Reviewer: Rhett Review Date: October 3, 2007 Released by: Lionsgate Release date: 09/25/2007 MSRP: $14.98 Region 1, NTSC Full Frame 1.33:1

Part of the wonder of growing up in the height of the VHS boom was heading to the video store and seeing horror sequels to movies you never even knew existed. Video Violence 2, Saturday the 14th Strikes Back, or Central Park Drifter 2 are but three examples of sequels only the home rental era could have brought. Night of the Demons 2 is another example, with the enjoyable original only seen in a few selected cities before a long shelf life on video. Despite Anchor Bay’s solid release of the original a few years ago on DVD, the two sequels have remained surprisingly inaccessible. Finally though, Lionsgate offers the better half of the sequels available on DVD for the first time. Is this another party you won’t forget?


The Story

Have you ever tried to play dead when Bible thumpers come and knock on your door? Angela (Amelia Kinkade) doesn’t really have to when a couple from the religious right enter her mansion on Hull Street. She died in the previous film, becoming possessed by the demons that live within the house her and her friends crashed to party. Ahe’s by herself now, but the killing doesn’t stop. She hacks her way through the two Christians and waits for the next prey to encroach on her property.



Angela doesn’t have to wait too long though, as a group of Catholic school girls plan to sneak out and have high times in the abandoned mansion. Under the influence of promiscuous bad girl Shirley (Zoe Trilling), her roommates Bibi (Christi Harris) and Terri (Mrs. Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor) decide to break probation and ditch the Halloween dance for some spooky fun. They drag along their fourth reluctant roommate, Mouse (Merle Kennedy) along too, but she doesn’t want to take part at all. For good reason, too, since her sister is the haunted Angela, whose disappearance caused both her parents to commit suicide. Talk about dysfunctional!

The group all end up at Hull house, but they definitely aren’t alone. Bibi finds that same infamous lipstick Linnea Quigley stuffed into her areola in the first film, and from there the batch of women and annoying male slobs all get theirs one by one. Through the lipstick they even take the curse outside the house and into St. Rita’s Catholic school. And instead of going into a woman’s breast, it aims disturbingly lower. Will Mouse be able to confront the sister that haunts her dreams, and more importantly, will all those annoying kids just die already?



Night of the Demons 2 is a fair follow-up to the original sleeper, with some solid effects work, an enjoyable killer and a young Christine Taylor to keep things interesting along the way. The story never takes itself too seriously either, making jokes at the expense of the vapid characters. You know the tongue has to be firmly in cheek (or at least somewhere where it’s not supposed to be) when a possessed Shirley rips off her top, grabs her breasts and makes orgasmic moans at a school dance where the nuns profess to slow dancers: “Leave enough room for the Lord”. A kung-fu training montage with a nun and her striking ruler certainly helps separate the film from the rest of the rather clichéd happenings, too.

The characters are vapid, some so annoying words cannot do them justice (Darin Heames’ punk-boy monstrosity, Z-Boy). The story certainly doesn’t tread any new ground either, this being the umpteenth time drug taking, sex-crazed teenagers venture into a place where they shouldn’t be. Still, it builds a little on the already meager story from the first, and some of the effects stunt pieces, like Snake-girl Angela and a sexually veined lipstick are well worth a look. Now let's get a new version of Night of the Demons 3.



Image Quality


Not too bad. Lionsgate keeps the film in its original direct to video 1.33:1 aspect ratio, and even if it still looks a little soft, it’s a definite step up from VHS. Blacks look pretty deep, but the reds tend to look a little crushed like is usual with older NTSC video sources. There aren’t too many blemishes and detail is more than acceptable. It could look sharper still though, but since this is a budget release it’s pretty clear that Lionsgate didn’t go whole hog with this transfer. And for what it is, that’s fine.



Sound

Night of the Demons 2 certainly doesn’t rock out in stereo, but it’s acceptable. There was a scene where the partygoers bring in a boom box and I was hoping that at the very least a scene that draws attention to an audio playback device would at the very least exhibit some sort of mixing flourish, but no. There isn’t really any directionality at all between the left and right, and the overall track sounds a step up from flat. Everything is clean and audible though, so there’s no party crashing here.

Supplemental Material

Angela must have forgotten to give them the invite.

Final Thoughts

Like another Canuxplotation flick, Prom Night IV, this is a sacrilegious little monster. Less mean and more fun though, Night of the Demons 2 entertains with tongue in cheek humor and lipstick in vagina effects. We knew lipstick was phallic, but the folks take it to a whole new level. The image is full frame and the sound stereo, but it’s still a step up from VHS. There aren’t any extras, but at $12.99 the price is right for fans of the series. Those new to the series should let the fun first flick guide you. Hide your lipstick and let Angela show you a good time!

Rating

Movie - B-
Image Quality - C+
Sound - B-
Supplements - N/A


Technical Info.

• Color
• Running time - 1 hour 36 minutes
• Rated R
• 1 Disc
• Chapter Stops
• English Dolby Stereo
• English subtitles
• English closed captions
• Spanish subtitles

Supplements

• N/A

Other Pictures

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