The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985)

   
Written & Directed by: Wes Craven

Starring:

Tamara Stafford .... Cass
Kevin Blair .... Roy
John Bloom .... The Reaper
Colleen Riley .... Jane
Michael Berryman .... Pluto
Penny Johnson .... Sue
Janus Blythe .... Rachel / Ruby
John Laughlin .... Hulk
Willard E. Pugh .... Foster
Peter Frechette .... Harry

Release Date: Theatrical: August, 1985

*Pics coming soon

Rating:

 

A group of dirt bike racers embark on a journey on a bus in the desert on the same roadway where the incident happened to a family being pitted against a family of murderous cannibals 8 years before as Ruby (Janus Blythe) helped save some of the survivors and is now part of coaching the dirt bike team and changed her name to Rachel to try and forget about her former life.
However, because of a mistake they are late for their race and decide to take a shortcut through the desert and their bus breaks down right where the canniballistic family used to live as they were supposedly all dead.
Some repair the bus and others wander off to mini ghost town that were placed there as well as spotting a welcome sign made out of animal bones which all seems strange.
Ruby is suddenly attacked by her brother Pluto (Michael Berryman) as him and his hulking brother The Reaper (John Bloom) were the two survivors left as well as setting deadly traps for the rest and are being killed off.
Ruby tries to gather up the survivors and to find a way to look for one of the dirt bike racers named Roy (Kevin Blair) who has been missing since chasing after one of the demented family members as well as trying to kill off her two brothers.
Roy's blind girlfriend Cass (Tamara Stafford) also tries to feel her way through passageways to find him as well as escape from the Reaper before she becomes his next victim.

 

Wes Craven was slightly cheesy with his work on this sequel for this time around but does make it fun to watch.
There are cheesy but good close up shots on Bobby and a psychiatrist discussing about what happened 8 years before with good flashbacks.
A nice shot on Bobby crying with Rachel comforting him.
Some good humor with Harry
driving the bus joking about what they'll run into while taking a shortcut which shows some good shots on the other people in the bus by discussing on what happened etc.
There is a good close up shot on Rachel falling asleep in the bus mumbling.
We have a cheesy but nice attack scene by Pluto against Rachel in one of the shacks.
There's great shots on Roy and Harry by bringing out their dirtbikes and chasing after Pluto acting raunchy shouting out words. Pluto himself looked quite campy running away on a dirtbike.
A good moment with Roy kicking the crap out of Pluto and holding a knife up to his neck as well as good shots on him pushing him around by the rocky cliffways.
A nice shot on Pluto being tied and dragged with a dirtbike that is driven by his canniballistic brother the Reaper which also looked campy but good.
A perfect shot with Roy speeding on his bike and then caught in a net as well as a good shot onthe Reaper's boots walking up to him.
There's nice discussion between Cass and Jane by joking around and enjoying each others company in another shack at the desert.
We have a perfect conversation between Rachel and Hulk walking and talking about their former lives and crazy past.
There's a situation with someone hearing someone calling from the bushes outside at night yet the scene isn't as creepy like in the original when the cannibals calling out.
A perfect moment with Rachel pinning Foster down and trying to keep him quiet asking him what is going on.
There's a good camera shot on a small axe next to the bus with Foster looking down to see it and then a hand grabs him and pulls him underneath which looked scary and good.
A good shot on Cass feeling around a passage way leading to a ladder with a red light glowing on her.
We have a frightening moment with Jane looking around a room and trying to see if someone is playing games with her which looks scary as it sends a chill down your spine that someone's going to leap out
A good camera running shot towards Sue with her turning around and screaming as well as a good shot on the Reaper crashing through a window along with his blade next to her throat with her screaming which was a perfect camera shot.
nice shot on Pluto looking menacing with his words as well as a good shot on Rachel pinned to the ground with a blade pointed at her.
A great camera looking up on Pluto jumping over a cliff.
A nice shot on Rachel looking around cautiously near a bush with the voice of the Reaper calling to her.
Great shot on a roof window crashing through with the Reaper trying to attack and her screaming.
There's a nice moment with Roy calling towards the Reaper and mocking him with this maniac standing there and taking out his blade.
Perfect shots on the Reaper trapped in a ring of fire near the bus.
Bottom line is that alot of people don't remember this sequel as it bombed at the box office not meeting up to the original cult classic. Well it certainly isn't frightening enough like the first one although they tried to make it out to be as it's been done before. The hills don't look as tall or creepy looking either.
There is a great beginning to this film with some narration credits rolling up on the screen like they did for Texas Chainsaw Massacre as this Wes Craven's intention to do so a year after his success with A Nightmare On Elm Street. It also blends a bit of Friday the 13th as well. Although some hated this sequel I quite admired it although it was cheesy but in a good way. If you like low budget 80's slasher flicks I'm sure you'd get a kick out of this one.

The acting is well a bit cheesy but we have some nice performances too nonetheless. Tamara Stafford (Cass) seemed to do well with her job as a blind one but yet at times she doesn't come across as being blind with her actions in the film. Good blocking on her by feeling around a room as she almost makes her part believeable by being blind. She does well feeling around near an attic of the shack with fearful expressions.
Kevin Blair
(Roy) seems to bring his character across nicely with his tough attitude as a dirt bike racer as I liked his work in it.
John Bloom
(The Reaper) came across perfectly with his large size and was great as an intimidating cannibal in the hills.
A good menacing laughter by him when he attacks someone by surprise.
Michael Berryman
(Pluto) still delivered but not as well as the first film but still had a good menacing attitude.
Janus Blythe
(Rachel / Ruby) does great reprising her role by being with the good people instead of the canniballistic hill family. She proved to be versatile by having good sane actions in this one.
She seems to do well with her kicking and punching when attacked. Seemed to do so so at choking out her words trying not to sob explaining to everyone who attacked her and who she once was. She also did a good job with her vicious words warning her onscreen borther about the dog that once attacked him.
Willard E. Pugh
(Foster) was another cast member who stood out and having an outgoing attitude as well as being a wiseass.
We have a nice reaction with him in a scene by setting up a boobytrap in a shack and acting full of life. Good expressions on him after he hears someone calling from the bushes
Peter Frenchette
(Harry) was perfect in his role clowning around and performing with such dynamic energy to his part.
A great reaction on him by sarcastically freaking out when the bus breaks down. He also does well calling out as well as his blocking by trying to duck under a rope leading to a boobytrap in the rocky areas and then acting mocking like that they didn't get him

Penny Johnson exposes her breasts in a bus at night

A guy is stabbed by a spear
An axe in the head
A girl's throat is slit
There are some body parts on a table

Harry Manfredini used alot of the same music that he composed in the Friday the 13th films with the creepy suspenseful violin music along with some odd new sounds to the film to top it off.