Ghoulies II (1988) Empire Pictures/Horror-Comedy RT: 90 minutes Rated PG-13 (violence, language, alcohol abuse) Director: Albert Band Screenplay: Dennis Paoli Music: Fuzzbee Morse Cinematography: Sergio Salvati Release date: October 5, 1988 (US) Cast: Damon Martin, Royal Dano, Phil Fondacaro, J. Downing, Kerry Remsen, Dale Wyatt, Jon Maynard Pennell, Sasha Jenson, Starr Andreeff, William Butler, Donnie Jeffcoat, Christopher Burton, Mickey Knox, Romano Puppo, Anne Morton. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
I actually like Ghoulies II better than the first one. This time, it’s clearer that it’s supposed to be fun. Director Albert Band (Dracula’s Dog) tones down the whole Satanism thing ever so slightly. Aside from the opening sequence in which red-robed cult members chase the guy who demon-napped the Ghoulies with the intention of destroying them in a vat of acid, there’s hardly any mention of this aspect of the tale until the end when the heroes try to send them back to whence they came by way of an impromptu, improvised ritual. The rest of Ghoulies II is an enjoyable horror-comedy that takes place in a time when foul-mouthed preteens went to seedy carnivals at night without adult supervision. Welcome back to the 80s when it wasn’t uncommon for 12YOs to carry around Chinese throwing stars. It was all those Sho Kosugi ninja movies from Cannon.
I saw Ghoulies II on my 21st birthday. I remember it distinctly. West Coast Video had a deal where you paid half-price if you returned your videos before 5pm the same day. It was a Thursday and I had no classes at community college that day. I decided to celebrate in my own way that day and rented three movies- Masquerade, Vice Versa and Ghoulies II. I wasn’t expecting much so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be so enjoyable. No, it’s not great cinema. It’s from Empire Pictures, the same outfit that gave us such timeless non-classics as Troll, Eliminators and TerrorVision. I like their movies, don’t get me wrong, but we all know they’re junk. That being said, let’s talk about Ghoulies II.
It takes place at a seedy traveling carnival about to undergo major changes thanks to yuppie owner Hardin’s (Downing, Robot Wars) announcement that certain attractions, like the funhouse Satan’s Den, will be closed down if they don’t start showing a profit. For him, it’s all about the bottom line, a mentality not shared by the carnies that work and live there. Satan’s Den is run by Ned (Dano, House II: The Second Story), an alcoholic former magician ostensibly teaching his teenage nephew Larry (Martin, Amityville: It’s About Time) the tricks of his old trade. They know their funhouse has been losing money for a long time and is in serious danger of closure. That is until the Ghoulies move in and start drawing crowds much to the confusion of Hardin who wanted to replace Satan’s Den with female mud-wrestling. At first, the “marks” (carny speak for attendees) think the little monsters are part of the show. That changes when they start killing people.
Apparently, there’s a R-rated version of Ghoulies II with a little more graphic violence. I wouldn’t mind checking that out someday. Meanwhile, the PG-13 version I just rewatched will do just nicely. Once again, the special effects are exceptional for the film’s low budget. John Carl Buechler who did the effects on the first Ghoulies movie returns for the second. The combination of animatronics, puppetry and stop-motion is WAY COOL! It even has a man in a rubber suit at the end when the heroes conjure up a bigger Ghoulie to handle the little ones wreaking havoc on the fairway. A girl gets run over by bumper cars. A guy gets bonked on the head by a Ghoulie-occupied boxing glove. A clown gets his arm bitten off. And, of course, one guy gets in the end on the toilet, a nice connection to the first movie.
The acting isn’t too bad. Dano is a great B-movie actor; he always brings a sense of dignity to these things. Kerry Remsen (Pumpkinhead), who plays Larry’s love interest, a koochie-dancer named Nicole, is nice to look at. That her character is a former high-wire performer who developed a fear of heights after the falling death of her partner/brother pretty much ensures she’ll have to climb to a high spot by movie’s end. Phil Fondacaro (Troll) plays Sir Nigel, a diminutive Shakespearean-trained actor reduced to wearing a silly monster suit to attract people to Satan’s Den. He’s really good in Ghoulies II; he too brings with him a measure of dignity.
Here’s my bottom line. I really like Ghoulies II. It’s a fun movie. It’s not the least bit scary; the Ghoulies may frighten some small kids but they shouldn’t be watching this anyway. It is funny though. Some of the characters are a riot like the two local teens who act like a-holes; one has a boom box (his “tunes”) that he refuses to shut off. Let’s just say that they both end up paying the piper with their lives (almost). Hardin is the kind of 80s yuppie that you just want to slap the living s*** out of. Luckily, he gets his in the end (you know what I mean, right?). I just think that Ghoulies II is a good flick, solid B-movie fun. It gives me faith in direct-to-video movies*. That, my friends, is a God-granted miracle.
*= According to IMDb, Ghoulies II had a theatrical release, the only Ghoulies sequel to get one. Damned if I remember it ever playing at the movies. I would have been all over it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a DTV flick.
