I reviewed Night of the Demons for Literary Illusions last Halloween. This was back when LI was a new site, and I wanted to write about a horror movie that was so cheesy it was actually good. Night of the Demons is one of my favorite horror movies, so when I heard Night of the Demons 2 was going to be released by Lionsgate, I was elated. I couldn’t wait to review this movie. All I can say is that after Day Two’s pick of The 31 Days of Horror Movies (Borderline Cult), Lionsgate has redeemed themselves by releasing this film!

Night of the Demons wasn’t a high class movie. It didn’t have famous actors. It wasn’t a high budget film. It had cheesy effects, a comical plot, and hilarious looking demons, but I loved the movie anyway. This film was and still is your typical “fun” 80s horror flick. Night of the Demons 2 was made a few years later in 1994, though it still retained that 80s-esque horror film, with a few upgrades in the special effects department.

The film revolves around an old character from the first movie, the only one to return from the original movie, Angela Franklin (Amelia Kinkade). Fans of the first will remember that Angela becomes an evil demon. Well guess what? She’s back and she wants something or should I say someone, to come join her at the evil “Hull House”. The first few moments of the film are hilarious. However, Angela, who could pass as a teenager in Night of the Demons looks about 20 years older in Night of the Demons 2.

The second aspect to the plot takes place at what seems to be a Catholic boarding school. This is where Angela’s little sister Melissa (Merle Kennedy), whom everyone calls Mouse, lives now that her parents have committed suicide and she’s an orphan. She lives in a room with three girls, Bibi (Cristi Harris), who tries to be nice to Melissa, Terri (Christine Taylor – yes Mrs. Ben Stiller is in this movie), who likes spooking people but seems okay when it comes down to it, and the b!tch of the group, Shirley (Zoe Trilling).

After getting in trouble with the uptight nun, Sister Gloria (Jennifer Rhodes), which means they cannot go to the school dance, Shirley decides to have a secret party at Hull House. She invites, Bibi, Melissa, and Terri, but doesn’t tell them where they are going. She also invites some guys to spice things up including Z-Boy (Darin Heames), Johnny (Johnny Moran), Rick (Rick Peters), and Albert (Mark Neely). To add to this, Perry (Robert Jayne), the school nerd, is convinced demons exist (and Angela is real) though he is shot down repeatedly by the disbelieving priest, Father Bob (Rod McCary).

If you love cheesy horror, then Night of the Demons 2 is perfect for you. It will keep your interest and its fun to watch. I should warn you that this isn’t one of those films where you can expect to be scared, because it really isn’t scary. However, the improvement in special effects might have you grossed out a bit in a few parts. Oh, and be forewarned, this flick isn’t recommended for children. It shows “sexually stimulated” scenes and even shows off a couple sets of breasts (something the first film also showed). This is typical 80-ish horror fare, so be prepared for that kind of film and you won’t be disappointed.

The acting is pretty good. I like Christine Taylor so having her in the film makes it even more entertaining. The rest of the actors do a good job, even Amelia Kinkade, who we are told is now a pet “spiritual communicator”. I guess all her work in horror films really led her down a spiritual past after all. Don’t expect to be wowed by a “Denzel” breakout performance, but you won’t need to cover your eyes and ears due to overacting. I think you will enjoy Sister Gloria the most, because Rhodes really makes her believable in this film.

The aspect ratio for this film is 1.33: 1. This film has a great visual quality to it. I am assuming it was cleaned up because it doesn’t really have that 80s (or early 90s) feel to the visual quality. The audio is also great. I didn’t have any problem understanding characters. The quality of the sound is 2.0 Stereo though it sounds much better then other films we’ve discussed with similar film sound quality.

Night of the Demons 2 is light on the special features. Sure, you can check out other trailers for Lionsgate films, but don’t expect to be wowed by featurettes. There are none. Those who like bonus features will be disappointed by the lack of features, which are really non-existent, but I’m not the type to get a DVD because a film has extras. For me, Night of the Demons 2 stands on its own well enough without adding anything else to the mix.

Bottom Line: If you want to have some movie fun this Halloween, then you need to rent or purchase Night of the Demons 2. This will make a good edition to your Horror Films DVD collection. Don’t expect a serious film though. Otherwise, you will be seriously disappointed.

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Technorati Tags: Halloween, DVD, Scary Movies, Fun, Night of the Demons 2, Angela, Demon, Cheesy Horror, DVD Review, Lionsgate

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