The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter

Plot synopsis:
The film opens outside the Winthrop house from the first film, only this time it is swarming with police officers and medical technicians. Howard is being wheeled into an ambulance because he has three deep gashes in his chest, Tanya is put into a police car, and Randolph is carrying Joshua Winthrop's book of spells, which he gives to Howard for safe keeping. Randolph confronts the Dean of the university about the house, who tells him not to dabble in things that he could never understand. Then Randolph goes to Professor Warren, who agrees to help.
Howard is dragged along and the three go to the spot where Randolph erupted from the ground in the first film. Howard is to stay near the car to keep guard. Eventually, Warren and Carter find Alyda, Joshua Winthrop's demon daughter (Joshua Winthrop appears to Howard in a dream at some point to confess that he caused his daughter's evilness) wrapped up in the roots of the tree that dragged Alyda out from the house in the first film. Warren injects the monstrous being with insulin to rid her body of the demon. This plan works, and she transforms into a beautiful woman, naked and wrapped in the tree roots. She is given sugar to bring her out of the insulin overdose, and the pair free her from her bonds. The demon is still in the caves, though, and it begins to hunt Alyda down so that they can be one again. After a showdown in the Arkham Library, Randolph manages to defeat the demon, but Alyda dies simultaneously.

Tags: violence

Review:
This might be the only Lovecraft movie sequel to actually adapt a Lovecraft story ("The Statement of Randolph Carter," which actually preceded "The Unnamable") and is a superior sequel.
Completely underutilized David Warner slipped in for one day to shoot a scene as the college chancellor and Rhys-Davies might have been there for a couple of days.
The film offers lots of gore and, again, the creature design is pretty damn spiffy.
This movie was pretty good (Maria Ford being nude for over half an hour certainly helped!).
The presence of veteran actors David Warner and John Rhys-Sallah-Gimli-Davies only heightens the cheese factor to Limburger-sized heights.
I accidentally rented Unnamable II tonight, thinking I was renting the original for the first time in a few years.
(The original was one of my favorite Gothic horror films.) I was disappointed that I had grabbed the wrong movie, but still enjoyed seeing this one.With the possible exception of The Godfather II, sequels never match the originals & this one is no exception.
The idea of the split demon-normal girl is intriguing and the lovely Maria Ford is convincing as the 300-year-old coed.
Folks, as one who is around professors every day (and who hopes to BE a college history professor in a couple of years,) I can attest that the average English or history professor barely understands how to connect to the Internet or operate PowerPoint, let alone set up a mini-science lab in a dark cave in five minutes!This one is okay, but I need to see the original again.
Stephenson is an almost perfect Lovecraft hero, and Davies and Warner were perfect casting for this movie.
Lovecraft adaptations are always difficult because the monsters are supposed to be from an entirely different Geometry and they drive people insane because they cant cope with the violation of Known laws of nature.
Older movies like the "dunwich Horror" tried making their monsters shining lights and stuff and failed.
The competently low-budget sequel (which was made 5 years after the original) sees the story continue where the first film finished off, and director Jean-Paul Ouellette delivers a far better effort on this Lovecraft outing than on the previous one.
However while being rather expansive, slicker and better paced, it was kind of laid-back on the violence (which the first film wasn't afraid to bare) and jolting thrills (which aren't as imposing).
The slick tone seemed to be aiming for pulpy fun in a fast-moving chase format than the simmering atmospheric jolts in a confined setting, and for most part it works.Returning characters Randolph Carter (exaggeratedly acted by Mark Kinsey Stephenson) and Eliot Damon Howard (a solid Charles Klausmeyer) make for a fruitful chemistry, as they must do battle again with the demon with no name.
Along for the ride is John Rhys-Davies and Maria Ford who spends plenty of screen time in the nude under her flowing long hair is very convincing in her part.
Julie Strain is the lucky one who gets suited up in the creatively effective make-up FX of the titular demon and David Warner also gets in the act, but with very little in the way to do.This time around the story (with a consistently witty script) holds a little more substance and character to its framework (where modern science and ancient folklore come to terms) and explores the possibilities, than reverting to a simple stalk n' slash exercise.
I just had to purchase it on DVD when I had the chance.I loved the story and found it to be thrilling and good.
It drew from the Lovecraft universe in a good way, and I was nailed to my chair throughout the entire movie (and it still does whenever I put it into the DVD player).I have watched this movie maybe 5 or 6 times over the years, and never gotten tired of it.
Of course, a certain amount of time have to pass before you put this one in the DVD player again.When I watched this for the first time, I was fairly unfamiliar with John Rhys-Davies, but found his acting here to be believable and good.
And this movie also introduced me to Maria Ford, which I must say is a plus for this movie.The atmosphere of the movie is dark and brooding, which works well throughout the entire feature.
Even though Jeffrey Combs is not in this Lovecraft-based movie, it is still providing good entertainment.
It has a good, solid story, no real boring moments throughout the length of the movie, and I think it is a must have in any horror fan's DVD collection..
An absolutely stupid choice of lead actor combined with a really bad script makes the whole thing kind of "Killer Tomatoes" cool.This kind of thing happens in the story: They go into some underground tunnels beneath a graveyard with no plan, no guns, no secret charm, just Don Knotts and Mr. French going to see if the monster that killed 4 people last night is still there.
Check out the sound it makes when the deputies are shooting the lock at the end.I didn't see the first movie, but I don't think I needed it to review this..
This sequel to "The Unnamable" (1988) is actually a bit more interesting, as it's much more a mixture of things than the original was (it combines two Lovecraft stories this time, 'The Unnamable' & 'The Statement of Randolph Carter').
John Rhys-Davies is amusing as always, but lasts only half the movie.
The story picks up right after the events of the first film and meanders in slightly different directions this time.
Just like the first film, which was much more a slasher-orientated effort, this sequel's hardly a masterpiece.
The beautiful Maria Ford steals most of the show here, as she's walking around completely nude during half of the movie's running time.
Furthermore, "The Unnamable II" stays true to the spirit of Lovecraft with a lot of amusing inside references to his works.
This sequel picks up directly where part one left off and finds the two main characters from the original film seperating the human half from the demon half of part one's monster.
OK i remember watching this movie when i saw this on video back when i was like 17 and i thought it was a good movie and they tried to take off where the last film ends but the only thing that they messed up on was that they said the creature was born from Joshua Winthrop daughter but that is false he was born from Joshua Winthrop wife in the first film, that really was the only error i found in the movie.
The movie was a good overall sequel, i wish they could of had a little more blood and guts, let you know what happened to Tanya from the first film.
But here I am in 2014 watching a 90s movie that looks more like an 80s movie.Something happened in a house.
Howard is also with them but he stays outside.Inside the cave they find a creature, that's a pairing of a woman--the daughter of the former house owner--and a demon.
And sure enough the demon appears and Carter, the girl, some friends, the cops all have to face the demon.This movie can be credited with one achievement, a very questionable one though: it stars Maria Ford and Julie Strain in 1992 and yet shows no nudity.
Ford is not wearing clothes for a good part of the movie, but a huge wig covers up her body.
See, that's exactly what happens when you're being mild and give favorable reviews to insignificant 80's horror movies like the original "The Unnamable".
And this time, writer/director Jean-Paul Ouellette even had a slightly larger budget at his disposal, meaning the script is a lot more ambitious and there even was some money left to pay famous B-movie stars like John Rhys-Davies and the minuscule cameo appearance of David Warner.
Even though part two came out five years after the original, we're supposed to not notice that the actors look a lot older and wear their hair in completely different styles.
"The Unnamable Returns" carries on where the first film stopped, with Howard and Randolph escaping from the cursed Winthrop house.
Randolph Carter, the self-proclaimed expert in demonology, returns to the catacombs underneath the house to investigate the origin of the half-woman-half-demonic-creature along with his university professor John Rhys-Davies.
Apparently it works, as the demon assumes something's wrong with the body and exits, leaving only the beautiful host Alyda.
Randolph takes the 200-year-old naked beauty back to the dormitory, but the hideous winged demon creature follows their path.
The original "The Unnamable" was perhaps a dumb and unmemorable film, at least it was entertaining.
The gore is minimal but it nevertheless is an unpleasant movie to look at because far too many innocent people die.
That's just not right, not even if you exclusively watch horror films to see gore..
The Unnameable 2 is loosely based on Lovecraft's "Unnameable" and the "Statement of Randolph Carter".
The film strays from the two stories quite a bit, but it has tons of Cthulhu Mythos elements.
Mark Kinsey-Stevenson and John Rhys-Davies really propel this film.
The film is fast paced unlike other horror movies that can put you out (such as the first Unnameable that had a slow middle).
If you enjoy Lovecraft, gore, and good acting, this movie is right up your alley..
How do you make a sequel to a Lovecraft short story that ends without any follow-on?
Possible spoilers follow: You take an entirely different Lovecraft short story and make it part of the second film.
"Statement of Randolph Carter," an entirely unrelated short story, was made an element in this film.
The character of Professor Warren was originally a friend of Carter's who explored the underground tunnels using a telephone set using wires.
The basic outcome was the same, though.The film is full of Lovecraftania and has good touches of humor in it.
Randolph Carter(Mark Kinsey Stephenson)decides to pursue the she-beast which attacked and killed some of his college chums.
Seeking guidance from an authoritative figure he can trust and respect, Carter goes to Professor Warren(John Rhys-Davies, a delightful presence)whose field of expertise in in ancient history, among other things.
Having found the Necronomicon in Winthrope's home, Carter and Warren discover that the she-beast is actually Winthrope's beautiful daughter, Alyda(Maria Ford)"invaded" by the demonic spirit of an evil winged creature.
Warren concocts a successful plan to release Alyda of the evil creature by using insulin tricking the monster into believing that the human host was dying.
The spirit fleeing Alyda, she is awakened to a brand new world..but, the demonic winged creature, with sharp fingernails that rip human flesh easily, wishes to retrieve it's host and will kill anyone who stands in her way.
After Warren discovers too late that the creature has remained in the tunnel, Carter and Eliot will attempt to find Alyda help(..she was kept in an attic during her young life and only knows the "Cthulu" language taught to her by pops)while staying one step ahead of danger.
Unfortunately, students of Miskatonic University and Arkham County's finest will not be so lucky as the demonic winged creature goes on a killing spree ripping the throats of everyone it comes in contact with.
Inspired by the works of Lovecraft, like a lot of horror films coming out in the late 80's and early 90's, "The Unnamable II" is more of a monster movie.
The demonic creature's rampage is not as gory as I would've liked with a great many of the murders occurring off-screen.
But, substituting those potential thrills is Maria Ford practically naked under long hair(..which amazingly keeps her breasts hidden)for nearly the entire film, only wearing a gown when a female student pal of Carter's influences her into putting it on by disrobing.
The love that strengthens between Carter and Alyda is rather sweet and Ford is adorable and convincing as a newborn pup introduced to a new world she's never known.
Stephenson as the nerdy intellectual with craziness and chaos all around him, wisely plays his character completely straight, displaying a calm and reserve needed by the leader in charge of keeping Alyda from danger.
David Warner is rather wasted in a cameo as Miskatonic University's Chancellor who warns Carter to not pursue the creature.
Spirited direction from Jean-Paul Ouellette(..this is definitely an improvement over the first film which is more of a slasher flick), a nifty creature with cool wings, and a likable cast really enhance what could've just been yet another Lovecraft "adaptation" that missed the mark.
The use of a wooden chair in battling the demonic creature when attempting to invade Alyda's body is kind of neat.
Picking up only moments after then end of part 1, this sequel continues the story of the surviving students of Miskatonic University and the demon that killed off their school mates.
Good story, acting, and effects.
Studious bookworm Randolph Carter (a sturdy and credible performance by Mark Kinsey Stephenson) investigates a series of strange murders at Miskatonic University.
He discovers that said murders were committed by a savage and hideous half-woman, half-demon monster (Penthouse Pet Julie Strain in a gnarly outfit).
The beast seeks to be rejoined with its human half Alyda Winthrop (a sweet and touching portrayal by the ravishing Maria Ford) so it can be complete again.
The capable acting by the tip-top cast keeps this movie humming: John Rhys-Davies brings a winning blend of energy and conviction to his role as the hearty Professor Warren, Charles Klausmeyer lends amusing support as the wishy-washy Eliot Damon Howard, and Ford projects both a certain endearing fragile naivete and a sizzling feline sensuality as a wide-eyed innocent damsel in distress (the fact that the delectable Mrs. Ford spends a substantial amount of her screen time cavorting about in her birthday suit certainly doesn't hurt matters in the least).
Expanded sequel, but too flawed to be effective as a horror film.
Whereas THE UNNAMABLE was a typical "let's all go to the haunted house and get killed by the monster one-by-one" entry in the teenage slasher genre, this sequel tries to be more as it expounds on the original story and also adds in plenty of false science and mumbo-jumbo to make things sound good.
Who would have realised that by injecting an evil demon with insulin, it would cause the girl's soul to separate from the monster?
The pacing isn't all that good either, with sections towards the end where nothing much happens for half an hour or so.
Some people get slashed apart and ripped but it's never very gruesome.Instead, we have a beautiful girl (played by B-movie regular Maria Ford) wandering around naked for much of the film (perverts beware, this is no LIFEFORCE - the girl has long, long hair in this case), plus lots of light comedy stuff to make things supposedly enjoyable.
The problem is that the film falls apart after the initial setup (which is in itself good), jumping from one silly scene to another until the head-scratching climax which makes you think they couldn't think of any other way to end the film.Okay, so the budget is higher and the special effects are notably better, including lots of crackling energy and an improved rubber suit, but the creepy magic of the first film is missing.
Maria Ford is pretty good as the innocent girl caught up in a world she doesn't recognise or understand, while good old David Warner cameos as the school's chancellor in one scene.
Kudos goes to John Rhys-Davies, who puts in a good performance as the nice professor who unfortunately gets killed early on, which is a shame as I'd have liked to have seen more of his character.If you liked the first film, then you will probably enjoy this one, but there just isn't enough incident to propel it along.
Instead it moves on like some second-rate slasher, killing off minor characters every once in a while to make things more interesting.
Okay to watch, but not that good really when you think about it..
The only real problem I had with this movie was that the most obvious things were never done.
~Spoiler~ I don't remember much about the original Unnamable, but I certainly don't remember it being this bad.
Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter has some great actors (John Rhys-Davies, Peter Breck, and David Warner), some B-movie scream queens (Maria Ford and Julie Strain), and Mark Kinsey Stephenson who is neither, but unfortunately he is the star.
Somehow John Rhys-Davies and Mark Kinsey Stephenson separate the real Alyda from the demon.
The real Alyda is played by Maria Ford (who spends most of the movie naked) while the demon is played by Julie Strain (who we never see out of the ugly make-up).
Maimings and killings result as the demon chases Alyda all over Miskatonic campus.
This film was much more original than the first movie, which was just a typical "teens get killed in an old house" movie.
I enjoyed this a lot more than the original, but unfortunately, this film had a few problems.
The idea is that the creature has been trapped by tree roots to the wall of an underground "cave" or something and Randolph, now being helped by the dude who played the Professor in "Sliders," apparently tried to figure out what the most stupid approach to the problem would be.
It wasn't until after the spell was cast that one of the characters said aloud, "Is this a very good idea?" I laughed at that one.
The main problem I had was: the creature is now seperated, one half is a beautiful girl and the other half is a monster, which is now MANY TIMES MORE POWERFUL than when it was in the body of the girl.
Yet, the creature was chasing them around the whole time trying to get back into the girl.