House II: The Second Story (1987)

 This is that film in his past Bill Maher probably won't mention when ranting on HBO during political monologues. He's a minor antagonist for one of the film's heroes, Arye Gross, gunning for his woman, a music producer played by Lar Park Lincoln of "Friday the 13th - The New Blood" (1988) fame. Gross inherits quite an eccentric castle, with Aztec designs in the living room, containing rooms opening doors to other times and alternate dimensions, such as a prehistoric jungle (complete with dinosaurs, a caterpillar dog, pterodactyl bird, and Neanderthal with bodybuilder physique), Mayan temple (where warriors in headdress, shields, swords, and spears, plan to sacrifice a virgin for their god), and the Old West (where Gross is forced to a gunfight with a zombie outlaw named Slim Razor, defending his injured great grandfather, Gramps (Royal Dano)). Maher looks to exploit any chink in the armor of Gross, such as when a woman from his past, Rochelle (Jayne Modean), turns up at a Halloween party, orchestrated by Gross' crazy buddy, Jonathan Stark (my daughter and I just finished seeing him as a menace in "Fright Night" (1985), completely different in this House sequel-in-name-only). With the Crystal Skull (right out of an Indiana Jones movie) found on Gramps' person while buried in his coffin, Gross and Stark don't realize they would be resurrecting him!

I LOVE House (1986) as I have documented on the blog plenty of times. I have to admit, House II was not a favorite from my childhood. I remember being bored by it. The emphasis on horror that made the first film such a rich experience for me -- and it has some specific themes such as PTSD, losing your son, and the guilt of being unable to salvage your marriage or save your son -- with Wendt and Moll as delightful casting choices mixed with the monsters and wacky supernatural hi-jinks. The sequel has aforementioned "cute monsters" and mock sets of jungles and temples. But the sequel has Dano made up as an Old West corpse and he speaks in a thick southern drawl, provided some great lines. I have this warm memory when I was a kid talking horror with my late uncle and aunt. They LOVED House II and talked glowingly about how fun it was. Well, I see today that my son just adored this movie. With some added violence and adult relationship complications, the sequel still is all-in-all a family adventure fantasy with zombies and less-scary monsters. Slim Razor, with his cartoon villain voice and quickdraw capabilities, eyeing the skull and removing Gramps from any further interference, is such a B-movie heavy. Gross and Stark are lovable heroes, completely unprepared for the influx of perils and outrageous developments that interrupt their lives. Both lose their girlfriends, have to abandon the house into the Old West, and carry on with the Aztec virgin to parts unknown. Ratzenberger as a repairman (and adventurer) who engages along with Gross and Stark in sword fights with the Mayan warriors inside the temple was sort of an answer to Wendt's casting in the first film. My aunt and uncle, may they rest in peace, just lovingly described his casting in the film...I can recollect them in my mind right now. Good memories. My teenage kids ate this film up. So it retains something that works. ***/*****. The rating is far better than what I once considered the film. I guess because my aunt and uncle gave it such hype, I was anticipating something extraordinary. And I had this worthwhile experience just building. So I watched it and found it a bore...and where was the horror?! But I'm mellowed, I guess, and it has its charms.

Even though I spend a lot of time on Shudder these days, I have to credit Tubi TV with their horror selection. They have lots of horror content. I have the IMAGE DVD of the film, bought cheap for a couple of bucks, but the availability of Tubi will perhaps secure eyes to House II that otherwise might never see it.