When Arrow Video released the first The Hills Have Eyes film from Wes Craven I found it to be incredibly disturbing. The film had undergone a full restoration and looked fabulous. But what of the lesser regarded film the sequel from 1984? Well that’s just the film I’m reviewing today and has been brought to Blu-ray by Odeon Entertainment and unlike the first this one has not been restored. So without further ado here’s my The Hills Have Eyes II blu-ray review.
- The Hills Have Eyes II (1984)
- Genre: Horror
- Directed by Wes Craven
- UK Rating 18
- Discs: 1
- Released By Odeon Entertainment
- Blu-ray Released: 28 April 2014
Plot
Eight years after the events of the first film a group of friends find themselves stuck in the desert after deciding to take a shortcut. And just like the first film this group is also being watched from the hills, will they all live to tell their stories?
The sequel was also written by Wes Craven.
Style / Direction
The film is directed by Wes Craven with the cinematography handled by David Lewis. This time around the main characters have dirt bikes which Craven uses in various stunts. The film is more by the numbers rather than any great piece of filmmaking.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is composed by Harry Manfredini is actually not too bad.
Acting / Characters
The acting is average and none of the characters are particularly interesting which kind of holds back the story.
Cast
- Tamara Stafford as Cass
- Kevin Spirtas as Roy
- John Bloom as The Reaper
- Colleen Riley as Jane
- Michael Berryman as Pluto
- Penny Johnson as Sue
- Janus Blythe as Rachel/Ruby
- John Laughlin as Hulk
- Willard E. Pugh as Foster
- Peter Frechette as Harry
- Robert Houston as Bobby Carter
- Edith Fellows as Mrs. Wilson
- Susan Lanier as Brenda
Conclusion: The Hills Have Eyes II (1984) Film Review
If I’m being honest this is a pretty disappointing sequel to the truly disturbing first film. The sequel however follows a much more typical formula you see in most slasher films. The story is not the greatest and the acting average. I’m not sure the filmmaking is particular well done either.
In the end The Hills Have Eyes II is a mediocre at best horror film.
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Conclusion: The Hills Have Eyes II Blu-ray Review
Unfortunately the picture quality on this Blu-ray release is pretty poor. There are plenty of marks throughout the film and the overall image just doesn’t look particularly great. Let’s put it this way this film is in need of a 2K restoration.
On the extras front there is only a five minute overview of the film by film blogger James Oliver.
Extras
- Overview by Film Blogger James Oliver
Popcorn Cinema Rating:
The Hills Have Eyes II (1984)
MOVIE RATING: OK
BLU-RAY RATING: POOR
EXTRAS: BASIC
POPCORN CINEMA: NOT RECOMMENDED
POPCORN CINEMA: NOT RECOMMENDED
Purchase The Hills Have Eyes II (1984) On Blu-ray
The Hills Have Eyes II (1984) is available now on blu-ray.
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The Hills Have Eyes II (1984) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That just about concludes The Hills Have Eyes II blu-ray review, avoid this blu-ray version if you can. If you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: The Hills Have Eyes II (1984) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Hills Have Eyes II (1984)
Duration: 90 mins
Director(s): Wes Craven
Actor(s): Tamara Stafford, Kevin Spirtas, John Bloom, Colleen Riley, Michael Berryman
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A pretty disappointing sequel to the truly disturbing first film.
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