The new owner (Arye Gross) of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corpses and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers.
Ethan Wiley (who wrote part one) wrote the story and also takes over as director, with Sean Cunningham staying on as producer. Wiley's background, interestingly enough, was in practical effects for "Return of the Jedi" and "Gremlins" working under Chris Walas. Steve Miner, the director of part one, was too busy making "Soul Man" to return, but did make his mark just the same: he recommended the lead actor, Arye Gross.
Special mention must be given to Gregg Fonseca (1952–1994) who was production designer and made a tiny budget look like a big movie. The set designer does not often get much credit, but this is the sort of film where they should: look at depth and richness of the sets, and the wide variety Fonseca had to create. If the budget really was as low as they claim, he was working his butt off to get the job done.
Some have said this film is "boring", but this is simply not true. If anything, it could be accused of being silly or just too much nonsense. But, for whatever reason, this is largely what is most appealing about the film... In fact, this film is generally better than the first, though it makes far less sense and it does not quite have the acting power that you get from William Katt. John Ratzenberger does outdo George Wendt, however, with all due respect to Wendt.
What may have gotten the film a bad rap is its reception from horror fans. This film is like a "Friday the 13th" reunion, with Lar Park Lincoln, Kane Hodder, and Sean Cunningham. Not to mention other behind-the-scenes players. And that may be harmful, as those expecting horror really are not going to find it here. Despite the ghoulish cover art, this is really a "fantasy adventure" film. There is no blood or guts and really nothing in the way of scares.
This film is followed by a part three (sort of, with "The Horror Show" not even using the same title) and a part four that actually picks up where the first left off... such a bizarre, unpredictable franchise, even by 1980s standards. Either two or four of these films is available in a box set from Arrow Video, depending on your region. For "House II", they not only ported over an earlier audio commentary, but add on a full-length documentary on its making, with interviews from not only the usual suspects, but some lesser-seen faces such as Chris Walas.
Ethan Wiley (who wrote part one) wrote the story and also takes over as director, with Sean Cunningham staying on as producer. Wiley's background, interestingly enough, was in practical effects for "Return of the Jedi" and "Gremlins" working under Chris Walas. Steve Miner, the director of part one, was too busy making "Soul Man" to return, but did make his mark just the same: he recommended the lead actor, Arye Gross.
Special mention must be given to Gregg Fonseca (1952–1994) who was production designer and made a tiny budget look like a big movie. The set designer does not often get much credit, but this is the sort of film where they should: look at depth and richness of the sets, and the wide variety Fonseca had to create. If the budget really was as low as they claim, he was working his butt off to get the job done.
Some have said this film is "boring", but this is simply not true. If anything, it could be accused of being silly or just too much nonsense. But, for whatever reason, this is largely what is most appealing about the film... In fact, this film is generally better than the first, though it makes far less sense and it does not quite have the acting power that you get from William Katt. John Ratzenberger does outdo George Wendt, however, with all due respect to Wendt.
What may have gotten the film a bad rap is its reception from horror fans. This film is like a "Friday the 13th" reunion, with Lar Park Lincoln, Kane Hodder, and Sean Cunningham. Not to mention other behind-the-scenes players. And that may be harmful, as those expecting horror really are not going to find it here. Despite the ghoulish cover art, this is really a "fantasy adventure" film. There is no blood or guts and really nothing in the way of scares.
This film is followed by a part three (sort of, with "The Horror Show" not even using the same title) and a part four that actually picks up where the first left off... such a bizarre, unpredictable franchise, even by 1980s standards. Either two or four of these films is available in a box set from Arrow Video, depending on your region. For "House II", they not only ported over an earlier audio commentary, but add on a full-length documentary on its making, with interviews from not only the usual suspects, but some lesser-seen faces such as Chris Walas.