Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 02:13:57

Slightly more ambitious follow-up by the same team who brought us the original

This sequel to "The Unnamable" (1988) is actually a bit moreinteresting, as it's much more a mixture of things than the originalwas (it combines two Lovecraft stories this time, 'The Unnamable' &'The Statement of Randolph Carter'). It flirts with quantum physics andother silly theories, even adding some comedic scenes to the events(which oddly enough do work). John Rhys-Davies is amusing as always,but lasts only half the movie. The always reliable David Warner has acameo. Being a creature feature, the creature design (worn by actressJulie Strain) lives up to the expectations. The story picks up rightafter the events of the first film and meanders in slightly differentdirections this time. Just like the first film, which was much more aslasher-orientated effort, this sequel's hardly a masterpiece. But it'sgot some spirited moments, a handful of nasty kills and it remains afun, entertaining watch nonetheless. The beautiful Maria Ford stealsmost of the show here, as she's walking around completely nude duringhalf of the movie's running time. Furthermore, "The Unnamable II" staystrue to the spirit of Lovecraft with a lot of amusing inside referencesto his works. So fans should be pleased, since a lot worse Lovecraftadaptations have been made throughout the years.

drgloves11 2012-05-24 17:43:19

interesting

The only real problem I had with this movie was that the most obviousthings were never done. Spoiler alert now.Why didn't those crazy kids seal the tomb?Also, if you had a shotgun, a pistol and your fists and you needed tobreak into a room with double doors that looked like a pencil couldopen them if tapped sufficiently hard enough, wouldn't you start withthe shotgun?I could go on, but I think you get the meaning.The whole thing is rendered moot by the inability to display commonsense, but then again. I suppose that comment could apply to the entirehistory of mankind.Doh!

Brandon L. Sites 2012-05-20 22:26:20

* * out of 4.

This sequel picks up directly where part one left off and finds the twomaincharacters from the original film seperating the human half from the demonhalf of part one's monster. They flee with the human half, but the demoneventually escapes from her prison and seeks out the human part to her andkilling anyone in her way. Sometimes exciting, sometime scary, slightlybetter then part one, but bland.Rated R; Violence, Brief Nudity, and Profanity.

aaronzombie 2012-05-20 16:45:28

Slightly better than the original

Picking up only moments after then end of part 1, this sequel continuesthestory of the surviving students of Miskatonic University and the demon thatkilled off their school mates. !!!SOME SPOILERS!!! The survivors of the 1stfilm ask a proffessor to help them do an experiment on the demon "TheUnnamable."They seperate the demon half from the human half and leave with the humanhalf. Unfourtunately, the demon half is still around and follows them totheir dorm. Good story, acting, and effects. ***1/2 out of*****.

Backlash007 2012-05-20 14:58:22

"First I'm going to study the Necronomicon, then I'm going back into those tunnels."

~Spoiler~ I don't remember much about the original Unnamable, but I certainlydon't remember it being this bad. Unnamable II: The Statement ofRandolph Carter has some great actors (John Rhys-Davies, Peter Breck,and David Warner), some B-movie scream queens (Maria Ford and JulieStrain), and Mark Kinsey Stephenson who is neither, but unfortunatelyhe is the star. There's also the usual Lovecraft staples such asMiskatonic University, the Necronomicon, Cthulu, and so on. The storypicks up where Unnamable I left off and immediately plummets into theabsurd. It turns out the Unnamable has a name after all: it's Alyda.Somehow John Rhys-Davies and Mark Kinsey Stephenson separate the realAlyda from the demon. The real Alyda is played by Maria Ford (whospends most of the movie naked) while the demon is played by JulieStrain (who we never see out of the ugly make-up). Maimings andkillings result as the demon chases Alyda all over Miskatonic campus.Stuart Gordon this is not. Hell, Brian Yuzna this is not. Unnamable IIclocks in at 104 minutes which is just ridiculous considering that somuch should have been trimmed. Not could have been, SHOULD have been.There are completely unnecessary characters, David Warner has a threesecond cameo that goes nowhere, boring exposition galore, and so muchmore. Watch Re-animator again instead.

sales-417 2012-05-20 02:30:18

Failed as a horror, but works as a comedy

I wanted to see what was out there for Lovecraft stuff to get in themood for Halloween and came up with this movie. An absolutely stupidchoice of lead actor combined with a really bad script makes the wholething kind of "Killer Tomatoes" cool.This kind of thing happens in the story: They go into some undergroundtunnels beneath a graveyard with no plan, no guns, no secret charm,just Don Knotts and Mr. French going to see if the monster that killed4 people last night is still there. They find this crazeddemon-infested girl and reach near it's hugely-fanged face to pull outa hair to study. Just one dumb idea after another.My favorite part? Check out the sound it makes when the deputies areshooting the lock at the end.I didn't see the first movie, but I don't think I needed it to reviewthis.

Paul Haakonsen 2012-05-19 06:47:21

Compelling classic

Classic horror movie of the early 90's. This movie is actually one ofthe movies that stand out in my memory back from the early 90's when Iwatched it for the first time on VHS. I just had to purchase it on DVDwhen I had the chance.I loved the story and found it to be thrilling and good. It drew fromthe Lovecraft universe in a good way, and I was nailed to my chairthroughout the entire movie (and it still does whenever I put it intothe DVD player).I have watched this movie maybe 5 or 6 times over the years, and nevergotten tired of it. Of course, a certain amount of time have to passbefore you put this one in the DVD player again.When I watched this for the first time, I was fairly unfamiliar withJohn Rhys-Davies, but found his acting here to be believable and good.And this movie also introduced me to Maria Ford, which I must say is aplus for this movie.The atmosphere of the movie is dark and brooding, which works wellthroughout the entire feature. Of course the effects are sort of bad intoday's standards, but back then they were great. Especially for afairly low budget movie. I liked the make-up on the creature, and weresurprised to find out that it was Julie Strain underneath it.If you like the work of Lovecraft and have a taste for the movies basedon Lovecraft's work, then you should not let this movie pass you by.Even today, this movie is worth watching. Even though Jeffrey Combs isnot in this Lovecraft-based movie, it is still providing goodentertainment. It has a good, solid story, no real boring momentsthroughout the length of the movie, and I think it is a must have inany horror fan's DVD collection.

Coventry 2012-05-18 15:10:19

Quantum physics, yeah right.

See, that's exactly what happens when you're being mild and givefavorable reviews to insignificant 80's horror movies like the original"The Unnamable". They make another one! The first one really wasn't toobad, and even occasionally entertaining, but seriously nobody needed asequel. And this time, writer/director Jean-Paul Ouellette even had aslightly larger budget at his disposal, meaning the script is a lotmore ambitious and there even was some money left to pay famous B-moviestars like John Rhys-Davies and the minuscule cameo appearance of DavidWarner. Even though part two came out five years after the original,we're supposed to not notice that the actors look a lot older and weartheir hair in completely different styles. "The Unnamable Returns"carries on where the first film stopped, with Howard and Randolphescaping from the cursed Winthrop house. Notwithstanding the fact theyquietly walked away unharmed at the end of the first film, they're nowbeing taken away in ambulances and under massive police supervision.Randolph Carter, the self-proclaimed expert in demonology, returns tothe catacombs underneath the house to investigate the origin of thehalf-woman-half-demonic-creature along with his university professorJohn Rhys-Davies. When they find it, they do what every rationalscientist would do and inject the creature with insulin to separate thewoman from the demon. Apparently it works, as the demon assumessomething's wrong with the body and exits, leaving only the beautifulhost Alyda. Randolph takes the 200-year-old naked beauty back to thedormitory, but the hideous winged demon creature follows their path.The original "The Unnamable" was perhaps a dumb and unmemorable film,at least it was entertaining. Part two is quite boring, pretentious andoutstays its welcome with a running time of nearly 105 minutes. Thescript is full of incomprehensible gibberish about quantum physics andI sincerely doubt that any of the actors understood the lines they werespeaking. The gore is minimal but it nevertheless is an unpleasantmovie to look at because far too many innocent people die. Innocentbystanders, supportive characters that have done absolutely nothing todeserve to die and people that only wanted to help are being demolishedby the creature's claws, whilst the dim-witted main characters get awaywith everything. That's just not right, not even if you exclusivelywatch horror films to see gore.

udar55 2012-05-16 06:53:09

I enjoyed this more than the first one

This might be the only Lovecraft movie sequel to actually adapt aLovecraft story ("The Statement of Randolph Carter," which actuallypreceded "The Unnamable") and is a superior sequel. Well, I think it issuperior since I can't remember liking THE UNNAMABLE that much (outsideof some nice make-up). Stephenson is an unusual lead, a very intensenerd totally focused on his task at hand. Klausmeyer, who inexplicablysees his character renamed from Howard Damon to Eliot Damon Howard, isgood as well. Completely underutilized David Warner slipped in for oneday to shoot a scene as the college chancellor and Rhys-Davies mighthave been there for a couple of days. The film offers lots of gore and,again, the creature design is pretty damn spiffy. The real star,however, is b-movie actress Maria Ford. This might actually be herstrongest acting role as the displaced 17th century girl (and I'm notsaying that because she spends 50% of her screen time nude). Sadly, Idecided to look her up online and she has had some horrific plasticsurgery in the ensuing years.

skallisjr 2012-05-15 18:16:25

Entertaining Lovecraft

How do you make a sequel to a Lovecraft short story that ends withoutany follow-on? Possible spoilers follow: You take an entirely differentLovecraft short story and make it part of the second film. "Statementof Randolph Carter," an entirely unrelated short story, was made anelement in this film. The character of Professor Warren was originallya friend of Carter's who explored the underground tunnels using atelephone set using wires. The basic outcome was the same, though.The film is full of Lovecraftania and has good touches of humor in it.It falls to the edge of the Cthulhu Mythos, but is part of the Mythos.IMHO, it's a better film than the first, but requires the first reallyto appreciate it.

lucifer_sam 2012-05-12 11:46:39

Much more enjoyable than the first but more plot flaws

This film was much more original than the first movie, which was just atypical "teens get killed in an old house" movie. This one took a newapproach, with a bit more humor, a fresher plot, and a more entertainingatmosphere. I enjoyed this a lot more than the original, butunfortunately,this film had a few problems. If you have not seen the movie yet and wanttobe surprised, DON'T CONTINUE READING, there are SPOILERS ahead. SO, stillwith me I see? Okay. The idea is that the creature has been trapped bytreeroots to the wall of an underground "cave" or something and Randolph, nowbeing helped by the dude who played the Professor in "Sliders," apparentlytried to figure out what the most stupid approach to the problem would be.they finally decided that they should use a spell from the spellbookRandolph found(the Necronomicon), in fact, a spell which will seperatespirit from flesh. It wasn't until after the spell was cast that one ofthecharacters said aloud, "Is this a very good idea?" I laughed at that one.Idon't have a problem with this bit of nonsense though; many people wouldbejust that dumb. The main problem I had was: the creature is now seperated,one half is a beautiful girl and the other half is a monster, which is nowMANY TIMES MORE POWERFUL than when it was in the body of the girl. Yet,thecreature was chasing them around the whole time trying to get back intothegirl. WHY?! It had MORE STRENGTH, FLIGHT, etc. Now, what would have madesense was if they said the demon had to be in a human body by sunrise oritwould be banished back to its dimension. This would have made a "beat theclock" scenario and also explained why it actually wanted to rejoin thegirland become weaker! The only other problem I had was the ending. It justseemed very phony and cheap. On the other hand, if they had done the "beatthe clock" version, then the monster could have been beaten by eluding ituntil sunrise, thereby eliminating the really dumb ending they used.Still,I enjoyed the film and give it *** out of *****.

skidmarx77 2012-05-11 23:13:00

Was crapping myself for hours after viewing!

This may be one of the greatest (and when I say the greatest,I mean THEGREATEST) horror film I've seen since SHOWGIRLS! The lead actor, MarkKinsey Stephensen, channels the Mr. Tamborine man-size cajones ofWilliam Shatner with the acting range of a toaster oven not plugged inand with no muffins in it. The presence of veteran actors David Warnerand John Rhys-Sallah-Gimli-Davies only heightens the cheese factor toLimburger-sized heights. This film contains AT LEAST 12 rewindablemoments, including the gratuitous butt-shots of ham-sandwich sportingactress Maria Ford, the attack in a library by the Unameable on a bunchof mullet-coiffed cops, and an Obi-Wan Kenobi moment in which the LAGear wearing sidekick is visited by the ghost of the Gorton'sfisherman. Kudos to the supporting cast as well, from obviously gayGeorge Takei wannabe pal to the hairy-kneed college student who lookslike bastard love child of Fabio and Corey Feldman. Stack 'em high anddig in.

sgtking 2012-05-11 00:18:29

A really fun monster movie, even better than the first

Evil never dies, it just keeps finding new ways to come back. That'swhy we have so many sequels in the Horror genre, which is a blessingand a curse. Sequels usually aren't as good as the originals, much lessbetter than them, but occasionally they surprise us. The first'Unnamable' film didn't exactly break Box Office records, but became ahit on video and eventually a sequel was born. The character ofRandolph Carter was a recurring character in H.P. Lovecraft's shortstories and even though he never wrote an official second partinvolving the titular creature, this film is loosely based on 'TheStatement of Randolph Carter.' Not that the first film cried out for asequel, but the one we got is really quite good for what it is.Pros: Once again the performances are solid, which includes all thenewcomers. A different, but still very good score.Writer/director/producer Jean-Paul Ouellette again succeeds in making asuspenseful genre film. Moves at an energetic pace. Stellar make-up andcreature effects. Doesn't take itself as seriously as the first and issometimes pretty amusing. Though not atmospheric like part 1, there arestill plenty of goosebump-inducing moments. Has a few good ideas.Cons: More plot this time, but that's not saying much. Lacks theatmosphere and feeling of dread that hangs over the original.Final thoughts: If you watch both 'Unnamable' flicks back to backyou'll be in for quite a shock. Whereas the first one is more like aspooky, haunted house kind of movie this sequel takes the monster runamok approach. The bad news is that II isn't nearly as chilling as I,but that doesn't change the fact that it's really good of it's type.Apparently Ouellette had plans to make two more sequels, this timeputting the characters of Carter and Howard in other Lovecraft inspiredsituations, but they never came to fruition. A shame, but at the leastthe series ended on a high note with this one.My rating: 4/5

Prolox 2012-05-10 10:27:24

The Unnamable 2 rocks!

Unlike a lot of sequels that fail to measure up with it's predecessor,I'm more than happy to say that UNNAMABLE II manages to be right uptheir alongside the original as being equal or is it better? RANDOLPHCARTER this time takes the lead (He never met or fought the creature inthe first) in fighting off the creature while saving it's beauty fullalter ego that was separated from it's beastly other half, whileCHARLES KING's character ARTHUR takes the back seat (The lead hero ofthe original) this time there's even more inventive & bloody kills &the film is loaded with suspense & is never boring, as it keeps youhooked from beginning to end, with it's always involving situations &good direction & storyline, the actors also do a good job & the demonmake-up is creepy. Despite being one of the top billed actors in thefilm, David WARNER only has a cameo appearance. Highly recommended forfans of horror & fans of both H.P. LOVEVCRAFT & for those who enjoyedthe original. And no I can't decide which is my favorite of the two!**** stars

mlevans 2012-05-10 08:12:07

A pretty solid sequel

I accidentally rented Unnamable II tonight, thinking I was renting theoriginal for the first time in a few years. (The original was one of myfavorite Gothic horror films.) I was disappointed that I had grabbed thewrong movie, but still enjoyed seeing this one.With the possible exception of The Godfather II, sequels never match theoriginals & this one is no exception. Still, Oulette does a good job inleading us through this dash through campus, with the hideous she-demonbehind us. The idea of the split demon-normal girl is intriguing and thelovely Maria Ford is convincing as the 300-year-old coed. Mark KinseyStephenson is again solid as the scholarly and fearless Randolph Carter.(Doesn't every college English Department have a senior bookworm likethis?)My only complaint-and this is one I might not have even thought of beforereturning to grad school-is that the professors are all Scooby Dooish`all-knowing' doctors. Professor Warren (John Rhys-Davies) apparently is anoral folklore specialist within the English Department…unless he is possiblyin sociology or some similar field. For him to have a passing knowledge ofquantum physics is not unthinkable. For him to look at a mutilated body andtell claw marks from incisor marks is stretching it considerably. For aliterature professor to be running around with a portable microbiology labin his little black pouch, though, and setting up a microscope, etc., in adank, dark cave and making glib pronouncements about the blood, however, isakin to no one suspecting `Old Hank' or whoever as being the Scooby Doovillain. Folks, as one who is around professors every day (and who hopes toBE a college history professor in a couple of years,) I can attest that theaverage English or history professor barely understands how to connect tothe Internet or operate PowerPoint, let alone set up a mini-science lab in adark cave in five minutes!This one is okay, but I need to see the original again. Part of the reason Iwanted to see the original tonight was so I COULD do an updated review. Butthat will come. People aren't exactly standing in line to do these twomovies. Still, this one is definitely worth watching. Give it achance!

Scarecrow-88 2012-05-09 18:45:12

The Unnamable II

Randolph Carter(Mark Kinsey Stephenson)decides to pursue the she-beastwhich attacked and killed some of his college chums. Eliot(CharlesKlausmeyer), haunted by nightmares of the beast's hideous face,survived the incident with nasty gashes on his chest and reluctantlyjoins Carter in his search for it. Seeking guidance from anauthoritative figure he can trust and respect, Carter goes to ProfessorWarren(John Rhys-Davies, a delightful presence)whose field of expertisein in ancient history, among other things. On an expedition where thebeast was seen nearby, Carter, Eliot & Warren find the entrance to anunderground tunnel in an ancient graveyard which leads to the "prison"of the she-beast, whose caught in a thicket of heavy sticks andtree-branches. Having found the Necronomicon in Winthrope's home,Carter and Warren discover that the she-beast is actually Winthrope'sbeautiful daughter, Alyda(Maria Ford)"invaded" by the demonic spirit ofan evil winged creature. Warren concocts a successful plan to releaseAlyda of the evil creature by using insulin tricking the monster intobelieving that the human host was dying. The spirit fleeing Alyda, sheis awakened to a brand new world..but, the demonic winged creature,with sharp fingernails that rip human flesh easily, wishes to retrieveit's host and will kill anyone who stands in her way. After Warrendiscovers too late that the creature has remained in the tunnel, Carterand Eliot will attempt to find Alyda help(..she was kept in an atticduring her young life and only knows the "Cthulu" language taught toher by pops)while staying one step ahead of danger. Unfortunately,students of Miskatonic University and Arkham County's finest will notbe so lucky as the demonic winged creature goes on a killing spreeripping the throats of everyone it comes in contact with. The creatureseems impervious to the bullets fired from guns as it pursues Alydawith an intense will. What will Carter do to help keep Alyda safe fromharm? Can he stop the beast from "infiltrating" the body of Alyda onceagain? Inspired by the works of Lovecraft, like a lot of horror films comingout in the late 80's and early 90's, "The Unnamable II" is more of amonster movie. The demonic creature's rampage is not as gory as Iwould've liked with a great many of the murders occurring off-screen.Too bad. But, substituting those potential thrills is Maria Fordpractically naked under long hair(..which amazingly keeps her breastshidden)for nearly the entire film, only wearing a gown when a femalestudent pal of Carter's influences her into putting it on by disrobing.The love that strengthens between Carter and Alyda is rather sweet andFord is adorable and convincing as a newborn pup introduced to a newworld she's never known. The creature itself is none other than sexsiren Julie Strain, unrecognizable under the scary make-up and costume.While there's little actual violence shown, you are treated to thecreature's hand going through a man's chest. And, there is somefantastic make-up grue displaying ripped necks. Stephenson as the nerdyintellectual with craziness and chaos all around him, wisely plays hischaracter completely straight, displaying a calm and reserve needed bythe leader in charge of keeping Alyda from danger. David Warner israther wasted in a cameo as Miskatonic University's Chancellor whowarns Carter to not pursue the creature. Most of the other charactersare fodder for the beast to destroy. Spirited direction from Jean-PaulOuellette(..this is definitely an improvement over the first film whichis more of a slasher flick), a nifty creature with cool wings, and alikable cast really enhance what could've just been yet anotherLovecraft "adaptation" that missed the mark. The climax takes place inthe Miskatonic library as Carter and Alyda have ran out of places tohide, discovering the missing pages of the Necronomicon within a secretroom of books thanks to an air conditioning duct. The use of a woodenchair in battling the demonic creature when attempting to invadeAlyda's body is kind of neat. Truth be told, though, my favorite scenewould have to be when Alyda discovers a bed and is caressing her nakedbody throughout it..Ford's sensuality, even while portraying aninnocent, is very present.

Clayton07 2012-05-08 21:54:15

A Lovecraftian Gore Fest!

The Unnameable 2 is loosely based on Lovecraft's "Unnameable" and the"Statement of Randolph Carter". The film strays from the two storiesquite a bit, but it has tons of Cthulhu Mythos elements. MarkKinsey-Stevenson and John Rhys-Davies really propel this film. I thinktheir acting is top notch. The blood quotient is very high in this film. And the gore effects arethe good old fashioned kind! The film is fast paced unlike other horrormovies that can put you out (such as the first Unnameable that had aslow middle). If you enjoy Lovecraft, gore, and good acting, this movieis right up your alley.

TMAN247 2012-05-08 11:07:02

We need more Cthulu movies....

This movie was pretty good (Maria Ford being nude for over half an hourcertainly helped!). It involved the Lovecraft Cthulu mythos, and theydid agood job with them. I wish they identified what monster they wereactuallydealing with, but I guess the name wouldn't have worked then LOL.Peace.

pradaguy762001 2012-05-08 08:07:41

Not a bad sequel just a error on one part

OK i remember watching this movie when i saw this on video back when iwas like 17 and i thought it was a good movie and they tried to takeoff where the last film ends but the only thing that they messed up onwas that they said the creature was born from Joshua Winthrop daughterbut that is false he was born from Joshua Winthrop wife in the firstfilm, that really was the only error i found in the movie. The moviewas a good overall sequel, i wish they could of had a little more bloodand guts, let you know what happened to Tanya from the first film. Shewas just seen driving off in the police car and was really not mentionagain. Otherwise not a bad movie

in-the-fade 2012-05-07 17:23:08

This is how legends are started…

The competently low-budget sequel (which was made 5 years after theoriginal) sees the story continue where the first film finished off,and director Jean-Paul Ouellette delivers a far better effort on thisLovecraft outing than on the previous one. However while being ratherexpansive, slicker and better paced, it was kind of laid-back on theviolence (which the first film wasn't afraid to bare) and joltingthrills (which aren't as imposing). Some things happen off-screen, butthere a few twisted and ravaging acts caught. The slick tone seemed tobe aiming for pulpy fun in a fast-moving chase format than thesimmering atmospheric jolts in a confined setting, and for most part itworks.Returning characters Randolph Carter (exaggeratedly acted by MarkKinsey Stephenson) and Eliot Damon Howard (a solid Charles Klausmeyer)make for a fruitful chemistry, as they must do battle again with thedemon with no name. Along for the ride is John Rhys-Davies and MariaFord who spends plenty of screen time in the nude under her flowinglong hair is very convincing in her part. Julie Strain is the lucky onewho gets suited up in the creatively effective make-up FX of thetitular demon and David Warner also gets in the act, but with verylittle in the way to do.This time around the story (with a consistently witty script) holds alittle more substance and character to its framework (where modernscience and ancient folklore come to terms) and explores thepossibilities, than reverting to a simple stalk n' slash exercise.After the leaving the tunnels under the Winthrop house, this time theaction mainly occurs in the illustrative backdrop of the Universitygrounds. The openness of it didn't do much in the favor of holdingsuspense, but the atmosphere is glum and its straight-laced quirkinesslends well.