Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

lyrafowlpotter The original "House" with William Katt, is a grossly underrated mid- 1980's horror/comedy gem. Even though I do not really watch horror films anymore, I will always fondly remember "House", and it's dry sense of humor, but also fairly serious plot threads of overcoming the demons of your past, it is a movie that is serious while having a very dark sense of humor, that rises far above the low-brow humor of most horror comedies. This sequel "House II" is not a direct sequel, but rather a thematic sequel, it has an entirely new cast of characters, and a different house all-together, and it does not rehash the same story, but it is very much in the same spirit as the original house, although far less serious, if that is possible.The acting is surprisingly well-done, campy, and over-the-top, why yes it is! However, if you're coming to this movie with expectations of a serious film, you are sorely mistaken. This is a very goofy movie, with an even goofier plot, but the creativity is boundless, which makes for a fun and inventive viewing experience. Unlike some, I do not find the tone to be uneven, even though it starts with a fairly ominous beginning, and seems to "drop" this plot thread, it definitely doesn't, it is percolating in the background the entire film, and gave me an overall sense of dread, wondering when things were going to come back full circle. Everything ties together, and all of the plot threads due tie up by the end of the film, in a very goofy over-the-top fashion. The conclusion actually makes logical sense within the continuity of the film, and unlike more horror themed films, your not left thinking, "Yeah, but they just committed a ton of crimes in the process and getting away and will likely go to jail."The effects are better than in the original "House" and extremely well-done for the time it was made. Many of the effects still stand up today, though some of the stop-motion does look fairly dated. The caterpuppy is so adorable, and very uniquely 1980's creation which would fit right into the film "Labyrinth". While many questions are left unanswered by the end, I don't think of it as a bad thing, there just wasn't enough time to answer them all. The film is non-stop entertaining, from beginning to end, and yes, John Ratzenberger's cameo is hands-down, the best moment of the film, but Royal Dano is also endlessly entertaining as the great, great, great, grandfather. Some might be annoyed by Jonathan Stark's character, but his acting is always appropriately over-the- top, and Arye Gross, plays things mostly straight, and mostly anchors the film on his own as he deals with one ludicrous scenario after the next. A film worth watching if you love 1980's effects and fantasy films that have very outlandish plots, no offense to Ridley Scott, but this film is on the whole, a lot more entertaining than the straight-up fantasy film "Legend", which is often bogged down by a in-your-face moralistic message, a stilted love story, and stilted dialog, while "Legend" really would have benefited from some of the fun and adventurous tone of "House II", it obviously came out 2yrs before "House II". "House II" is watchable not because of a coherent plot, though it is more coherent than it should be, or because of deep character studies, there is none to be had, it is entertaining because that is what it seeks to do, be a fun entertaining popcorn movie, and it does well at that.Have the proper expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.God Bless ~Amy

Phil Hubbs Like the first film this remains inside the haunted house theme with two young males battling all manner of ghouls and monsters but heads down the horror comedy route.If you think along the lines of 'Army of Darkness' then you get an idea what I mean. The only difference here is its not an adult horror comedy but much lighter. But contrary to what you might think this film is actually better than the first in my opinion.The old mansion appears to be an ancient Mayan temple with gateways to other dimensions that is somehow protected or kept in line by a crystal skull. Said skull is supposedly buried with one of the boys great great grandfather sooooo off they go to dig him up. Long story short Gramps the zombie befriends them and helps them defend the skull from the forces of evil, oh and they gotta save the girlfriend who gets kidnapped of course.It all sounds like a kids cartoon but trust me its really quite good fun. The boys end up going into some prehistoric world with dinosaurs to get the skull after its pinched, they battle Mayan tribesmen, save a Mayan Princess, adopt a baby pterodactyl and a weird caterpillar dog thing plus there's the evil cowboy zombie gunslinger also after the skull.It all sounds surreal but like other 80's fluff it looks great with some nice hokey effects that make you smile. There is also some pretty good makeup and prosthetics again with Gramps the zombie and Slim Razor the zombie plus some great kooky sets that look like something out of the 'Addams Family' TV show. I also really liked the cast in this too. Johnathan Stark is great as the lippy wise ass best friend of Arye Gross. Both guys really click together and make a formidable 80's duo just like Makepeace and Rusler in 'Vamp'. Stark actually reminds me of an early Jim Carrey with his haircut and looks, Arye is a regular face for this era as was Bill Maher. Kudos to John Ratzenberger who has easily one of the best parts I've seen for some time, he is the Electrician and Adventurer, always ready to battle alternate dimensions at the drop of a hat. I loved the way he Coolly remarks that he deals with this kind of stuff all the time and always ready with his sword (kept hidden in his toolbox).Yep its utterly off the wall but its a great light-hearted horror comedy with some really good Indy type adventure with monsters and zombies...albeit in a very cheesy tacky way.7/10

gwnightscream Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, Lar Park-Lincoln, Amy Yasbeck, Bill Maher and John Ratzenberger star in this 1987 horror comedy. This chapter focuses on 25-year old guy, Jesse McLaughlin (Gross) who inherits his ancestors home. Soon, Jesse learns about his great-great grandfather, Jesse aka Gramps (Dano) who was a cowboy in the old west and possessed an ancient crystal skull. Stark (Fright Night) plays Jesse's goofy pal, Charlie who helps him dig up Gramps to see if the skull is with him. Jesse and Charlie get a surprise when Gramps is basically a 170 year-old zombie brought back to life by the skull and take him home with them. He reveals about his days as a gunslinger, the powers of the skull and the house's mysterious secrets. Jesse and Charlie also meet Gramps' old partner turned enemy, Slim, now an evil zombie trying get his hands on the skull. Park-Lincoln (Friday the 13th VII) plays Jesse's girlfriend, Kate, Yasbeck (Problem Child) plays Charlie's girlfriend, Lana, Maher plays Kate's boss, John who is a record producer and Ratzenberger (Cheers) plays electrician, Bill. I've always enjoyed this film and like the original, it has bizarre, creepy and campy moments plus a bit of dramatic ones as well. The cast, make-up effects and Harry Manfredini's score are great. I recommend this good, underrated 80's flick.

gavin6942 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.