John’s Horror Corner: Ghoulies 2 (1988)

MY CALL:  Oodles of silly, buckets of fun.  This movie doesn’t take itself seriously at all and I love it.  It’s one of the more enjoyable family friendly (i.e., PG-13) horror movies.  IF YOU LIKE THIS WATCH:  Enjoy more miniature menaces with Puppet Master (1989), Critters (1986) and Ghoulies (1985).  Other carnival funhouse flicks include Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988; which is AMAZING), Howling VI: The Freaks (1991; which is almost intolerably bad) and The Funhouse (1981; which is decent and way under-rated).  SEQUEL SIDEBAR:  Other than the ghoulies themselves, I find no connection between this story and Ghoulies part one.  None.

The ghoulies are back!  And they’ve come with a well-deserved special effects makeover, some stop-motion action and some new ugly friends.  They sneakily hitch a ride with Larry (Damon Martin; Amityville 1992) and his uncle Ned (Royal Dano; House II, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Spaced Invaders) on their way to work at a traveling carnival.

The ghoulies reveal themselves in the funhouse and start causing trouble.  They’re much more involved in the action in this movie compared to Ghoulies.  This movie also has a little more fun with the ghoulies.  They high five in front of a crowd of chanting people while playing with dead things and one of them projectile vomits green superglue at two teenagers making out, leaving their faces stuck together and the guy’s hand firmly planted on second base.

Little person Nigel (Phil Fondacaro; Willow, Return of the Jedi, Return to Oz) and gypsy go-go dancer Nicole (Kerry Remsen; A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2, Pumpkinhead) round out the better supporting cast.  But the show stealer is often drunk Uncle Ned, who believes that his parlor trick illusions resulted in real magic and summoned the ghoulies to serve him.

Phil Fondacaro as Nigel

The carneys eventually unite to battle the ghoulies in silly confrontations.  Additional doses of silly come when the ghoulies get out of the funhouse and run amok throughout the carnival grounds.  There is also an implication that a man’s genitals are eaten by a ghoulie in the men’s room–don’t worry, he deserved it.  Lots of random, lots of silly.  But how they defeat and get rid of the ghoulies is just priceless!

Reading from an incantation book, Nigel and Larry summon a giant ghoulie which catches and eats the little ghoulies one by one, picking its teeth like a bloated, satisfied foodie after each one.  Unfortunately, now they have 500-pound ghoulie on their hands, which they dispatch in an appropriately inane manner.

The movie ends with a strong suggestion of a sequel, which is the case in almost every horror movie ever.  But you’re left somehow wanting more of this nonsense.  I hope you like it.  Childhood favorite for me!