It’s Halloween and the teenagers from St. Rita’s High School want to party at the neighborhood’s haunted house. For years, the Hull House has sat in eerie silence, tales of its haunted past have turned into gory jokes and no one really believes anything ever happened there. However, Angela (Amelia Kinkade), the hostess from hell, is summoning her army of teen demons to the blood-curdling contest between the school’s priests and herself, the princess of darkness. What was intended as an innocent evening of fun and games turns into a hell-raising, life-threatening ordeal … they wanted fun, now they’re in the trick-or-treat party of their lives!

For thoughts on Night of the Demons 2, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/Kzb-KRvQnOg?si=v5HNnba3Lp5NXNVV&t=182]

Video Quality

Night of the Demons 2 comes to Blu-Ray via Scream Factory with a 1080p transfer that has been derived from a new scan of the Interpositive. This film was first released on Blu-Ray in 2013 courtesy of Olive Films. Unfortunately, we don’t have that disc, making comparisons impossible at this time. From what we have read, that release was criticized for being overly bright, and it appears this new transfer has shifted the look of the film closer to what was intended by Director Of Photography David Lewis. The results here are largely very pleasing given the budget-conscious nature of the production with a naturally filmic presentation. Instances of nicks and scratches are a rare occurrence, but some small blemishes slip through without ruining the viewing experience. Any moments of softness seem to date back to the nature of the source.

Colors are fetching during the brighter daytime portions of the film, and the hues retain a good amount of nuance in the shadows. Black levels sometimes struggle in the most unforgiving conditions, but they provide a fine amount of depth. The transfer showcases some favorable detail, although some shots experience fluctuations in density. The most tantalizing visual elements are the facets of the special effects makeup, production design, and clothing. While the first film received a 4K UHD Blu-Ray, this sequel was not afforded the same treatment as of yet. If this were ever to change in the future, we would definitely celebrate. As it stands, though, this Blu-Ray release is quite good overall and pairs nicely with the first film.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a pretty decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that represents the film without any major issues. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear even when things are hitting the fan. Environmental noises such as the chatter in the dorm or the noises of snake Angela are distinguished well within the mix. The music is a high point as it comes through without any signs of damage or distortion. The low end does not try to bring the house down, but it provides some texture within the source roots. The audio experience comes through with top-notch fidelity. Scream Factory has delivered a worthy audio experience that honors the roots of the film. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary #1: Actors Cristi Harris, Jennifer Rose, Darin Heames, and Johnny Moran provide a new commentary track that offers a fun reflection on the production including memories of the casting process, getting makeup effects applied, the technical nature of shooting a sex scene, and much more.

Audio Commentary #2: Director Brian Trenchard-Smith and Director Of Photography David Lewis provide a more behind-the-scenes look at the movie as they reflect on the shooting locations, the lighting of certain scenes, conversations had with distributors, working with performers, and much more that complements the other track well.

A Tale of Two Demons – Interview with Directors Kevin S. Tenney and Brian Trenchard-Smith: A terrific new 70-minute conversation between the directors of Night of the Demons and Night of the Demons 2 in which they discuss the slight departure in flavor when it came to the sequel, their histories with the franchise, conversations with the executives, shooting on a smaller budget, the inspirations for their filmmaking, some of the thematic elements woven into the narrative, their work with the performers, and much more that proves to be one of the best aspects of this release.

Trick or Treat, Sucker – Interview with Actor Amelia Kinkade: A nearly 26-minute new interview with Angela herself who lightheartedly discusses her shock at returning to the series, the fandom around the film, working with director Brian Trenchard-Smith, the tone of the film, the streamlined gown, memories of her fellow performers, how inhabiting the qualities of a snake changed her, and much more.

Red Curls and Screams – Interview with Actor Cristi Harris: A nearly 22-minute new interview with the actress who plays Bibi who discusses her personal feelings about horror movies, the fun she had during the casting process, why she chose to dye her hair red for the role, memories of her fellow cast members, the experience of seeing the final product, and much more that is a great listen.

Monster Mayhem – Interview with Special Effects Artist Steve Johnson: A nearly 49-minute new interview with Johnson in which he discusses the groundbreaking developments in special effects work, the early rivalry between digital and practical effects artists, getting his big break on the original Night of the Demons, the unique challenges of the sequel, pinching pennies during production, and much more. There are some shocking anecdotes that fans will not want to miss within this one.

A Sequel with Guts – Interview with Producer Jeff Geoffray: A new 13-minute interview with the producer in which he discusses the development of the sequel, working with Brian Trenchard-Smith, the working relationship with the studio, the reception to the script, and much more.

Night of the Demons 2 Workprint: The workprint version of the movie(1:38:28), is provided here in rough standard definition with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.

Dailies: There is a 130-minute collection of dailies provided here in rough standard definition.

Behind-The-Scenes Photo Gallery: A six-minute assortment of photos of the special effects process is provided here.

Trailer: The 45-second trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Night of the Demons 2 doubles down on the insanity of the first film in a way that honors the spirit of the initial installment while also forging its own path. Personally, the sophomore installment tops the original film due to its tonal balance, pacing, and overall upgrade in the craftsmanship. This is not a major knock against the first installment, as it is a lot of fun, but rather a major endorsement of the fine qualities of this one. The guys in this movie are basically white noise, but the women all offer some truly memorable performances. This is the rare case of a sequel outshining the original. Scream Factory has provided the film with a Blu-Ray release that delivers a good A/V presentation and a mind-blowing amount of special features. If you are a fan of the series, this release will have you grinning from ear to ear. Recommended

Night of the Demons 2 (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.