976-EVIL II

A Jim Wynorski film with jiggly girls and alternative titles??? Okay I'm in. Yeah I said it. This could be very well be entertaining. This sequel is the continuation of an evil phone service...FROM HELL!!!! Or at least we presume it is from hell and would like to not think an Archangel that was bored.   With this enduring from its predecessor, this call service of evil perpetuates further, disrupting more lives and leaving in the hand of our protagonist.

This is 976-EVIL II a.k.a. 976-EVIL II: The Return a.k.a. 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor and Astral Factor.

We open with a young blonde getting some laps in and eerie music building suspense to a wall mounted telephone? Ahh what is that, Millennials??!! Is that some primitive form of communications device?!

Pert Plus keeps the demons at bay, Laurie.

A minute thirty annnnd first shower scene. Well to be fair, no one wants that chlorine smell on their flesh or hair. Scrubbing away her troubles until the lights start flickering and electronic synthesizer kicks in, hinting to danger. Practically see through in her white shirt and towel, our brave swimmer gathers a look about. With supernatural shenanigans going on, the whole place locked down and near hobo janitor (Buck Flowers, character actor) passed out, an ominously dressed fellow in a suit stalks the young lady Laurie (Karen Mayo-Chandler of Beverly Hills Cop, Explorers, Hard to Die and Prince Valiant). His flamboyancy just screams, "High School Drama director" as he does away with our plunky teen with...a prop stalagmite? Loved the set though. Looked like something out of Dante's Inferno.

We cut to credits opening and we catch back up with Spike (Patrick O' Bryan of You Are The Jury, China Beach, No Holds Barred, Relentless, 976-EVIL and Blood and Concrete) and yes I don't mean Buffy and Angel Spike. Sorry. This gent was busy sending his possessed cousin to Hell and is now hitting the road on a Harley, pushing and defining the bad boy look.   Not really sure what he does for money.  Maybe he had life insurance on his cousin Hoax and cashed in after his...disappearance.   Also not really certain if he and his bible thumping aunt are talking ever again.

Can't see a damn thing with these fog machines going.

Spike seems to be a fish out of water or a man without a quest. His theme music is reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's Fistful of Dollars theme. Similar but alas no it is not. Do like the steel guitar strumming in the background. Plot point action news alerts Spike to a strange body count of co-eds in a small Californian community of Slate River. This disrupts the beer swilling, chicken wings scarfing and potential nudey girl dancing. Sorry bro. It almost seems like Spike is a Hunter of the Supernatural.. huh huh, ya get it? Hey, if this cat can thwart Satan, I think it would be good to have him in your corner and hopefully he won't go all Tommy Jarvis screaming.

With an ominous phone call to his favorite hotline, Spike knows he has been called back into the supernatural again so he rides towards it like Johnny Blaze and nothing like Nick Cage. Seriously, those Ghost Rider flicks were painful.

Sheriff Stone (Paul Coufos of Chopping Mall, Gnaw: Food of the Gods II, City of Shadows, Days of Our Lives and Mortal Danger) brings in the dean of the college, (Rene'Assa of Quantum Leap, Postcards from the Edge, The Flash, Baywatch and The Destiny of Marty Fine),  Deputy Taylor (Philip McKeon of ChiPs, Alice, Favorite Son, Red Surf, 976-EVIL II and Sandman) seems...mildly concerned.

Ah Brigitte is keeping Spike abreast to the situation.

Student senses tingling as young Robin (Debbie James of Mistress, Quantum Leap, Round Trip to Heaven, Herman's Head, The Underground, L.A. Heat and Close Up) seems to possess latent psionic powers, mostly seems like psychometry (the ability to read events, people and places from objects) and is now aware that the evil that has been in her town for four months may have an even darker purpose.

As luck, fortune or happenstance takes place, Spike and Robin run into each other as if their lives were orchestrated to do such. It be the will of the fates!!!

Our demonic dean is not disturbed by his cell for stone wall does not a prison makes, nor iron bars a cage as he is able to astral project and reek havoc.

Can Robin and Spike stop this evil from happening??? Will they be able to prevent more deaths???

To be honest, I felt the pacing of the original film was a bit slow and Wynorski kept a good steady momentum going. I damn near had an aneurysm trying to remember the full storyline from the first movie, but the continuation still has puppets enslaved to dark forces and seeing the lovely Monique Gaberielle of Chained Heat, Not of This Earth, The Return of the Swamp Thing, Uncaged and Angel Eyes is always a plus. Debbie James gives a pretty good performance and genuinely seems determined to see this to the end.

Almost like Satan doesn't want to tip his hand this time around and goes through catspaws easily swayed due to lust for power, greed or wanton behavior. Also let us not forget Brigitte Neilsen (Beverly Hills Cop II, Red Sonja, Mission of Justice, Chained Heat II, Body Count and Doomsdayer) adding the much needed spooky yet seductive witch type. That being said, I couldn't get over her giant shoulder pads on her Gothic outfit.

Much love to be had by this sequel developing Spike further and enjoyed the kids sitting down the Night of the Living Dead. So yes, once again I had fun. My only complaint, no more follow-up sequels.

Union nap.