate
Bill Maher - John
John Ratzenberger - Bill Towner

Editorial Review

It's a brand-new house with all new owners in House 2: The Second Story, the sequel to director Steve Minor's horror hit House. Anchor Bay has done a fantastic job of cleaning up this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen print to look very crisp and new. Aside of a small amount of grain, this transfer looks clean with well saturated colors and solid black levels. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, and while flat and bland, it works well in the confines of the film. All aspects of the dialogue, music, and eerie sound effects are clear of any hiss or distortion. No subtitles are available on this release. Surprisingly, House 2: The Second Story includes a few extra features that should make fans very happy. The first is an audio commentary by director Ethan Wiley and producer Sean S. Cunningham. This is a very informative commentary track that features a lot of laughs and some great insight into how many of the special effects were achieved. Also included on this disc is a theatrical trailer for the film. While not a brim-filled edition, this DVD of House 2: The Second Story has been given more than ample treatment by Anchor Bay. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide