cult film freak: WES CRAVEN TRIBUTE: THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2

Written by James M. Tate / 9/02/2015 / 2 Comments / eighties , exploitation , horror , john laughlin , michael berryman , sequel , tamara stafford , wes craven

WES CRAVEN TRIBUTE: THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2

9/02/2015 | 2 Comments

Michael Berryman and Kevin Spirtas in Wes Craven's THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART II Year: 1985

Unlike the freak-filled original, THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART II has only four eyes that mater: the first pair belonging to Pluto, famously played by the iconic bald-headed mutant-playing Michael Berryman, whose mere appearance is of horror/exploitation legend. And he's joined by new cannibalistic psychopath — a gigantic killer fitfully named Reaper...

Basic plot has a group of teenage dirt bike riders including a token black funny guy, a couple white square-jaws and an eclectic mix of assorted chicks, head off on a bus to that craggy canyon where the unlucky family had such trouble before...

Kevin Spirtas and Tamara Stafford in THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART II

That causes one of the original characters to suffer flashbacks of the original film, and the audience suffers too since, at one point, even the German Shepard, Beast, who had supposedly killed Pluto, flashes back. But let’s leave the past behind because this maligned follow-up is actually not so awful...

The location, an abandoned mine shaft, serves as a more contained platform for the group of teens, obnoxiously deserving to buy the farm including muscular John Laughlin and 1950's wannabe Kevin Spiritas. Meanwhile, sequences where the kids ride dirt bikes fall prey to various traps, including falling rocks and swinging spikes, makes for creatively formidable challenges... A kind of HOME ALONE only outdoors and in reverse... or something...

Tamara Stafford in Wes Craven's THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART II

And last but certainly not least is a blind heroine, Cass, played by the incredibly gorgeous Tamara Stafford, someone to truly root for: especially during the final battle with the formidable hulking villain...

So Wes Craven, a year before his game-changing NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET tanked in the theaters before igniting on video and changing his career forever, keeps the pace and body count flowing from beginning to end. It's just too bad for those intrusive, distracting flashbacks keeping an otherwise semi-decent slasher flick just so... semi-decent.

Tamara Stafford, Kevin Spiritas, Willard E. Pugh and John Laughlin in THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART II

Share This Post :

Tags : eighties , exploitation , horror , john laughlin , michael berryman , sequel , tamara stafford , wes craven

James M. Tate

2 comments:

Ripper MadnessNovember 15, 2012 at 4:32 AM
Ah both of the Hills are classics. Did you happen to see the awful remake from a few years ago? Did I say awful, I'm being nice when I say awful.

Another great review young sir.
ReplyDelete
Replies
James M. TateNovember 15, 2012 at 6:35 PM
I really truly like 2 better than 1. It went for more of the "teens get picked off" and was more primal in nature. The original one, I hate to say, I really only dug for the last twenty minutes. I was supposed to interview the hottie blonde survivor chick but she flaked, like all of 'em do.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)SHARKS' TREASURE 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE SYSTEM 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)NIGHT CREATURES 22)CURSE OF THE DEMON 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE BREAK 25)AIR PATROL 26)JOURNEY INTO FEAR 27)EASY LIVING 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)CHARLES BRONSON1)VIRGINIA MAYO 2)SUE LYON 3)GENE TIERNEY 4)MERRY ANDERS 5)FAYE DUNAWAY DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)STANLEY KUBRICK 4)ORSON WELLES 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)JOHN LANDIS 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)VAL GUEST 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER