House II: The Second Story (1987)

Director:

Ethan Wiley

Writer:

Ethan Wiley (written by)

Release Date:

28 August 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Comedy

Tagline:

Doom with a View

Plot:

The new owner of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corpses and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers. |

Plot Keywords:

Gay Slur | Halloween | House | Human Sacrifice | Sequel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Arye Gross	...	Jesse
Jonathan Stark	...	Charlie
Royal Dano	...	Gramps
Bill Maher	...	John
John Ratzenberger	...	Bill
Lar Park-Lincoln	...	Kate (as Lar Park Lincoln)
Amy Yasbeck	...	Jana
Gregory Walcott	...	Sheriff
Dwier Brown	...	Clarence
Lenora May	...	Judith
Devin DeVasquez	...	Virgin (as Devin Devasquez)
Jayne Modean	...	Rochelle
Ronn Carroll	...	Deputy
Dean Cleverdon	...	Slim
Doug MacHugh	...	High Priest
Mitzi Kapture	...	Cowgirl
David Arnott	...	Banana
Kane Hodder	...	Gorilla
Susan Isaac	...	Cat
Gus Rethwisch	...	Arnold the Barbarian
Gil Birmingham	...	Featured Warrior

Directed by
Ethan Wiley

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ethan Wiley		written by

Produced by
Sean S. Cunningham	....	producer
Andrew Z. Davis	....	associate producer
Roger Corman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Harry Manfredini

Cinematography by
Mac Ahlberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Martin Nicholson		(as Marty Nicholson)

Casting by
Melissa Skoff

Production Design by
Gregg Fonseca

Art Direction by
Don Diers
Larry Fulton

Set Decoration by
Dorree Cooper
Gene Serdena

Costume Design by
Heidi F. Gilles
Heidi Kaczenski

Makeup Department
Paula Jacquard	....	assistant hair stylist
Paula Jacquard	....	assistant makeup artist
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	makeup artist
Daniel Marc	....	hair stylist
Daniel Marc	....	makeup artist
Mike Smithson	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Andrew Z. Davis	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuart B. Hagen	....	second second assistant director (as Stuart Hagen)
Josh King	....	second assistant director
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Paul Clausen	....	carpenter (as Michael Clausen)
Kirk Corwin	....	property master
Carol Lee Davis	....	painter (as Carole Davis)
Sean Everett	....	set dresser (as Sean E. Markland)
Duane Journey	....	swing man
John Lawrence	....	lead man
Doug Lefler	....	storyboard artist
Jack Pelton	....	construction coordinator
Vivienne Radkoff	....	art department coordinator
John H. Samson	....	construction foreman (as John Samson)
F. Lee Stone	....	swing man
Anne Tamrazi	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Brydon Baker III	....	boom operator (as Beau Baker)
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as David Campbell)
Craig A. Dellinger	....	adr editor (as Craig Dellinger)
Kim H. Ornitz	....	sound mixer (as Kim Ornitz)
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hari Ryatt	....	supervising sound editor
Joel Valentine	....	special sound effects

Special Effects by
Conrad Itchener	....	special effects crew
Mike Jobe	....	special effects crew (as Michael Jobe)
Mary-Louise Kingery	....	special effects crew
Patricia Kowchak	....	special effects crew
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	special effects crew
Buzz Neidig	....	special effects crew
Gregg Olsson	....	special effects crew
Mike Smithson	....	special effects crew (as Michael Smithson)
Mark Sullivan	....	special effects supervisor
Wim van Thillo	....	special effects crew (as Wim Jan Van Thillo)
Carol Walas	....	special effects crew (as Carole Kaefer Walas)
Chris Walas	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
Scott Beattie	....	visual effects
Jon Berg	....	armature engineer
Michael Bigelow	....	motion control supervisor
Eric Brevig	....	visual effects supervisor
Chris Chesney	....	visual effects
Peter Chesney	....	mechanical effects coordinator
Lenny Dalrymple	....	visual effects
Robin L. D'Arcy	....	visual effects (as Robin D'Arcy)
Sheila Duignan	....	stop motion camera operator
Randy Dutra	....	stop motion animator (as Randal Michael Dutra, III)
Michael Ferriter	....	compositor
James Green	....	visual effects
Robert Hall	....	optical supervisor
Jarn Heil	....	special effects lead
Richard Johnson	....	visual effects
Emmet Kane	....	visual effects
Justin Klarenbeck	....	effects photography supervisor
Tamia Marg	....	model maker
Craig Newman	....	visual effects coordinator
Jules Roman	....	editorial
Michael Shae	....	visual effects
Keith Shartle	....	optical production manager
Mark Sullivan	....	matte painting
Mark Sullivan	....	stop motion flying creatures
Phil Tippett	....	stop motion supervisor
Chris Walas	....	makeup and creature effects designer
Hoyt Yeatman	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
John Alden	....	stunts
John Ashker	....	stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
BJ Davis	....	stunts (as B.J. Davis)
Kane Hodder	....	stunt coordinator
Kane Hodder	....	stunts
Steve Hulin	....	stunts
Rob King	....	stunts
Alan Marcus	....	stunts
Rick McCallum	....	stunts
Dianne L. Wilson	....	stunts (as Diane Wilson)
Merritt Yohnka	....	stunts (as Marritt Yohnka)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Chrimes	....	best boy grip
Fazzone	....	still photographer
Steve Lang	....	grip
Timothy 'Guido' Magaraci	....	electrician (as Tim Magarachi)
Ron McCausland	....	key grip
Bob Myers	....	grip
Ronald J. Pure Jr.	....	electrician (as Joe Pure)
Krishna Rao	....	director of photography: second unit (as Kris Rao)
Krishna Rao	....	first assistant camera (as Kris Rao)
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	best boy electric (as John Sandau)
Andy Sydney	....	second assistant camera
James R. Tynes	....	gaffer (as Jim Tynes)

Animation Department
Randy Dutra	....	stop motion animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephanie Biederman	....	costumer
Kelly O'Gurian	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Mark Elson	....	first assistant editor
Bill Turro	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Ron Capone	....	music editor
Bobby Muzingo	....	music editor
Arlon Ober	....	additional orchestrator
Frank Welker	....	special vocal effects

Transportation Department
Joe Cosentino	....	driver (as Joseph Cosentino)
Dennis Jorgenson	....	driver
Jim O'Keefe	....	transportation coordinator
Gary Shaw	....	driver
Earl Vodry	....	driver

Other crew
Michael Broidy	....	unit publicist
Jan Evans	....	script supervisor
Terry Gusto	....	location manager
David Haldiman	....	production assistant
Debbie Hayn-Cass	....	assistant auditor
Debbie Hayn-Cass	....	assistant to producer
Perry Husman	....	location manager
Susan Isaac	....	production assistant
Warren Oliver	....	production assistant
Peter Schwartz	....	production assistant
Jack C. Smith	....	production auditor
Meredith Wright	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Darren Galerkin	....	special thanks
Cecelia Hall	....	special thanks
Michele Lamy	....	special thanks
Mark Sullivan	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New World Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• New World Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Silver Media Group (Greece) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Dream Quest Images
• Image Engineering Inc.

Other Companies

• Converse  special thanks
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity
• Dot Zero  computer systems
• General Cameras  camera equipment provided by
• Laird International Studios  production facilities
• Lions Gate Studios  post-production facilities
• Lorimar Studios  titles and opticals
• Nike  special thanks

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Laird International Studio - 9336 W. Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Goofs:

Factual errors: Charlie says his Uzi is semi automatic, yet it shoots like a fully automatic.

Quotes:

Charlie: [referring to a potential human sacrifice] Is she really a virgin? Because I've never seen one before.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scream 2 (1997)

Great Sequel

This non-related sequel is so sweet-natured, so tame and family orientated that to assume otherwise is completely ludicrous. There is nothing in this movie that could possibly rate it above a PG, max. I wouldn't even have reservations letting younger children watch House 2.

A new house has a 20-something yuppie called Jesse (Arye Gross) move in with his girlfriend Kate (Lar Park-Lincoln). His friend Charlie (Jonathan Stark), a music agent, arrives with his new diva discovery Jana (Amy Yasbeck) to help him thru the unfamiliar first few days. The house is where Jesse's parents were killed when he was just a baby and it full of many curiosities.

Crafted in a bizarre Gothic-Aztec style the house itself is a marvellous set and the many rooms and passages are as mysterious to us as they are to Jesse. Sitting on one of his many mantelpieces is a crystal skull that fascinates him for some reason. He even misses his housewarming party while studying the skull's history.

His studies lead him to dig up the grave of his great, great grandfather, or Gramps (Royal Dano), where he discovers the old coot isn't dead just in limbo. The person who possesses the skull is granted eternal youth but it also warps the space-time continuum within the House.

Gramps comes home with Jesse, is more enthralled by Kleenex boxes and TV than the mysteries around him and ducks for cover whenever someone from another time comes to steal the skull. Just like the first movie different rooms lead into different time zones. Jesse and Charlie have many hilarious adventures battling caveman, dinosaurs, Aztecs an evil cowboy called Slim. The one that killed Jesse's parents and betrayed Gramps over a century ago.

House 2 has so much careless abandon and zany plot twists that it is totally impossible not to love this movie. The huge success of the first movie meant that this one was put into production literally and hour later and Ethan Wiley was given the budget and green light to do whatever he wanted. How often does happen today? Usually it would make for a bad movie considering this was the first movie Wiley directed. But it makes for an unusually cute and light-hearted supernatural romp.

One of the weaker aspects of this sequel is that it has more SFX and animation by Phil Tippet's stop-motion workshop and less by Dreamquest. The matte paintings are gorgeous but the dated dinosaurs look hokey in a few shots. If you can just squint during these moments you won't notice.

Bill Maher from TV's "Politically Incorrect" even manages to show up as a music producer who is interested in Yasbeck and mighty suspicious of Jesse's antics. John Ratzenberger (this makes both movies star one of the "Cheers" barflies) appears as a repairman/adventurer who assists Jesse and Charlie battle some Aztecs. Look out for Kane Hodder (Jason) in an ape costume. Jesse adopts a fluffy, little baby pterodactyl and a strange creature called a Caterpuppy, a cross between...well you know. You need an open mind and a suspension of disbelief to swallow the outrageous goings on in this movie.

The commentary is better than the one on the first movie. Ethan Wiley and Cunningham get on well and have no quibbles pointing out how crazy the film is. They discuss the budget, tell tales of the late Royal Dano and explain how many of the effects were pulled off within the constraints of the budget. One of the most interesting things they mention is that even tho the movie was stuck in between The Color Purple and Beverly Hills Cop II the kids still preferred House 2 as their fave movie of the summer. But because the movie didn't have it's own opening weekend, unlike the original, it wasn't as successful. Didn't stop 2 more sequels being made. A theatrical trailer is also included.

Much like the first film the picture has been brilliantly transferred onto DVD. The 1.85:1 anamorphic picture looks super with very few glitches. Colors are rendered with pleasant accuracy and you wouldn't believe the low-budget origins when judging this picture. There is some grain during darker scenes but other than this the movie is looking great.

The Mono soundtrack is not terribly engaging and most of the film's sound is centre-channel biased. But there's no hiss or pop to worry about. It may be Mono but it's clean and fresh sounding to me.