A Guide to Horror Sequels: Part II
Submitted by Maniac Mansion on Fri, 08/14/2009 - 22:51
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- Okay. If you've read my first list, you've seen that there are some pretty awesome horror sequels out there. Now its time to move onto the the next level. These are the "pretty good" ones. This means they have some flaws, and are probably not what anyone would consider examples of great filmmaking, but they manage to be fun, scary, or maybe just weird. I would encourage horror fans to seek out all of these, for the casual viewer, however, this may be time to jump ship.
- Halloween 2 (1981) Dir: Rick Rosenthal
- Halloween 2 is that rare sequel that picks up immediately after the first film (despite being released 3 years after). So, Jamie Lee and Pleasance are back, as is Michael and his ever-growing thirst for blood. H2 isn't terribly creative, at this point both the first Halloween and Friday the 13th (along with dozens of clones) had established the "slasher" genre (and its many cliches) and this film follows that blueprint pretty much to the T. However, Rosenthal does a great job at maintaining the eerie mood of Carpenter's original masterpiece, and sticks closely to the pacing and tone of the first film as well. In fact, the film's main problem is that it feels too much like the original, constantly reminding us that its very little other than a rehash of what we've already seen. Still the hospital scenes are among the most memorable of the entire series, Michael is as menacing and brutal as ever, Jamie Lee continues to prove that she is the Scream Queen, and, above all, its scary.
- Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) Dir: Bruce Pittman
- Hello Mary Lou (a sequel in name only) is a pretty awesome horror film. This is essentially just a melting pot of many previous horror films (though ironically not Prom Night) kind of thrown together haphazardly with no real direction or talent... but, the thing is, it works amazingly well. Although there really isn't anything special about HML:PN2, there certainly isn't anything else quite like it either. I consider this to be required viewing for the slasher elite, and those of you who haven't seen it, I think, will be pleasantly surprised. Watch for the nightmare sequence that rates high on the creeper scale and rivals anything in the NOES series. Throw in Michael Ironside, 1950s flashbacks, teenagers, telepathy, ghosts, killer lockers, lesbianism, religious fanatics, unicorns, bells, whistles, and the kitchen sink, and you've got yourself one strange trip of a horror film. A side note: Prom Night III is a direct sequel to this film (and in no way worth watching) while Prom Night IV returns to having no ties to any of the previous films (and I'd skip that one too).
- Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) Dir: Brian Gibson
- The Other Side is a sadly underrated film. While its true that it can't compare to the original, this is far from a bad film. Its more supernatural hijinx for the Freeling family, as the ghost of an evil cult leader follows Carol Ann to their new home in Phoenix. The "preacher" character is actually pretty frightening, and there are some pretty scary moments in the film. The effects and visuals in the film are really top notch, and there are a handful of truly disturbing images. "The Other Side" the title mentions, refers to the place Carol Ann was taken to in the first film, but this time we get to go too! Good scary fun. Not a classic by any means, but a still a very worthwhile flick.
- Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1994) Dir: James Hickox
- Okay, Children of the Corn is one of the worst horror franchises out there. This is true. However, Urban Harvest is by far the best of the series, and is a surprisingly good horror flick. Its early 90's (strike one) and direct to video (strike two), yet it rises to the occasion with a healthy dose of gore, some good shock scenes, and, of course, a really creepy kid. The plot concerns two kids from the original CotC town of Gornick, Nebraska being adopted by a family in Chicago. The youngest of the two starts growing a corn patch in the city (?) and continues his sacrifices to "he who walks behind the rows." While Urban Harvest is often silly and never makes much sense, it's a fun, bloody, entertaining flick that is well worth the time of any horror fan, whether you like the series or not.
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1983) Dir: Tobe Hooper
- So, you remember Tobe Hooper's original Texas Chainsaw Massacre? The deadly serious, intensely frightening classic of horror? Well this ain't that film! Hooper returned to the series nearly ten years after the original and made one of the craziest and funniest horror sequels ever. Leatherface and the gang are back, this time terrorizing a young DJ, and Dennis Hopper (insane as ever) as a crazed ex-Texas Ranger. Bill Mosley as "Chop Top," a bizarre metal-plated maniac, is undoubtedly the highlight of the film, and every scene with him is a riot. The film is played mostly for laughs, with enough brutal violence to keep you wondering if you should be laughing. In that vain TCM2 is ridiculously over-the-top, and never lets up on the cheese. The chainsaw battle at the end is EPIC. TCM2 isn't a great film, but its certainly entertaining.
- Creepshow 2 (1987) Dir: Michael Gornick.
- Creepshow 2 was written by George Romero (based on stories by Stephen King), however directing duties were given to Romero's long time cinematographer Michael Gornick. Gornick manages to maintain the comic book feel of the original, but things aren't quite as much fun this time around. Also, there are only three stories here, as opposed to the first film which delivered five. The first story, concerning a store clerk and a murderous Wooden Indian, and the last about the worlds most persistent hitch-hiker, are okay, and are on par with some of the better Tales from the Crypt episodes. However, the middle story, "The Raft," is by far the best segment in either film, and revolves around a group of teenagers being stranded in the middle of a lake, terrorized by a strange creature. As a whole, Creepshow 2 is less satisfying than its predecessor, but still entertaining enough to recommend a watch.
- Amityville II: The Possession (1982) Dir: Damiano Damiani
- The worst horror series of them all was never better than this pretty decent sequel. A talented cast (including a solid performance from Burt Young), decent special effects, some very Italian direction from Damiano Damiani, and one of the strangest screenplays ever written make this flick worth mentioning. The story takes place before the first film, and revolves around a very dysfunctional family moving into the Amityville house. There are a lot of dramatic moments concerning the abusive father which are quite discomforting and scary in their own right, however the main story is about the teenaged son being possessed by demonic spirits in the house. Making things more awkward, the possessed son seduces his sister! While these aspects of the film are a bit off-putting they are very effective in creating a realistically creepy atmosphere. The film is worth checking out for its unconventional horror plot alone.
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Dir: James Whale
- This followup to one of the original horror classics is one of the earliest horror sequels. While the first film is very atmospheric and dark, Bride is quite campy and fun. The story of the Monster continues incorporating more of the second half of Mary Shelley's original novel. Dr. Frankenstein and his new wife are visited by Dr. Pretorious, who has some very strange experiments he wants to preform (including a bizarre scene with tiny people in jars!). The monster has plans of his own, as he finds himself lonely and in want of a mate. The famous "bride" doesn't appear until the very end of the film, and has far too little screen time. The film is fun and funny, and every bit as good as the original. It, however, is not the least bit scary.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) Dir: Renny Harlin
- Okay, I have a soft spot for the Nightmare series, so this one might not be for everyone. The Dream Master is a pretty good followup to Dream Warriors continuing the story of the survivors of that film (Patricia Arquette's character now played by Tuesday Knight), and few new characters, most notably Alice (Lisa Wilcox). Freddy returns (who knows how/why?) and continues his murderous dream stalking. Alice discovers she has the power to control dreams and is a fierce match for Freddy. This sequel has some of the best FX of the series and the dream sequences and kills really stand out to me. The characters are almost as likable as the third film, and it has an awesome late 80s style (montages, cheesy metal soundtrack, ridiculous hair and fashion). Fans of the series are sure to have plenty to like here, although others may just see a pointless, plotless mess.
- Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) Dir: Deborah Brock
- Slumber Party Massacre II, if you can believe it, is better than the original SPM. Okay, so that's not much to live up to, but SPM2 is, if nothing else, funny as all hell. The plot revolves around a group of teens who go to a big, parent free house to party, swim, drink, and be pretty slutty. The lead teen is played by a pre-Wings Crystal Bernard. She has strange dreams about, no joke, a greaser style rock n' roller who has a crazy guitar with a giant drill on the end! The movie, like a lot of low budget 80s slashers, is essentially a bad, semi-softcore teen flick with some violence tacked on the end to make it "horror." However, the last 15 minutes of this movie (its only about 75 mins long) which consist of the dream rocker somehow becoming real and killing the girls (in some cheesy, but very violent ways), is so insanely strange and marvelously bad that it really is a "must see."
- More reviews to come!
- Damien: The Omen II (1978) Dir: Don Taylor
- The Exorcist 3 (1990) Dir: William Peter Blatty
- Seed of Chucky (2004) Dir: Don Mancini
- Psycho II (1983) Dir: Richard Franklin
- Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) Dir: Joe Burlinger
- Pet Sematary Two (1992) Dir: Mary Lambert
- Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989) Dir: Michael A. Simpson
- Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) Dir: Scott Derrickson
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I will continue adding to the list as I find worthy sequels. Suggestions welcomed.