The Hills Have Eyes Part II

(Sociopath/Psychopath/Mutant/Tribe)                              4****skulls

*Nudity* *Some Strong Language* *Violent* *Blood* *Gory* *No Sexual Situations*

1984/Color/86 Min./Thorn EMI HBO Video & New Realm Entertainment & VTC & Hills Two Corporation/Rated PG-13

Director............Wes Craven (Scream, Chiller, A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Screenplay......Wes Craven (The Hills Have Eyes II, Summer of Fear)

Music.............. Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th & II, III, IV, V, VI)

Producers........Barry Cahn & Peter Locke

Dramatis Personae

Cass.................Tamara Stafford

Rachel/Ruby....Janus Blythe (The Hills Have Eyes)

Pluto...............Michael Berryman (Auntie Lee's Meat Pies, The Hills Have Eyes)

Roy..................Kevin Blair (Bloodlust: Subspecies III)

The Reaper.....John Bloom (Brain of Blood)

Harry................Peter Frechette (The Unholy)

Bobby..............Robert Houston (The Hills Have Eyes)

Sue.................Penny Johnson (The Imposter)

Hulk................John Laughlin (Crimes of Passion, Midnight Crossing)

Foster.............Willard Pugh (Ambition, CB4)

Jane...............Colleen Riley

Psychiatrist.....David Nichols

Mrs. Wilson.....Edith Fellows

Critique: Let's see exactly what we've got here. More dog footage, lots of flashbacks from the lame predecessor, the core group from the lame first film Pluto(the different looking guy), Rachel (nee Ruby), and a Beast vs Pluto rematch. Not many chills. On the new side, there's the introduction of Papa Jup's older brother, Reaper, who quite obviously did not exist in part one. Uses the classic horror movie vehicle of the otherly-abled person against all odds, a sightless woman, with only the dark on her side as she battles crazed killers. The only strong point is a second consecutive Rube Goldberg Award for most complicated ways to kill people(a remote control spear-gun?) and a truly creepy Chambre du corps morts for the benefit of Cass. Still, nothing will ever make these mutants scary. The end however is a great deal more engaging, perhaps because all the characters from part 1 are dead before the showdown. The documentary style beginning.same voice? certainly the same tone.appears to be a ripoff of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre II but predates it by two years. A couple of this movies very serious problems are the idea that this very closeknit race team would have no idea that Bobby's family was murdered in the dessert, and that Rachel, knowing what she does, would allow the team to cross the dessert. Also, Cass really can't imitate Bogy. It seemed more coherent than part one, but it was kind of hard to tell.

Good line: "The Reaper sucks!" - Roy. Never were truer words spoken.

Plot Summary: Film is based on fact wild family of cannibals who killed most of a not so wild family of tourists from Cleveland

"Hills I" survivor Bobby is now getting therapy to help him process the mutilation of his family. Still Papa Jup's threat to his father rings in his ears "I'll eat the brains of your kids!" His analyst is trying to convince him that the mutants he mutilated must be dead. It's crucial that he believe this if his moto-cross racing team (Yamahas) is to succeed in the desert race where they intend to test their new fuel. The team, Roy, his blind girlfriend Cass, crazy Hulk, and mechanic Foster, are excited about the race and the opportunity to show off the fuel. Bobby's not feeling too hot come race day what with the flashbacks and all and he decides to sit this one out. On the way to the big race, they stop to pick up the surviving German Shepherd Beast (and his stud fee) and one of the teammates, Harry pokes fun at the myth of the wild cannibalistic family headed by Jupiter said to have attacked a bunch of tourists in the desert. The group has committed the high sin of horror movies, irreverence toward whatever eventually kills them all. As Harry tells the myth, Bobby's girlfriend Rachel sleeps and has a dream about the encounter in part I. When they realize they are an hour late for the race due to daylight savings time, they (all together now) decide to take a shortcut through the desert. In the middle of nowhere (women only this time!) they develop car trouble. As they search an abandoned farmhouse for fuel, they are being watched and by Beasts reactions, something is up in the loft. Hulk finds a raccoon but Rachel stays to investigate, muttering, "It couldn't be." Pluto jumps her in the loft and a terrific battle ensues from which Pluto is very lucky to escape. The wounded Rachel is forced to admit that it was her brother who bashed her head. She was the wild woman they were joking about on the bus and Bobby's family were the mythological slaughtered innocents. The skeptical race team believes when Cass hears something at the bus where they find a bike missing. The three racers mount and pursue Pluto who rides well for an uncivilized cannibal mutant, until he wipes out, prompting a ground battle. Roy dukes it out with Pluto while ol' Harry avoids one trap only to be crushed by a bolder. Pluto warns Roy to beware of the reaper. Back at the bus, firecrackers and a fire are lit to mark the location of the bus but no one returns. Foster and Sue get in a lovers spat and foolhardy Foster uses the bus to chase her down, stranding it away from the farmhouse. Rachel meets Foster and informs him of Hulk's death, tells him to gather the others and get ready to leave. After he lets Beast run off into the night, he is mercifully butchered with an axe. As night falls with the van disabled, the lights off, and no living men handy until Beast brings Roy back, an all out war between the racing women and the clan is on. Since the war with the desert guys will stop them from attending the race, what are they going to do with all that fuel they intended to distribute as samples? Oh well, they'll think of something.