Wes Craven brings us an unlikely sequel to one of his most infamous films. The Hills Have Eyes Part II is a very low-budget survival horror film that is, like many, a victim of studio meddling. The film was written by Craven and had originally been planned to be much longer. However, production was halted after the budget ran out. The film stars Michael Berryman, Kevin Spirtas, John Bloom, Janus Blythe, Tamara Stafford, and a number of acting school graduates. It was filmed in 1983 but didn’t get a release until October 5th, 1984, at the Sitges Film Festival.
A group of young adults ventures into the desert for a motocross event, not far from the location of the first film. Unbeknownst to them, one of their own was once part of the cannibalistic family that inhabits the barren wasteland.
There is some really cool stuff in this movie, but it’s no wonder why Wes Craven wanted to remove his name from the finished product. It’s very disappointing. And kind of a surprise considering this film followed Deadly Blessing and Swamp Thing. Both movies, while not perfect, were far more impressive. But also considering that this is before Craven had blown up with A Nightmare on Elm Street, we can see why studios were hesitant to cough up big bucks. They just didn't have the confidence in old Abe Snake. With a bigger budget, this film might have had blockbuster potential. However, given Craven's admission that he was motivated by money, perhaps its fate was sealed regardless.
The lack of funds had terrible effects on the film, leaving a good portion of it unfinished as Craven went on to work on Nightmare on Elm Street. And, following the success of that feature, the studios granted permission for Craven to finish the rest of The Hills Have Eyes Part II but without any more money or any more filming. Meaning we have a ton of padded-out time using clips from the first film across multiple flashback sequences. And these are full, uncut scenes, not just highlights from the first picture. Infamously, the dog Beast even has a flashback sequence. It's absolutely absurd.
Aside from recycling footage from the first film, composer Harry Manfredini recycles music that was used in Friday the 13th pictures. Everything is just recycled, with a few new elements thrown in, that's about it. I don't know how else to try and sell what we've got going on here. It's not very scary. There aren't very many creative murders or kills. And the pace is extremely slow.
That all being said, this film is undeniably more ambitious than its predecessor, injecting some humor into the mix. Michael Berryman, a friend of RottenPop, gets significantly more screen time and dialogue – these movies are practically showcases for his talent. And not one of us is mad at that. One scene, a hilarious callback to the first film involving Beast the dog and Berryman's character Pluto, is particularly brilliant. The way it mirrors the original is spot-on, and I absolutely loved it. Aside from a few Motocross scenes, this is the best part of the movie.
However, I didn't find myself hating this movie nearly as much as most of the internet does. As stated above, Michael Berryman is awesome and we love his work. The rest of the cast is… alright, I guess. Tamara Stafford is fine. She plays a blind character, so she's working with that poorly. Robert Houston returns from the first movie to have a mental breakdown. And we also get Janus Blythe returning as Ruby. The maniac candlestick family has been whittled down to just about only Pluto Jupiter and newcomer The Reaper Jupiter? A new character who's apparently the older brother of the main antagonist in the first film.
If you've already seen the first movie, then watch this movie just so that you can complete the cycle. It's not necessary viewing, but myself and the rest of the RottenPop crew are a bit of completionists. We need to finish what we start. Even if it hurts. And this one hurts. If you're a Michael Berryman fan like we are, then this is going to be up your alley. If you like weird s***, then take a look at it and see what you think. RottenPop gives this one two stars.
