Entertaining one-dimensional slasher with dubious acting and a wink of camp
Five college gals apprehend a sorority house in Los Angeles at low-price due to its infamous past and immediately go about fixing it up. The first night they foolishly play with a Ouija board and members start dying. Who’s doing the killing since the mass murderer died in the first film?
"Sorority House Massacre II" (1990) is less amateurish compared to the first film and adds camp & sexploitation, but only in the sense of female attractiveness and tame nudity, not sex. Speaking of which, this flick is a celebration of the beauty of women masquerading as a slasher.
Some might argue that it degrades women, and I can understand this perspective since some of the protagonists die in the typical slasher manner, but the movie is stressing that they have to rise to the challenge in a life-or-death situation if they want to survive, which smacks of the proverbial girl power.
While the story is overly one-note to be very compelling everything builds to an effective last act. It’s an entertaining spooky ‘B’ flick for Halloween that walks the balance beam between too serious and too goofy.
The director is the prolific Jim Wynorski, a student of Roger Corman known for myriad ‘B’ flicks of varied genres, some surprisingly good (“Gargoyle” from 2004), some bad (“Camel Spiders”) and some amusing schlock (“The Hills Have Thighs”).
The effective no-name female cast features: Gail Harris (Linda), Stacia Zhivago (Kimberly), Barbii (Suzanne), Bridget Carney (Candy), Savannah aka Shannon Wilsey (Satana), Dana Bentley (Janey), Melissa Moore (Jessica) and Toni Naples aka Karen Chorak (Sgt. Shawlee). Needless to say, if softcore female nudity offends you, I suggest skipping this.
The film runs 1 hour, 17 minutes, and was shot in Venice, Los Angeles (interiors of house) and 2200 S Harvard Blvd, Los Angeles (exteriors).
GRADE: B-/C+