Manchmal kommen sie wieder 2

...that pays lip service to the original movie...which in turn was a somewhat weak adaptation of the original King short story. As such, the focus is on the gore rather than the peripheral back-plot of why the ghost/demons are stalking the protagonist. It's a merely adequate horror movie, but don't go into it looking for a glimmer of the Master's work.

I recently rewatched Sometimes They Come Back... Again (1996) on Tubi. The story follows a father who moves back to his hometown with his daughter, only to confront a dark chapter from his past. As a child, he witnessed a group of young men murder his sister-now, they have returned as demons to finish what they started. Can he protect his daughter in a way he couldn't protect his sister?

Directed by Adam Grossman (Carnival of Souls), the film stars Michael Gross (Tremors), Alexis Arquette (Pulp Fiction), Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), and Patrick Renna (The Sandlot).

This is one of those films where you can see what they were aiming for, but it just doesn't come together. The acting feels stiff, though it's fun to see a young Hilary Swank. I enjoyed the tarot card sequence, and there's a wild sex scene, but the kills are underwhelming, and the eye contacts didn't have the impact they were clearly going for. The ending, unfortunately, falls flat.

In conclusion, Sometimes They Come Back... Again is a lackluster sequel that's only worth watching if you're a diehard fan of the original. I'd rate it a 4/10.

Direct-to-video sequel is actually more of a re-adaptation of Stephen King's original story. Michael Gross plays a psychiatrist who goes back to his hometown following his mother's death. Accompanying him is his teenage daughter, Michelle (a young Hilary Swank). Gross soon realizes that they're being targeted by the men who sacrificed his sister in a satanic ritual 27 years earlier, only they're no longer human.

In some ways, this is better than the first film. For one, it features an overall darker tone. It doesn't get all sappy either, and the idea to have the gang return as demons instead of ghosts works well, also tying into a ritual from the original story that the first adaptation omitted. I preferred the father/daughter dynamic over the family one, and the addition of side characters, Maria and Jules, was certainly welcome.

On the other hand, even as demons, Alexis Arquette and company didn't come off quite as menacing as the gang from the previous flick. I think that had to do with some lame one-liners. There's also the fact that I recognized one of the gang, Glen Beaudin, from the silly 90's TV series, "Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad", so it's hard to take him too seriously as a threat. The priest character is way over the top as well, and the annoying lawnmower idiot couldn't get off my screen fast enough.

Still, this is a fun take on the King tale, and we get some interesting imagery such as death by flying tarot cards and Swank getting it on with a demonized Arquette. It's far from great, but it makes a nice companion to the first, as both have their qualities and misfires.

I remember The Sci Fi Channel playing this one a lot back in the day. It's pretty much the first film redone with added gore and some sex and nudity, sadly it lacks that films budget. Overall, it's some good cheesy DTV fun with Alexis Arquette owning the whole movie with his over the top acting and corny one liners.

SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK should not be compared to the original, which really has nothing to do with this except for the mention of a name. There is horror in this film because the evil ones are cruel, efficient and powerful. It is true horror. My only criticism is a valid one, I believe. The main evil character looks too much like Jerry Seinfeld to scare me, although he is so evil a character you may forget that for an instant. There is enough here to really scare you on a dark night. Try it.