The Houses October Built 2

Last updated
The Houses October Built 2
The Houses October Built 2 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bobby Roe
Written byZack Andrews
Bobby Roe
Produced byZack Andrews
Steven Schneider
StarringBrandy Schaefer
Zack Andrews
Bobby Roe
Mikey Roe
Jeff Larson
CinematographyRicardo Sanchez
Andrew Strahorn
Edited byCesar Martinez
Music bySteve Yeaman
Production
company
Foreboding Films
Distributed by RLJ Entertainment
Release date
  • September 22, 2017 (2017-09-22)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Houses October Built 2 (titled Hellbent in some countries) is a 2017 American found footage horror film directed by Bobby Roe, who also stars in the film. A sequel to the 2014 film The Houses October Built , its plot follows five characters suffering from trauma a year after the events of the previous film, wherein they were kidnapped and held at a haunted house attraction.

Contents

The Houses October Built 2 was written by Bobby Roe and Zack Andrews and was produced by both Zack Andrews and Steven Schneider. The film was released in theaters on September 22, 2017. [1]

Plot

After being rescued from their ordeal at the hands of the Blue Skeleton haunted house, five friends, Brandy, Zack, Bobby, Mikey, and Jeff, decide to get through their post-traumatic stress by facing their fears and going on another haunted house road trip. Brandy refuses to be a part of the road trip, despite the group's continuous efforts to have her join. She finally agrees to come along as long as the group agrees to not do any extreme haunts.

Brandy meets with Dr. Margee Kerr to talk about coping with her past trauma. The group then goes to visit the "Halloween Capitol of the World" in Anoka, Minnesota, and a haunted hayride where they are told to find the extreme haunt, "Hellbent."

The five move onto Georgia, where they partake in zombie-themed attractions. They see a road sign that says to "Seek out Hellbent." During a Redneck-themed haunt, they encounter an actor in a Blue Skeleton mask; and the manager reveals that he is not one of his employees. Brandy becomes upset that this seems to be a setup, but the group offers her more money in exchange for her agreeing to go to "Hellbent."

The Blue Skeleton gasses their van, and they awaken to being moved to the site of "Hellbent" in Outer Banks, North Carolina. Inside the haunt, they are given zippered hooded sweatshirts before being chloroformed. Brandy wakes up and is led through the haunt alone by a masked man. She is then made to watch Mikey be doused in gasoline and set on fire, Bobby being waterboarded with blood and hit with a cinderblock, and Zack have his arm cut off with a chainsaw. When she escapes from the masked man, she finds Jeff, hanged from the ceiling.

Brandy is led to an exit by several women in porcelain doll masks. She finds herself in a courtyard surrounded by men in Blue Skeleton masks who hand her a small coffin with a gun inside. She points the weapon at the men who suddenly remove their masks, revealing themselves as Bobby, Zack, Mikey, and Jeff. Brandy then turns the gun on herself and pulls the trigger, then collapses.

Footage from earlier reveals that the woman in the porcelain mask had showed her footage that revealed that the boys had been setting her up. The woman gives Brandy a prop gun and a blood packet while whispering in her ear.

Brandy rises from the ground shocking the rest of the group who then disclose that their plan was to help Blue Skeleton go viral.

A man in a Blue Skeleton mask is shown rearranging the letters from the sign in Georgia that read "Seek Out Hellbent" to "The Blue Skeleton."

Cast

Music

A soundtrack and music video was released for the movie on September 1, 2017, titled The Music October Built. It included a re-imagining of the jazz song "Halloween Spooks" by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross and "Blue Skeleton Man" by Mr. RAY. [2]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 13% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10. [3]

Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter found the film lacking saying "Exhibiting all of the same weaknesses as its predecessor, as well as a fatal lack of originality, this iteration will probably mean the nail in the coffin for this smugly self-regarding series, at least on the theatrical circuit." [4] John Squires of Bloody Disgusting found the sequel underwhelming, saying, "The organic charm of The Houses October Built is mostly absent from The Houses October Built 2, which chooses to rehash the storyline from the first film rather than expand upon any of the interesting threads that were laid out in it" [5] and ultimately giving the film two out of five skulls. [5] Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects found that both the first film and the sequel were guilty of "found footage issues that sink most others using the format;" but whereas the original "succeeds anyway thanks to strong chemistry between the friends and some terrifically creepy sequences," the second film "lacks the scares to make them forgivable." [6]

However, Dread Central 's Matt Boiselle gave the film four out of five stars, [7] writing: "The cinematography is much more streamlined this go-round, and it's nothing but a fun time to be had, that is until the real chills come rolling in, and it's a wait worth holding out for." [7] M. L. Miller of Ain't It Cool News gave the film a positive review but cautioned, "I think the larger scope kind of hurts the overall story. I liked the twists and turns added, but the finale will piss off some," while ultimately saying, "The sequel is bigger and better...The Houses October Built 2 is a fun follow up that’ll please those attracted to the first film." [8] JoBlo says "Like any good sequel, The Houses October Built 2 takes everything we loved from the first film and expands those elements, while at the same time giving us something bigger, better, and faster this go-around." [9]

Home media

The Houses October Built 2 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 2, 2018. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felissa Rose</span> American actress (born 1969)

Felissa Rose Esposito, better known as simply Felissa Rose, is an American actress and producer. Rose has amassed over 150 film credits, and is best known for her work in the horror genre, for which she is recognized as a "scream queen".

<i>Killer Klowns from Outer Space</i> 1988 film by the Chiodo Brothers

Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a 1988 American science fiction comedy horror film written, directed and produced by the Chiodo Brothers and starring Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson and John Vernon. It is the only film written and directed by the Chiodo Brothers, who also created the practical effects and makeup. It concerns evil extraterrestrials who resemble clowns arriving on Earth and invading a small town in order to capture, kill and harvest the human inhabitants to use as sustenance.

<i>Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III</i> 1990 film by Jeff Burr

Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a 1990 American slasher film directed by Jeff Burr and written by David J. Schow. It is the sequel to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), and the third installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Kate Hodge, William Butler, Ken Foree, Tom Hudson, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Unger, and R.A. Mihailoff. The film follows Leatherface and his cannibalistic family stalking a motorist couple in the backroads of Texas.

Halloween is an American slasher media franchise that consists of thirteen films, as well as novels, comic books, a video game and other merchandise. The films primarily focus on Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his sister, Judith Myers. Fifteen years later, he escapes to stalk and kill the people of the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Michael's killings occur on the holiday of Halloween, on which all of the films primarily take place. Throughout the series various protagonists try to stop Myers including, most notably Laurie Strode and psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis. The original Halloween, released in 1978, was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill—the film's director and producer respectively. The film, itself inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Bob Clark's Black Christmas, is known to have inspired a long line of slasher films.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (franchise) American horror franchise

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an American horror franchise created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. It consists of nine films, comics, a novel, and two video game adaptations. The franchise focuses on the cannibalistic spree killer Leatherface and his family, who terrorize unsuspecting visitors to their territories in the desolate Texas countryside, typically killing and subsequently cooking them. The film series has grossed over $252 million at the worldwide box office.

<i>V/H/S</i> 2012 horror anthology film

V/H/S is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the V/H/S franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting, and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of found footage shorts written and directed by Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and the filmmaking collective Radio Silence.

<i>Amityville: The Awakening</i> 2017 film by Franck Khalfoun

Amityville: The Awakening is a 2017 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Franck Khalfoun and starring Bella Thorne, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cameron Monaghan, Mckenna Grace, Thomas Mann, Taylor Spreitler, Jennifer Morrison, and Kurtwood Smith. It is the tenth installment of the Amityville film series and a direct sequel/metafilm taking place in the "real world" outside of the continuity of the series which establishes The Amityville Horror (1979), the sequels from 1982 to 1996, and the 2005 remake of the original film as fiction. Its plot follows a teenager who moves into 112 Ocean Avenue with her family, who shortly find themselves haunted by a demonic entity using her brain-dead twin brother's body as a vessel.

<i>The Houses October Built</i> 2014 American film

The Houses October Built is a 2014 American found footage horror film and the directorial debut of Bobby Roe. It was produced by Zack Andrews and Steven Schneider. Roe and Andrews both star in the film alongside Brandy Schaefer, Mikey Roe, and Jeff Larson. The film's plot follows five friends who set out on a road trip in search of haunted house attractions, and find themselves targeted by a mysterious and disturbed group.

<i>Rings</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by F. Javier Gutiérrez

Rings is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez and written by David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes and Akiva Goldsman. It is the third installment in The Ring series and is based on elements of Spiral by Kōji Suzuki. It stars Matilda Lutz as a young woman who finds herself on the receiving end of a terrifying curse that threatens to take her life in seven days. Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan and Vincent D'Onofrio also star in supporting roles.

<i>Hell House LLC</i> 2015 film by Stephen Cognetti

Hell House LLC is a 2015 American found-footage supernatural horror film written and directed by Stephen Cognetti and produced by Joe Bandelli. It is the first installment in the Hell House LLC franchise. The film, shot as a documentary, follows a group of Halloween haunted house creators as they prepare for the 2009 opening of their popular haunted attraction, Hell House. Tragedy strikes on opening night when an unknown "malfunction" causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff. The film reveals the lead-up to the tragedy and what really went wrong that night, the details of which have remained a mystery to the public. The film was released on a number of video on-demand platforms, including Amazon Video, Shudder, YouTube, Vudu, and iTunes, on November 1, 2016.

<i>Halloween</i> (2018 film) American slasher film

Halloween is a 2018 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green, and co-written by Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride. It is the eleventh installment in the Halloween film series and a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name, while disregarding all previous sequels. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis who reprises her role as Laurie Strode. James Jude Courtney portrays Michael Myers, with Nick Castle returning to the role for a cameo. Halloween also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Haluk Bilginer, and Virginia Gardner. Its plot follows a post-traumatic Laurie Strode who prepares to face Michael Myers in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.

<i>The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special</i> 2017 television special

The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special is an animated Halloween television special that aired on NBC on October 28, 2017. It stars Tom Hanks as Saturday Night Live character David S. Pumpkins. The 21-minute special was written by and also features Mikey Day, Bobby Moynihan, and Streeter Seidell. Peter Dinklage narrates the story, which follows a brother and sister who go trick-or-treating, meet Pumpkins and catch the troublemakers who had disrupted Halloween.

Bobby Roe is an American actor, director, and screenwriter, primarily known for his film The Houses October Built and its sequel The Houses October Built 2. It was produced by Steven Schneider, whose hits include Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Devil Inside and M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit, Split, Glass and Old.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is an American horror media franchise consisting of three slasher films and one television series based on the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan. The first installment was written by Kevin Williamson, directed by Jim Gillespie, and released in 1997.

<i>Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween</i> 2018 film by Ari Sandel

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is a 2018 American horror comedy film directed by Ari Sandel and written by Rob Lieber from a story by Lieber and Darren Lemke. A stand-alone sequel to 2015's Goosebumps, it is based on the children's horror book series of the same name by R. L. Stine. The new cast consists of Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Chris Parnell, and Ken Jeong. The plot follows two young boys who accidentally release the monsters from the Goosebumps franchise in their town after opening an unpublished Goosebumps manuscript titled Haunted Halloween, causing a wave of destruction on Halloween night.

<i>Halloween Kills</i> 2021 American slasher film

Halloween Kills is a 2021 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green, and co-written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. It is the sequel to 2018's Halloween and the twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann, and Anthony Michael Hall. The film begins on the same night where the previous film ended with James Jude Courtney reprising his role as Michael Myers whose presence has become apparent to the residents of Haddonfield.

<i>Haunt</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

Haunt is a 2019 American slasher film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The film stars Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, and Lauryn McClain. Set on a Halloween night, it follows a group of friends who encounter a haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears, unknowing that the performers have a murderous intent.

<i>Open Water 3: Cage Dive</i> 2017 Australian film

Open Water 3: Cage Dive is a 2017 Australian found footage survival horror film directed and written by Gerald Rascionato and released by Lionsgate as part of the Open Water film series, although the film is a stand-alone sequel and only connects to the other films in theme, not continuity. It follows a trio of Americans on vacation in Australia who are also filming an audition tape for an extreme reality TV show on a cage diving excursion. Before they know it, a rogue wave capsizes and sinks their boat leaving them stranded in the ocean. The film is presented as a mockumentary and perpetuated as true events; though most of the film is first person footage from the characters with time stamps throughout the film, in the vein of Paranormal Activity. The film bears similarities to another 2017 shark attack survival film featuring a cage dive excursion gone wrong, 47 Meters Down. The method of "cage dive disaster" in each film differs with Open Water 3: Cage Dive involving a rogue wave capsizing the boat while the former film sees a rusty winch break, trapping the protagonists underwater within the cage. The notable difference between these two films is that Cage Dive does not keep its protagonists within the cage, but rather leaves them in the open water among hungry sharks.

<i>Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by David Blue Garcia

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a 2022 American slasher film directed by David Blue Garcia, with a screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin, from a story by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues. It is the ninth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Set fifty years after the original film, the story focuses on the serial killer Leatherface targeting a group of young adults and coming into conflict with a vengeful survivor of his previous murders. The project is a joint-venture production between Legendary Pictures, Exurbia Films, and Bad Hombre. The film stars Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Latimore, and Alice Krige.

Hell House LLC is an American found footage horror film series created by Stephen Cognetti. The series consists of four films and a fifth film scheduled to release in October 2025. The story of the first three films revolve around the fictitious and abandoned haunted house attraction Hell House LLC, originally known as the Abbadon Hotel. The series details the backstory of the hotel's history along with Hell House LLC's staff.

References

  1. ↑ Squires, John (August 16, 2017). "'The Houses October Built 2' Gets a Release Date". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  2. ↑ Squires, John (September 6, 2017). "The Houses October Built 2 Gets Halloween Soundtrack Album". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  3. ↑ "The Houses October Built 2 (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ Lowe, Justin (September 21, 2017). "'The Houses October Built 2': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Squires, John (September 21, 2017). "[Review] 'The Houses October Built 2' Buries So Much Franchise Potential". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  6. ↑ Hunter, Rob (September 18, 2017). "'The Houses October Built 2' Review: Found Footage Ills, Too Few Chills". Film School Rejects . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Boiselle, Matt (September 22, 2017). "Houses October Built 2, The (2017)". Dread Central . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ Miller, M. L. (September 22, 2017). "AICN Horror: Leatherface! 47 Meters Down! The Houses October Built 2! Revelator! Let Me Make You a Martyr! The Resurrected! Zombies! The Mummy! Watch Over Us! The Creep Behind the Camera! & The Creeping Terror!". Aint It Cool News . Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  9. ↑ Sprague, Mike (2017-09-21). "The Houses October Built 2 (Movie Review)". JoBlo.com . Retrieved 2017-09-30.
  10. ↑ Squires, John (2017-11-30). "'The Houses October Built 2' Scares Up Blu-ray and DVD Date". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2017-11-30.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.