Watch 976-EVIL II For Free

Sadly Over-hyped

Just perfect...

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A seemingly harmless telephone service endows an evil teacher with powers from beyond the grave.Remember once upon a time when Jim Wynorski made good movies? You know, like "Chopping Mall". This might actually count as being from that era, or at least the tail end of it. (Wynorski himself claims this film is better than the original. I will let viewers be the judge of that.)Certainly, this film is miles ahead of his current stuff. The budget looks ten times larger, the effects are better... heck, I am still having trouble believing that Wynorski made this. Where the heck did he go wrong? (My assumption is that he went wrong when he found more money could be made when productions get cheaper -- and he just decided to stop caring about making the cheap look good.)

The fiendish mastermind behind the 976-Evil number is at it again, and this time he's got a demented college dean, Mr. Grubeck (Rene Assa) doing his bidding. Grubeck is arrested after a witness is able to pinpoint him as a killer, but no jail is going to keep Grubeck from doing his homicidal duties. You see, he's now given the power of astral projection. So his spirit can be out and about murdering people while his body catches some z's in his prison cell. But opposing him is Spike (Pat O'Bryan), who fans of the first film know has been through all this before. Spike hooks up with Robin (Debbie James), a stunning college student, and together they set out to stop Grubeck. Overall, a decent sequel to a decent first film, "976-Evil II" is rough going for a while, but greatly improves once it comes up with its major set piece which ingeniously melds "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Night of the Living Dead". Too bad the rest of the movie isn't that clever. Still, it does deliver one pretty good runaway car sequence, and the climactic action boasts one Hell of an impressive explosion. The makeup effects are fairly effective, although other visual effects are so bad as to be laughable - in a good way, for this viewer. Director Jim Wynorski serves up a generous serving of both cheese and crud in a movie that is reasonably amusing for what it is. O'Bryan manages to keep a straight face while working overtime to project a sense of "cool". Bubbly blonde James, a former Miss Teen USA and Miss Colorado and Miss USA finalist, is appealing and acts her little heart out as the gal who segues from potential victim to heroine. Wynorski works with some of his regulars, such as Paul Coufos, super sexy Monique Gabrielle, and the very funny Ace Mask, and other familiar faces include Rod McCary, Karen Mayo-Chandler, Mindy Seeger, ever hilarious George "Buck" Flower in a somewhat more substantial part than usual, and Brigitte Nielsen in a special guest appearance as the seductive proprietress of a bookstore specializing in the occult. Chuck Cirino's music score is great and there are even some songs credited to the actor Vincent D'Onofrio! A heads up for people who like in jokes: pay attention and you'll see the names Joe Bob Briggs and Roger Corman (Roger "Gorman", actually), who was Wynorski's boss for many years, on a poster. This could be best described as the kind of movie that does have its moments. One has to give Wynorski credit, as he sticks some eye candy with Mayo- Chandler right near the beginning of the movie. The ending is one of those deals where people will either appreciate it or be annoyed by it. At least it's not a predictable one. Six out of 10.

I remember watching this one some time back and I can't say as it really struck me, but since it appeared on one side of a double header along with Home Sweet Home, I was happy to see it again. I've never seen the original and it'll likely be some time before I do since it was cut in the UK (sadly where I live) and even in the US the DVD release is apparently missing footage from the original release. 976 Evil 2 goes for a supernatural slasher vibe, we have a school principal by the name of Stefan Grubek granted dark powers by the nefarious 976 line and its "horrorscopes". Locked up on suspicions of murder, he uses the power of astral projection to exit the confines of his cell and avenge himself on those who sent him down, as well as tormenting the pretty policemans daughter that is our heroine. Director Jim Wynorski gets things off to a storming start, tits and a taut chase scene ending in inspired, verging on operatic murder. Its an Italian style flourish and very nearly brilliant, if the grue were upped just a couple of degrees it surely would be. Still a memorable opening that gets the film off on just the right footing. It stays there too, with a bustling pace and exciting chain of events, though the film often traverses cheesy territory, there's real gusto and commitment to it, we get evil chat on the telephone, a decaying and delightfully hammy villain, supernatural slaying and one whoop making sequence of a possessed kitchen going on the offensive. Rene Assa wigs out in fine fashion as Grubek, oozing arrogant malevolence he is quite splendidly hissable, while on the side of the angels Patrick O'Bryan returns from the original and does perfectly well going through typical "cool guy with leather jacket and motorcycle" motions, Debbie James is a perfectly cute heroine and we get a pleasingly barmy little cameo from Brigitte Nielsen. Regrettably the film doesn't move up through the exploitation gears after its splendid opening, we get no more nudity and it's a shame, though as I recall Wynorski always had a thing for falsies so it might not be such a bad thing that he doesn't indulge here. More unfortunately, there ain't much gore here, and a couple of the killings are off screen too. Sure, Grubeks increasingly grody visage makes up a little for this, but still I would have liked a little more blood in this party. Also the ending is a bit weak and the final moments don't really come off. Still, for the most part this is a kinda neat little film, worth a watch for fans of cheesy late 80's supernatural horror trash.

976-Evil 2 (1991) is a far better film than the first movie. The film-makers didn't try to be serious with the subject matter and the players seem to be enjoying themselves. Shot on the cheap, the sequel follows Spike and his attempts to stop the evil behind that darn 976-EVIL. He's still tooling around on his motorcycle looking like a rebel without a clue. But this time around he has one. It's up to him to stop the madness. A little worse for wear (Spike's sporting a five o'clock shadow that comes and goes) but he's all clad in black leather and looking to kick some demonic butt! Like I said, a very entertaining movie. Unlike the first film the black humor works. The villain in this movie is real creepy and funny as well. The film's direction flows along at a reasonable pace (thanks to the ever reliable Jim Wynorski) and the blood flows. I'm glad they stopped after this one. I probably couldn't take another sequel. Recommended.Bx