In the same spirit as the first film, “The Houses October Built 2” is a fun thrill ride for fans of America’s scariest and most exciting haunted attractions
We are just getting into official haunt season, and this writer couldn’t be more excited! Making and being around monsters complete my life, and this film showcases that world. 2014’s The Houses October Built gave us a wild ride with a group of friends whose search for the scariest haunted house attractions in the country finds them targeted by an extreme haunt group known as the Blue Skeleton.
As a person in the haunt business, the movie was a favorite of mine, despite some of the problems with the found footage type of photography. I loved seeing all the real haunts they went to, which is great advertising for the haunt industry. Also, I actually liked the goofy group of friends (Jeff Larson, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe) and their quest for the scariest experience they could find.
The movie had tons of humor, some very uncomfortable and violent images, a bit of gore and lots of edge-of-your-seat tension. If I ever get an RV, it is going to be way more secure than theirs is! No RV home invasions for me.
So now, let’s get to The Houses October Built 2.
*Warning: Potential Plot Spoilers Ahead*
In the first film, it looks like two of the friends are murdered and the others are buried alive, while the mysterious masked group behind it all share it online and become famous overnight.
Picking up where the other film ended, we see Brandy (Brandy Schaefer), the lone female of the group, being dropped off on the side of the road by the Blue Skeleton folks — alive if not necessary well. This leaves us exclaiming, “Coffin Girl is alive! What happened to the others? I thought they all died in the first movie?” Soon we are given a news broadcast that answers our questions. We find they are not dead, they are social media stars, and we get started on the next hunt for Halloween fun.
In The Houses October Built 2, everyone is still alive and are ready to do it again. Screech to a stop…. Wait…What?
After all that insanity with the Blue Skeleton group, they want to go back out in the RV and do it again? Seriously? Well, everyone is ready except Brandy, who is now a huge internet sensation known as “Coffin Girl”. She is, not surprisingly, suffering from some serious “being-buried-alive” PTSD!
The boys are now getting paid offers to go to haunts, but those offers include bringing Brandy. None of the haunt owners are willing to pay the guys to come without the infamous “Coffin Girl”. Eventually, they manage to guilt her into coming, and the group goes off again to search for the holy grail of haunts.
The fact that both films travel to amazing haunts and creepy locations is what makes these movies epic, for me. I am dying to go to some of these places. Now!
I found myself Googling all the locations to find out more info. There are some really cool, extreme Halloween adventures to be had out there. Just in Part 2 we see: Philly’s Eastern State Penitentiary; Anoka, Minnesota, the “Halloween Capitol of the World”; The Dead End Hayride in Wyoming, Minnesota (my favorite); Atlanta, Georgia’s Chamber of Horrors; Perry, Georgia’s Zombie Run (an amazing facility- look it up!); A Zombie Pub Crawl and the Haunted Basement at the Soap Factory in Minneapolis.
These are all real extreme haunts that should be on the bucket list of true Halloween aficionados.
When the guys ask people at the different haunts what the most extreme haunt is this year, the answer is always Hellbent. So that becomes their focus: to find Hellbent. Will they find it, or will it find them? At one point, we realize that they are being watched and stalked by what looks to be the Blue Skeleton group again.
We see this in the same way we did in the first movie — the mix of their handheld footage and that of the folks watching them. From that point on, the movie moves quickly into the same sort of events as part one…but with a really nice twist at the end!
There is, one thing though I need to say. The fact that guys were able to talk Brandy into joining them on the haunt tour, and that they were so blasé about what happened just a year before, is my only complaint. As much as I like haunts, if I was buried alive, I think that would be enough for me to say no to a repeat tour. But that’s just me.
*End Spoilers*
Bobby Roe again stars in, directs and writes The Houses October Built 2, with help from co-writer Zack Andrews. Their love of the Halloween season is what makes it shine. I can’t share very much about the plot from here — because you need to watch it to see what escalates this film to its frenzied ending.
Also for non-haunt going people, it might be too much of a slow burn getting started. But if you’re someone who loves experiencing haunts, and the adrenaline rush that comes with it, you will love The Houses October Built 2!
Check out the map they made for the list of their favorite Haunt Experiences all over the US! (All real Haunts!)
Now you can experience the Halloween thrills again, when the Blue Skeleton returns for more horrific good times in The Houses October Built 2, in select theaters nationwide – as well as available On Demand / Digital HD – Friday, September 22nd, thanks to RLJ Entertainment and Foreboding Films.
1 Comment
1 Record