House II: The Second Story

Plot synopsis:
Young urban professionals Jesse (Arye Gross) and his girlfriend Kate (Lar Park Lincoln) move into an old mansion that has been in Jesse's family for generations. They are soon joined by Jesse's goofy friend Charlie (Jonathan Stark), who brought along his diva girlfriend Lana (Amy Yasbeck), in the hopes of being discovered by Kate, who works for a record company.
Jesse has returned to the old family mansion after his parents were murdered when he was a baby. While going through old things in the basement, Jesse finds a picture of his great-great grandfather (and namesake) in front of a Mayan temple holding a crystal skull with jewels in the eyes. In the background is a man Jesse learns is Slim Reeser, a former partner of his great-great grandfather turned bitter enemy after a disagreement over who would get to keep the skull.
Reasoning that the skull must be buried with him, Jesse and Charlie decide to dig up Jesse's great-great-grandfather in the hopes of procuring the skull. They unearth the casket only to be attacked by the corpse (Royal Dano), who then shows himself to be friendly when Jesse reveals his identity as the senior Jesse's great-great grandson. Jesse and Charlie take the cowboy zombie, nicknamed "Gramps", back to the house, where he is horrified to learn that the skull has not rejuvenated his body as he had hoped.
Gramps and Charlie go out drinking and driving, and later the boys listen for hours to Gramps' stories of the old west and his outlaw life. Gramps explains that the house is actually a Mayan temple, and that each of its rooms act as a hidden doorway across space and time. He charges Charlie and Jesse with defending the skull against the forces of evil.
During an impromptu Halloween party thrown by Charlie, Gramps makes an appearance (though he is overlooked as it is a costume party), Kate leaves Jesse (taking Lana with her) after he is seen with an old girlfriend by her smarmy boss (Bill Maher), and Jesse and Charlie pick up two new pets in the Jurassic era, a baby pterodactyl and a caterpillar-dog.
Bill (John Ratzenberger), an electrician and "part-time adventurer", arrives to inspect the house's old wiring. While seemingly a buffoon, he pulls a short-sword from his tool case and leads the boys through "one of those time-portal things...you see these all the time in these old houses." In the mystic past, the three rescue a Mexican virgin who was about to be sacrificed, who seems to like Jesse but throws things at Charlie.
Eventually, Slim Reeser makes his appearance. Slim shoots Gramps, who then gives Jesse his guns and reveals that it was Slim who shot and killed Jesse's parents when he was a baby. Jesse jumps through a window into the Old West, and eventually succeeds in killing Slim by blasting off his head with a rifle. Gramps, who has been mortally wounded, begins to pass away. Gramps says goodbye to Jesse and tells hims he is so happy to have met his great-great-grandson. Gramps then gives a final warning about the power of the skull, encouraging Jesse to get what he wants from the enchanted object and then get rid of it. As Gramps passes, Jesse embraces him in a hug.
The film ends with the revelation that Jesse used the skull to travel back into the Old West, where he, Charlie and the rest of their strange friends drive off in a wagon, leaving the crystal skull behind, marking Gramps' new grave.

Tags: absurd, alternate reality

Review:
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.
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.
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.
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.
House II deserves more respect than it gets because it's a good horror/comedy (which is rare)...and your kids can enjoy it too.Note for genre buffs: Kane Hodder was the stunt coordinator for House II and did a cameo as the gorilla guy.
Arye Gross is right for the lead and has great comic timing,Jonathan Stark is very funny as Gross' wacky party buddy and Royal Dano takes the prize as Gross' zombified great-great grandfather who had discovered a crystal skull that  creates all the ensuing havoc!There are also two great supporting roles for  John Ratzenburger(from Cheer's) as an electrician/adventurer and Politically Incorrect's Bill Maher as a smarmy record exec.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
1987's "House II: The Second Story" really isn't that good of a horror film really more of a screwball spoof comedy that's cheap made and it doesn't follow the originals plot and the storyline is much different with unheard of actors at the time.
Soon after moving in the old mansion style home with his close friend party animal and craved sex guy Charlie(Jonathan Stark) they discover the history and treasures of the house, and that Jesse's grandfather was an old west legend with a storied past.
The original "House" probably never made anyone's list of top horror movies, but it's entertaining in its own, modest way.
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.
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").
Hijinks ensue when the lucky owner reunites with his undead great-great-grandfather and, along with his goofy buddy, battles baby pterodactyls, angry outlaws and Bill Maher.Although a character in "Scream 2" cites the film as a superior sequel, "House II" does little to one-up its predecessor.
Those expecting bloodshed and jump-scares will be left in the cold, but perhaps with a few drinks in hand and with the right expectations, you'll find "House II: The Second Story" a film deserving of the title "cult classic.".
Given the choice between seeing this again or re-watching the new Indie movie about crystal skulls, I'd choose this since it's at least as entertaining but doesn't let you down like Indie did.The last criticism is perhaps the most damning.
The main character (Gross) goes after the jewel-covered skull by digging up an ancestor's grave and ends up resurrecting his great great grandpa (Dano) as a 100+ year old zombie.
I Think this Film is Not Horror or Comedy as Most people Say, But more Like Fantasy.
I think this one of the not too many funny horror movies from the 80's.As a horror 'die' hard in the 80's I've seen a lot of crappy horror movies, a lot of good, scary movies but just a few horror movies with such a comedic background in th story.It is still great to look at the movie now, more than 20 years later.
Although the scary effects of the 80's are less than today.The most fun is the old grandpa who seems to find all kind of ways to get into crazy situations all the time.And the crystal skull is great!
As hard as it is to troll through all the years of terrible films I've seen, I do not think it is unreasonable to say that House II is the single worst movie i have ever seen.
I have no idea why this movie has a higher rating then House 3 (a.k.a The Horror Show) which is actually quite good.
.House 2 is on the other hand is quite possibly one on the worst horror sequels you will ever see, if you don't believe me then try watching it..1/5IMO the original House and House 3 are the only good movies in the entire series..
Jesse decides that he is going to find the crystal skull with the help of his friend Charles, but he soon finds more than he bargained for.House was a quirky horror comedy in the vain of Evil Dead, House 2 drops all the horror and bumps up the comedy and becomes more of a goofy kids movie in the vain of The Goonies.
The monsters in this one are for the most part non-threatening cute puppets and such and the comedy is mostly bizarre (why does Charles have an uzi?, Why is the electrician an adventurer?) Nothing really makes sense, but the random nature makes it funny.This film is also more of an adventure film in which the house opens up portals into other time periods which gives the film an overall episodic feel and keeps things a bit fresh and interesting.The acting isn't very good, but in a film like this it doesn't need to be.
The special effects are fairly good and I loved the cute monster puppets and stop motion effects.House 2 is a stupid movie, I can't see fans of the first movie liking the second one to well.
Originally believing "House 2: The Second Story" to be along the lines of the rest of the "House" franchise, what I thought was a horror franchise, my main reason for watching it was because one of my favourite actresses, the glamorous Lar Park-Lincoln was starring in it.
Park-Lincoln does not "star" in the film, she merely "features", and in a variety of fabulous eighties outfits I must add."House 2: The Second Story" revolves around the bizarre adventures that Jesse (Arye Gross) and his friends have in a strange house when he inherits it following the deaths of his birth parents some years ago.
The late Royal Dano plays Jesse's long-dead great-grandfather, and John Ratzenberger gives a terrific, albeit brief, performance as Bill the electrician.Even though "House 2" is rather campy, plodding and certainly not a horror, it is watchable, if not for Park-Lincoln's brief appearance, or the decent acting of Arye Gross, then for the great puppetry and special effects, which were actually quite good for the late 1980's.
The new owner (Arye Gross) of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corpses and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers.Ethan Wiley (who wrote part one) wrote the story and also takes over as director, with Sean Cunningham staying on as producer.
Steve Miner, the director of part one, was too busy making "Soul Man" to return, but did make his mark just the same: he recommended the lead actor, Arye Gross.Special mention must be given to Gregg Fonseca (1952–1994) who was production designer and made a tiny budget look like a big movie.
If you'd prefer to be scared out of your wits or if you have no imagination or plan to compare this movie with the standards of horror today, then spare yourself the frustration.The acting is a bit second rate and the "scariness" of it might seem a bit cheesy but back when it came out, I remember jumping a few times.
First of all I'd like to say that when I watched this movie for the first time I was about 7 years old and it was kinda weird to me then.
I think if you wanna watch a scary movie then this is surely the wrong one, cause it's more a funny movie, but that makes it not worse...the main characters are brilliant and the story is good as well.
Even though I do not really watch horror films anymore, I will always fondly remember "House", and it's dry sense of humor, but also fairly serious plot threads of overcoming the demons of your past, it is a movie that is serious while having a very dark sense of humor, that rises far above the low-brow humor of most horror comedies.
The conclusion actually makes logical sense within the continuity of the film, and unlike more horror themed films, your not left thinking, "Yeah, but they just committed a ton of crimes in the process and getting away and will likely go to jail."The effects are better than in the original "House" and extremely well-done for the time it was made.
"House II" is watchable not because of a coherent plot, though it is more coherent than it should be, or because of deep character studies, there is none to be had, it is entertaining because that is what it seeks to do, be a fun entertaining popcorn movie, and it does well at that.Have the proper expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.God Bless ~Amy. A lot scarier then people give it credit for..
I prefer to think of that possibility than actually the channel's intention to play a horror movie.The thing is that "House II" is a mix of western movies from the good 80's with comedy, and horror.
Unsurprisingly, this scatter-shot approach rarely makes sense and can serve to irritate, but at the same time, it is this very eclecticism that keeps one glued to the screen; any film that features an electrician/adventurer (played by Cheers' regular John Ratzenberger), a drunken jerk who just happens to keep an Uzi in the trunk of his car, and a meal scene where the diners include a 170 year old man, a prehistoric bird, a dogerpillar (like a caterpillar, but with a dog's face), and a beautiful Aztec sacrificial virgin really has got to be seen to be believed!Also serving to make this film an enjoyably daft treat, particularly if you're fan of old-school fantasy/horror fans, are the various make-up and pre-CGI special effects: prosthetics, animatronics, and stop-motion techniques are utilised to bring a collection of supernatural creatures to life, and there are a few pretty cool matte painting shots used to help create convincing other-dimensional worlds.
A lot of those guys will tell you to watch this film because of the good and original story !!
my sister and i had all four movies in the "House" series and decided to have a "House" marathon.we had just watched the first one,and had somehow made it to the end.but it wasn't easy.it was not a good film, at all.so, we suffered through the second one in.we managed to make it through 40 minutes of this dog, before we finally had to put it to sleep.this movie made the first one seem like Shakespeare in comparison.
This pseudo-sequel to "House" has no relation whatsoever to it, but the two films do share some common qualities: they are both low-rent, the "jungle" scenes here are as totally unconvincing as the Vietnam flashbacks there, and the comic moments work much better than the supposed "horror" ones..
House II: The Second Story (1987) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Jesse (Arye Gross) inherits his family's old house and soon he learns about a mysterious legend surrounding a crystal skull.
Pretty soon his long dead grandpa (Royal Dano) is alive and they must look for the skull as well as battle the creatures who also want it.In 1985 HOUSE was released to some rather good reviews and the film ended up doing quite well at the box office.
Unlike a lot of sequels that just try to copy the formula of the first film, this one here at least tried to actually deliver a "second story" and for the most part this was an entertaining picture.As was the case with the first movie, this one here does a nice job at mixing up the horror and comedy elements.
THe supporting cast includes Bill Maher, John Ratzenberger and Lar Park-Lincoln.HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY certainly shows its "B" movie roots but that's not a bad thing.
They dig up a grave to find the skull only to encounter the dead corpse of Gramps.The original House is one of those lesser known horrors that I actually bought into.
Due to the fact that most of the main characters didn't have any sense of charm, except for a amusingly impassive cameo role from John "Cheers" Ratzenberger (yep, that's one connection the two "House" films would share, as George Wendt appeared in the first) and Royal Dano really glows as Gramps.
Unlike the excellent 'House' this sequel doesn't rely on horror or even good comedy, it relies on adventure!
good sequel can not match the original but it is still a entertaining sequel although it gets a bit silly a times it is dopey fun royal dano is great  and it is just fun to watch well worth seeing *** out of 5.
If it tried to be a horror / comedy like "Evil Dead 2" it didnt' work!I can't believe how bad this movie is.
It is fairly good as a comedy, but not as a horror movie....
moves in his deceased parents` house and his friend stays with him.They see in a old book that there is an old aztec crystal skull in his Grandfather`s grave in the cemetary near by.They go and dig it up and we find out he isn`t dead yet.He says to them they can call him Gramps.He moves in the house and puts the skull on top of the fire place.Gramps warns Jesse and and his friend that they must protect it from the forces of evil.They get to know each other become and family and Gramps tells that he fought Tex long ago and that he has been in the before.Through out the film we see acient aztec warriors,dinosaurs,the old west and among other time periods.
This has 2 more sequels and a prequel but the first two is MY favorite ones.If you like a movie about haunted houses that have lot of time travelling then is for you!.
A caveman also attacks the party guests looking for a skull and a baby pterodactyl and a caterpillar-dog come along for the ride.To compound the film's weirdness, Bill (John Ratzenberger, who like George Wendt in House was a star on TV's Cheers) comes to inspect the wiring, but he's really an adventurer with a sword in his toolbox.
Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, Lar Park-Lincoln, Amy Yasbeck, Bill Maher and John Ratzenberger star in this 1987 horror comedy.
Like its predecessor, it's not really a straight horror movie, but more of a comic fantasy, as the hero deals with a crystal skull, Aztecs, a baby pterodactyl, and dead gunslingers.
Like the first film this remains inside the haunted house theme with two young males battling all manner of ghouls and monsters but heads down the horror comedy route.If you think along the lines of 'Army of Darkness' then you get an idea what I mean.
It was OK at best, but if you like the combination of comedy and horror (or are a die-hard fan of the 80s), give this film a try..
House II: The Second Story is a pretty good sequel to the horror comedy House, Ethan Wiley who wrote the screenplay for House writes and directs House II.
The film takes place in another haunted house with a new group of people, the owner Jesse's parents was murdered by a mysterious man that wanted the Aztec Crystal Skull now 25 years later and he buys his old family's with his girlfriend who's in the music business, soon his friend Charile and his girlfriend arrives with a demo tape so that Jesse's girlfriend will get them into the business.
So in the wild west dimension Jesse buries Gramps and places the Crystal Skull on top then rides off with Charile, the Virgin, the Caterpuppy and the little Preistoric bird.House II: The Second Story may not be really scary but it is humorous and very good.
"House II: The Second Story" is a pure cheese film.**SPOILERS**Years after his parents are brutally murdered, Jesse McLaughlin, (Arye Gross) and his wife Kate, (Lar Park-Lincoln) decide to move into the house.
There's no blood or gore & the only horror element is the rotten zombie Slim who looks quite good but isn't in the film that much, I also liked Slim's zombie horse as well.