House II: la deuxième histoire

Jesse (Arye Gross) moves to his biological parents' house with his girlfriend Kate (Lar Park Lincoln) and soon he hosts his friend Charlie (Jonathan Stark) with his girlfriend. Jesse reads old documents and decides to go to the local cemetery with Charlie to unbury his grand grand grandfather to seek out an ancient powerful Aztec skull. They reanimate Gramps (Royal Dano) that soon befriends Jesse and Charlie. But demons cross gateways in the house to retrieve the magic skull and Jesse and Charlie need to go to other dimensions to retrieve the skull and keep Gramps alive.

"House II: The Second Story" is a silly fantasy adventure based on the first House with new characters. The plot is a comedy with silly (and some of them also funny) moments but never a sequel of the first film. There are many points without a solution but the film is entertaining and cult. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "House II - A Casa do Espanto" ("House II - The Frightening House")

This film is a fun, under-watched gem from the 80s. Fans of the first House have a lot to enjoy here. Certainly one of the only horror/comedy/westerns I can think of, but it works well in this picture. Don't expect Citizen Kane, but if you're looking for an enjoyable little flick, you won't be disappointed.

Interestingly, this film follows in the footsteps of the original House by casting a member of Cheers in a small role. In House, it's George Wendt, and in this film we get an amusing, if brief, appearance by John Ratzenberger. Jonathan Stark puts in an amusing performance as the Jim Carrey-esquire buddy, and Bill Maher shows up as well.

The enjoyable parts prevent this from being a truly bad film, but only just. The original "House" probably never made anyone's list of top horror movies, but it's entertaining in its own, modest way. I can't say the same for "House II." Nor can I honestly say it's a sequel. It doesn't feature any of the characters from the original. It's also a completely different house. The house in "House" was built on a weak spot between our world and the world of the dead, while the house in "House II" was built at the crossroads of time and space. This is, I believe, an important distinction. There doesn't seem to be any reason for calling this "House II," except to justify the clever subtitle.

But that's not the only problem. The filmmakers clearly didn't know what kind of film they wanted to make, and the result is a jumbled mess. It starts off promising, and is shaping up to be a good haunted-house horror film when it suddenly and inexplicably becomes a fantasy-adventure comedy, during which time the ghost that the movie once seemed to be centered around is never seen and hardly mentioned. Then, after the viewer has adjusted to the new premise, the ghost comes back, and none of the threads brought up during the middle part are properly resolved. It's all pushed aside for a dramatic dénouement, followed by a final scene that raises further questions rather than answering any of the many existing ones.

I should also add that this movie contains several insults to the viewer's intelligence, which I wouldn't excuse even if it were an out-and-out comedy. In one scene, our hero falls hundreds of feet, but falls into a portal that lets him out right above the floor in his own house. The problem is that his momentum shouldn't change, so he should still be dead. In another scene, a zombie is strangled until he loses consciousness. Just think about that one for a moment.

So why did I give this an average review? Because there are good points. It's original, for starters. It may be hugely disjointed with little internal logic, but at least it isn't just retreading old clichés. It features characters who you care about, because they're fairly believable and interesting. It boasts special effects that are well above par for 1987, and some visually intriguing scenes and designs. The humor, as misplaced as it may be at times, is often quite funny. And, above all, there is John Ratzenberger as "Bill Towner, electrician and adventurer." The part with him is just great, not just because of his performance, but the way his character is written, and the sequence's juxtaposition of the banal and the otherworldly. Sadly, he's only in that one scene. If the movie had begun and ended with him, it could have been an '80s fantasy comedy classic (but still wouldn't really be a sequel to "House"). Actually, there are at least three different movies in here, all of which could have been good if they hadn't been thrown together to form a single, unfocused movie.

"House II" isn't a winner, nor is it a complete waste of time. Watch it if the things I've described have piqued your curiosity, but don't expect it to be too entertaining overall.

If you liked Army of Darkness... you will want to see this movie!

This movie is a comedy, horror, fantasy type similar to "Army of Darkness". House 2 however, has nothing to do with the original release of "House". It is a stand alone movie. Good acting and a creative story line make this well worth watching!

Another house, another set of house-guests. Although the first few scenes make you wonder if the movie was worth seeing, you're soon captivated by this movie. "House II" continues the comedic tradition set forth in the first "House". Arye Gross is as excellent as ever as Jesse, the new owner of the house, and Jonathan Stark, best known for his voice abilities in animated shows, is without equal in his role as Jesse's quirky and weird friend Charlie.

This movie will take you from the Wild West to the ancient Aztecs to the Crustaceous Period to the present time (October 30, 1986 in the movie). Charlie and Jesse get involved in one absolutely hilarious adventure after another. Like "House I", this movie is horror with a comedy bent, and doesn't have the nudity, language, or extreme violence that categorized most horrors of the eighties. It's good, clean fun. Sure, there's a few long-dead guests, but they're basically harmless. Add to the thrill some humorous, and well-done, special effects, and some interesting new pets, and you've got a winner!

If you enjoy "House II", it would be worth your while to check out "The Never-Ending Story" -- they work on a similar bent of fantasy and comedic special effects to catch your interest. Some viewers may also enjoy movies like "The Adventures of Pecos Bill". and more die-hard horror fans might also like "Tales From the Crypt Presents Demon Knight"