HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY is much maligned… by folks who don’t know any better. It’s a solid movie, not as good as the first, but with charm of its own. It pales in comparison to its predecessor, yes, and I think that’s where a lot of the misdirected hate comes from. Some viewers wanted the same movie… and this was definitely not the same movie.
While HOUSE was more of a horror comedy, HOUSE II goes the comedy/action/adventure/fantasy route. There are undead cowboys, neanderthals, dinosaurs, ancient temples, time travel, and a sword-wielding electrician. The electrician, by the way, could (and should) have spawned an entire series of movies on his own. There’s a caterpuppy and a baby pterodactyl. There’s a magical crystal skull.
And there’s a Halloween party.
Who doesn’t like a movie with a Halloween party?
There’s a moment in the movie where the lead character sits down at a dinner table with his best friend, his mummy great-great grandfather, the catepuppy, the pterodactyl, and a princess from some ancient time… and I was all for it.
That’s suspension of disbelief!
Something else I realized about myself with this viewing… I like movies wherein prehistoric, dinosaur-filled jungles manifest inside buildings. MY SCIENCE PROJECT (which came out a few years before this movie) did something similar, I think. It’s been a long while since I watched that. Anyhow, it’s a thing I like. I feel like "jungle in a room” is sub-genre that needs further exploration.
Book Pairing:
If you like stories about knuckleheads getting in waaaaay over their heads with supernatural forces, then DOOR TO DOOR, NIGHT BY NIGHT is for you. It's a horror/comedy with a lot of heart, and it features a cast of ne'er-do-wells who are near and dear to me.
