Ghoulies II (1987)

   
Directed by: Albert Band

Written by: Dennis Paoli

Story by:
Charlie Dolan

Starring:

Damon Martin .... Larry
Royal Dano .... Uncle Ned
Phil Fondacaro .... Sir Nigel Penneyweight
J. Downing .... P. Hardin
Kerry Remsen .... Nicole
Dale Wyatt .... Dixie
Jon Pennell .... Bobby
Sasha Jenson .... Teddy
Starr Andreef .... Alice
Donnie Jeffcoat .... Eddie
Christopher Burton .... Leo

Release Date: Theatrical: September 18, 1987
 
Rating:

 

An independent teenager named Larry (Damon Martin) travels with his Uncle Ned (Royal Dano) to open up an act at a carnival with their House of Horrors funhouse named Satan's Den but they haven't succeeded in making their funhouse scary enough and losing business wherever they go.
They have bad run in's with bratty kids and juvenile delinquents that cause trouble for them.
However, some Ghoulies are resurrected and tag along in the Satan's Den funhouse making it their home. They end up killing people there and some of the customers finding it an act are impressed and entertained by them.
But however, they plan to wreck havoc at the carnival and nothing seems to stop them which makes things worst.

 

The film promises a nice beginning with a conversation by the Larry and Uncle Ned as nephew and uncle driving in a truck going to the area to set up their carnival. Plus we have a priest running in the area and trying to put some of the ghoulies in toxic waste as well as spotting a flying one attacking him as well as the others too making himself fall into it. These moments looked rather funny to watch.
There are hilarious camera shots on the ghoulies playing around with the weapons in the funhouse. It seems to add a cute type of horror touch throughout everything that we see here.
There's also a good moment with the wicked businessman P. Hardin preventing both Larry and Uncle Ned to start his funhouse on his property in which it leaves a good psychological feel to people you know are hard to please when offering them something and hoping that he will get his just desserts in the end.
We have a nice moment with a teenage girl running into the funhouse looking for her cat but one of the ghoulies is making a meowing sound as the camera shot on this creature looked spooky and then the terror begins in a good cheesy way when she is attacked and pinned down by these monsters.
Impressive situation with a couple of little kids acting bratty towards Larry about the funhouse and then being trouble when they go in and are bitter with all that is set there. This moment really shined off onto the story by being typical troublemaking brats in the funhouse being bored and not obeying the rules there. They show nice excitement when they spot one of the ghoulies realising how destructive it reacts to with weapons which is a good kick off to the story that will unravel.
The setting looked good at the front of the funhouse with Larry having trouble with a group of punks wanting to cause trouble there. Plus they looked believeably good partying out in the funhouse and listening to heavy metal music on their ghetto as this all looked good and wild for a low budget 80's horror flick. A good shot on one of the ghoulies knocking over their ghetto blaster and they think these critters are a bunch of rats which made me laugh.
We see a nice shot on both Teddy and Alice with goo being splattered on them which looks really gross.
Nice dark moment with one of the punks friend Merle wandering around and things are quiet as well as the ghoulies attacking them and torturing him to death on a stretcher as this doesn't look pleasant to watch. Plus later on we see them wrapping him up as a mummy and placing him in a tomb which was memorable in the story. Also a great chorus of kids chanting on the ghoulies as well as these critters giving each other a high five as this was a nice touch.
Good moment with the drunken Uncle Ned getting obnoxious towards these ghoulies and telling them he's a magician and they can't kill him as well as some nice scenrios that unravel with him and these creatures.
There's a bit of an emotional conversation between Larry and Sir Nigel Penney weight after a tragedy happened in the funhouse which had perfect timing as this was carefully done between both of them which was one of the best scene's used in the story.
There's a nice camera shot on Larry when the ghoulies jump on him and attack him.
Also perfect shots on both punks Bobby and Teddy trapped with the deadly devices approaching near them as well as ignorant kids watching and getting a kick out of it when they try to cry out to them to let them loose. This makes you watch carefully to see if they will be rescued or not.
We see many great disputes between both Larry and P. Hardin plus there's a great shot on him suckerpunching Hardin.
The story and performances gets really stupid when the ghoulies terrorise at the carnival and then a giant one is summoned to eat them up and then cause trouble too as the film starts to lose his touch with it making it look more goofy than scary. But there's the odd funny and suspenseful moments when these ghoulies start to take control of the rides as these moments seemed to borrow heavily from Gremlins. Plus when the giant ghoulie rises from the ground it's neat that we see it's hand rising which gives it a nice cheesy horror feel to it all.
Bottom line is that it's a fun sequel taken in a different direction that works almost on it's own. It is a fun party cheesy teen horror flick that almost delivered with all the surroundings happening in it but like the first one it turns out to be very silly and boring a quarter way through. Oh well it was well done for what it was.

The acting is fairly good for it's cheesy budget since we have a well experienced cast involved with this one. Damon Martin (Larry) seems to pull off well as an independent teenager who owns the carnival with his uncle and shows perfect emotions throughout the film with what is going on. He had a sort of boy next door look and appeal to what he did here. Also he shows good energy and blocking for when the terror starts.
Although Royal Dano (Uncle Ned) tried to portray a good drunken uncle owner of the carnival he didn't do anything for me. He had the right looks to play this part but was a bit over the top with whatever he did here. Seemed to do okay when getting drunkenly aggressive to the ghoulies that he can't get killed. He wasn't a terrible character actor by any means but needed a bit of coaching.
Dwarf celebrity Phil Fondacaro (Sir Nigel Penneyweight) was another carnival member who seemed to add some nice spunk into whatever he did here. Was a total ball of energy within whatever he did. Yet he wasn't funny when he tried to be. However during a sad moment in the film shows some good concerned and fruserated reactions to stuff. Stood out quite well into the story here.
J. Downing
(P. Hardin) lived to play a greedy businessman trying to take everything over and was probably the nest one out of this film. He was great being wicked and coldhearted. Just studied this part so well you'd hope that the ghoulies will get him in the end. A great shockled reaction on him after being suckerpunched. He performs terrifically well at nearly losing his sanity talking to himself in the men's room in a mirror.
Kerry Remsen
(Nicole) also performed stunningly well with both her looks and her acting too. Shows a nice caring type of emotions as well as coming across as convincingly genuine. ALso really got into her characteristics when trying to survive the monstrous invasion at the carnival.
Jon Pennell
(Bobby) plays a perfect head punk at the carnival with his gang of delinquent friends and can come across as a threat. He reacts to things powerfully well as well as showing good nasty expressions into all that he did here. Was fast acting on stuff too. Had the most effective supporting role. Plus was great at crying out of fear when he is close to being tortured to death.
Sasha Jenson
(Teddy) also does a great job as another troublemaking teen since I always enjoyed his work in movies. Was good by acting horny and making out with his onscreen girlfriend. Plus was good screaming out when almost being tortured to death. Just rolls with the punches a great deal.
Donnie Jeffcoat (Eddie) was another effective supporting character in which he does well as a snot nosed brat looking for trouble. Does good with his actions and just being ignorant and closed minded. Plus reacts greatly happy and excited when the ghoulies do stuff. He showed some nice hype here.
Although William Butler (Merle) only had about 8 minutes in the film, he does well as a wimpy punk of the gang and is good at being goofy too.
Was perfect by being lost in the hallways at the house and also shows terrific frightened expressions when the ghoulies attack and torture him to death.

A clowns arm is bitten off in a dunking tank

We hear some great sharp synthesizer music by Fuzzbee Morse as it sounds great for a b-movie like this and not at all sounding poor. Some woodwinds too as well as sharp sounds and string noise. Also the odd chiming synthesizer too especially for the sad moments used in the flick. Alot of the music in the film packed a bunch for an 80's b-horror flick and works in for the story. Alot oif good action packed music for the terrorising moments seemed to fit in as well along with odd cheesy comedic music for the giant monster scene too which fits on what we spot here.

We also have a balls to the wall songtrack with hair metal band WASP and their song "Scream Until You Like It" which was a perfect touch for the film as it was played when the cast who were playing punks in the film were partying in the funhouse causing trouble which had a perfect taste to where they were and it was played during the closing credits as well as it really fit into this wonderfully for a low budget horror flick. It makes you watch the closing credits with the wild vocalising and crazy fast guitar playing too