SECOND THOUGHTS: CINEMANIACS AND THE HORROR SEQUEL

The horror sequel is one of the most unfairly maligned of all mainstream movies. Their very existence is often viewed with cynicism, many discarded as artless, crass grabs designed to milk a concept for a few dollars more. Audiences and critics eager to relive the precise experience of their favourite fright films often dismiss the follow-up for not delivering the same visceral rush.

The Melbourne-based film-fan collective Cinemaniacs are addressing the imbalance with a 4 film programme called ‘Scream and Scream Again’. In conjunction with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, this band of genre experts will present, for your reconsideration, Damiano Damiani’s Amityville II: The Possession (pictured, above), Jeannot Szwarc’s Jaws 2, Rick Rosenthal’s Halloween II and Mike Hodges and Don Taylor’s Damien: Omen II.

“What I love most about many horror movie sequels is the idea that the monster is never truly dead and that the leading lady’s story is never truly over,” says Lee Gambin, one of Australia’s leading authorities on horror and Director of the Cinemaniacs team. “There is much more room for memorable cinematic moments, there is room to develop characters and move them forward and it’s always very cool to see actors from previous films reappear in new ones.”

SCREEN-SPACE spoke with the Cinemaniacs team to get their ying to the critical yang that greeted these films upon their initial release.

Amityville II: The Possession:
What the Critics said: “There are some good performances here, by Jack Magner and Olson in particular, and some good technical credits, especially Sam O'Steen's editing. It's just that this whole ‘Amityville’ saga is such absolute horse manure.” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times; January 1, 1982.

What Cinemaniacs say: “I remember seeing it as a kid and being instantly hooked. I was addicted to the plight of Sonny and his descent into demonic possession which alienates him from his family. It’s such a creepy sleazy fun ride and I adore it! Not to mention it boasts super performances by the likes of Rutanya Alda, Diane Franklin and Burt Young.” – Gambin.

Jaws 2:
What the Critics said: “The shark may be bigger and its teeth sharper, but Jaws 2 does not have the same bite that the original Jaws gripped the country with three summers ago” – David Watters, Herald-Journal; June 17, 1978.

What Cinemaniacs say: “This film has plenty of bite! Chief Brody returns to face greedy capitalists, undiagnosed post traumatic stress and Amity Island’s curious case of over size sharks. Jaws 2 is bigger, meaner (poor Orca!) and more monstrous due to a mishap where half of his face is burnt off Phantom of the Opera style, casting a perfect portrait of a slasher villain, hell bent on eating horny teenagers AND a helicopter. You will never see Freddy or Jason do that!” – Ki Wone, Programming Co-ordinator.

Halloween 2:
What the Critics said: “This uninspired version amounts to lukewarm sloppy seconds in comparison to the original film that made director John Carpenter a hot property.” – Variety (author not credited); October 30, 1981.

What Cinemaniacs say: “John Carpenter has admitted that he co-wrote a lot of Halloween II at 2am in the morning after a six pack of beer and that he never wanted to make a sequel in the first place. With that in mind, just imagine how amazing it would have been if he'd been sober and interested! This film not only broke new ground by setting a Horror sequel immediately after the first film - it practically helped create the blueprint for slasher sequels that would be photocopied again and again throughout the 80s and beyond.” – Anthony Davies, Artistic Consultant.

Damien: Omen II:
What the Critics said: “Perhaps my resistance has given out but I must say that ‘Damien: Omen II,’ though it's as foolish as the first film, is rather more fun to watch and sometimes very stylish-looking. “ – Vincent Canby, The New York Times; June 9, 1978.

What Cinemaniacs say: “Scott Taylor's portrayal of the adolescent Damien is highly nuanced and complex. Damien: The Omen II paints its characters with shades of grey, giving the film an emotional resonance which adds to the horror. It is filled with some wonderfully stylised death scenes, a hauntingly beautiful score, fantastic cinematography and superlative performances. It's a great study into the nature of evil in our society while still being fun and frightening. A true horror classic that's not to be overlooked.” – Lisa Bartolomei, Researcher.

Details of the Cinemaniacs Season at the Australian Centre of the Moving Image can be found here. The group are also holding retrospective screenings regularly at the Tote Hotel.