I had very little memory of this first sequel. Some of it looked familiar as I watched it for this series, but mostly I don't think I ever really saw it.
Click here for a list of all other films reviewed and considered for this October 2012 series of horror reviews.
These days film sequels are almost obligatory when it
comes to any big budget action, comedy, or horror film. Studios are always
looking to create a franchise cash cow that they can continue milking for
minimal investment and effort. But there was a time when sequels were mostly
limited to horror films. It was a pretty obvious fit. Films produced in the
horror genre were traditionally low budget films written quickly and on the
cheap, using casts of mostly unknown actors (though many of these such as Jamie
Lee Curtis, Kevin Bacon, Johnny Depp, and Jennifer Aniston have gone on to
become stars), shot and produced in an almost guerilla style in a matter of a
few weeks. The popular ones made significant returns on investment, so sequels
were usually inevitable. What’s more, they were (and continue to be) almost
universally excoriated by critics because they tend to be cheap retreads of
what came before. It’s insulting to people like me who spend a great deal of
time watching movies.
