House 2: The Second Story movie synopsis. Young urban professionals Jesse (Arye Gross) and his girlfriend Kate (Lar Park Lincoln) move into an old mansion that has been in Jesse’s family for generations. They are soon joined by Jesse’s goofy friend Charlie (Jonathan Stark), who brought along his diva girlfriend Lana (Amy Yasbeck), in the hopes of being discovered by Kate, who works for a record company.
Jesse has returned to this old family mansion after his parents were murdered when he was a baby. While going through old things in the basement, Jesse finds a picture of his great-great grandfather (and namesake) in front of a Mayan temple holding a crystal skull with jewels in the eyes. In the background is a man Jesse learns is Slim Reeser, a former partner of his great-great grandfather turned bitter enemy after a disagreement over who would get to keep the skull.
Reasoning that the skull must be buried with him, Jesse and Charlie decide to dig up Jesse’s great-great-grandfather in the hopes of procuring the skull. They unearth the casket only to be attacked by the corpse (Royal Dano), who then shows himself to be friendly when Jesse reveals his identity as the senior Jesse’s great-great grandson.
Jesse and Charlie take the cowboy zombie, nicknamed “Gramps”, back to the house, where he is horrified to learn that the skull has not rejuvenated his body as he had hoped. Gramps and Charlie go out drinking and driving, and later the boys listen for hours to Gramps’ stories of the old west and his outlaw life. Gramps explains that the house is actually a Mayan temple, and that each of its rooms act as a hidden doorway across space and time. He charges Charlie and Jesse with defending the skull against the forces of evil.
During an impromptu Halloween party thrown by Charlie, Gramps makes an appearance (though he is overlooked as it is a costume party), Kate leaves Jesse (taking Lana with her) after he is seen with an old girlfriend by her smarmy boss (Bill Maher), and Jesse and Charlie pick up two new pets in the Jurassic era, a baby pterodactyl and a caterpillar-dog.
Bill (John Ratzenberger), an electrician and “part-time adventurer”, arrives to inspect the house’s old wiring. While seemingly a buffoon, he pulls a short-sword from his tool case and leads the boys through “one of those time-portal things…you see these all the time in these old houses.” In the mystic past, the three rescue a Mexican virgin who was about to be sacrificed, who seems to like Jesse but throws things at Charlie.
House II: The Second Story (also released as La Casa Di Helen or informally as La Casa 6) is a 1987 American comedy horror film. While it is a sequel to the 1986 film House, House II does not involve the storyline and characters from the first film, and is a new supernatural comedy, with a tone even lighter than the original film’s.
House II: The Second Story (1987)
Directed by: Ethan Wiley
Starring: Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, Bill Maher, John Ratzenberger, Lar Park-Lincoln, Amy Yasbeck, Lenora May, Devin DeVasquez, Mitzi Kapture
Screenplay by: Ethan Wiley
Production Design by: Gregg Fonseca
Cinematography by: Mac Ahlberg
Film Editing by: Martin Nicholson
Costume Design by: Heidi F. Gilles, Heidi Kaczenski
Set Decoration by: Dorree Cooper, Gene Serdena
Art Direction by: Don Diers, Larry Fulton
Music by: Harry Manfredini
Distributed by: New World Pictures
Release Date: August 26, 1987
Visits: 157
