The Hills Have Eyes 2
Encyclopedia
The Hills Have Eyes 2 is the 2007 American horror film
sequel
to the 2006 film The Hills Have Eyes
which was a remake of the 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes
. The film follows several heroic, but troubled, U.S. National Guardsmen as they fight for survival against the mutant
people living in a military base in New Mexico. The Hills Have Eyes 2 was directed by German
film director
Martin Weisz and written by father and son team Wes
and Jonathan Craven
.
A graphic novel
titled The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning
was published by Fox Atomic Comics
to accompany the release of the film; it was released July 3, 2007
) smashes her head in with a rock. Nearby, a group of scientists working in the desert hills are attacked by Letch (Jason Oettle).
Some time later, a group of National Guard reservists in training are sent into the hills to resupply the scientists, who are working for the Department of Defense
on installing a surveillance
system (implied to be a result of the events in the first film). The soldiers arrive to find the camp apparently abandoned, with no sign of their commanding officer or any of the civilians, with outside radio contact impossible due to the topography. When the radio operator, Spitter (Eric Edelstein), picks up a faint distress call, the sergeant (Flex Alexander
) organizes a training missing, leaving behind Napoleon (Michael McMillian
) and Amber (Jessica Stroup
).
The search party discovers the mutilated body of a scientist in the hills, while Amber and Napolean pull another mutilated and dying scientists from beneath the portable toilet. On her way to join the group, Amber is attacked by Stabber (Tyrell Kemblo), but a returning (and injured) Mickey (Reshad Strik
) drives him off. Just as Napoleon catches up, Mickey is pulled into a bolt-hole and killed. At the same time, the remaining troops are also attacked by Letch, leading to the sergeant being killed by Spitter's friendly fire. Spitter himself is later killed by an unseen mutant sabotaging his rappelling gear.
The troop soon locates their commanding officer, who has clearly become unhinged from recent events. He warns them of the mutants' plans to capture woman for breeding and kill everyone else, then commits suicide. With their remaining gear stolen, the team is forced to try to find another way down the mountain. In the process, Missy (Daniella Alonso) is captured and taken into the tunnels, where she is raped, while the remaining troop chases after her. They manage to kill mutants Chameleon (Derek Mears
) and Sniffer (Gaspar Szabo), but Stump (Ben Crowley) and Delmar (Lee Thompson Young
) are also killed. Crank (Jacob Vargas) is also killed by a trapped crate of dynamite.
While in the mines, the troop locate a non-violent mutant named Hansel (David Reynolds) who eventually shows them the way out of the mines, but Amber insists on returning to find Missy. They find and free her, then have a final showdown with Papa Hades. The final three National Guard troops -- Amber, Napoleon, and Missy -- make their way out of the mine, seemingly alive and safe. However, the epilogue text in the closing scene indicates that none of the guardsmen were ever found, and at least one mutant is seen alive, and making use of the high-tech surveillance equipment to watch the survivors.
The mutants
Sector 16 Workers
Others
, Morocco
, where the previous movie
was filmed. The alternate title was The Hills Have Eyes 2: The Hills Still Have Eyes.
Writer Wes Craven's initial inspiration for the film came during a casual conversation with producer Peter Locke. Craven envisioned that the previous film's character, Brenda (Emilie de Ravin
), traumatized by her suffering during the events of The Hills Have Eyes
, joins the National Guard to overcome her fears. Barely finished with basic training, Brenda receives a call from her sergeant, who explains that they are sending a team back to the New Mexico desert to eradicate the remaining mutants. Her sergeant and the team need her, for she is the only one left alive who knows the mutants' location. Because of de Ravin's involvement in the television show Lost
, her schedule was unable to accommodate the filming of the sequel. Wes Craven
replaced her character, but retained much of the original concept, including the group of National Guard soldiers in training.
A one-minute teaser trailer was released on December 12, 2006. The teaser featured "Insect Eyes," a song by indie folk recording artist Devendra Banhart
. In addition to that, a series of clips with an introduction by Wes Craven
and a small gallery can be found on the Fox Atomic website. Also on Fox Atomic is a soundless clip of the mutant Grabber attacking Amber. Later on a full length trailer and two clips were released to Yahoo! Movies.
Craven originally looked at Michael J. Bassett, the director of Deathwatch, to take over the directing role, but ultimately chose Martin Weisz after scheduling conflicts with Bassett.
. The film grossed $37,405,247 worldwide.
The film has grossed over $30 million in DVD sales, making in total $67,915,885.
Track listing -US Edition
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the 2006 film The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of...
which was a remake of the 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
. The film follows several heroic, but troubled, U.S. National Guardsmen as they fight for survival against the mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
people living in a military base in New Mexico. The Hills Have Eyes 2 was directed by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Martin Weisz and written by father and son team Wes
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
and Jonathan Craven
Jonathan Craven
Jonathan Craven , son of renowned horror director Wes Craven and ex-wife Bonnie Broecker , is a writer and director with a number of credits to his name. Aside from his lineage, he is probably most noteworthy for his co-writing credit on The Hills Have Eyes 2 and his work on the short-lived NBC...
.
A graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
titled The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning
The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning
The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning is a graphic novel prequel to both the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's horror movie classic The Hills Have Eyes and its Fox Atomic sequel, The Hills Have Eyes 2...
was published by Fox Atomic Comics
Fox Atomic Comics
Fox Atomic Comics was formed in late 2006 as the graphic novel publishing arm of Fox Atomic. In partnership with publisher HarperCollins, Fox Atomic Comics produced and distributed graphic novels tied to Fox Atomic theatrical releases as well as original content. It closed, along with Fox Atomic,...
to accompany the release of the film; it was released July 3, 2007
Plot
The movie opens in the New Mexico desert, with the mutants from the first film having captured a woman who is being forced to breed mutant children. As soon as she has given birth, Papa Hades (Michael Bailey SmithMichael Bailey Smith
Michael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:...
) smashes her head in with a rock. Nearby, a group of scientists working in the desert hills are attacked by Letch (Jason Oettle).
Some time later, a group of National Guard reservists in training are sent into the hills to resupply the scientists, who are working for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
on installing a surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
system (implied to be a result of the events in the first film). The soldiers arrive to find the camp apparently abandoned, with no sign of their commanding officer or any of the civilians, with outside radio contact impossible due to the topography. When the radio operator, Spitter (Eric Edelstein), picks up a faint distress call, the sergeant (Flex Alexander
Flex Alexander
Mark Alexander Knox , better known as Flex Alexander or Flex, is an American actor, comedian and dancer.-Early life:Born in New York City in Harlem, Alexander is the son of Alethia Knox and Robert Whitehead....
) organizes a training missing, leaving behind Napoleon (Michael McMillian
Michael McMillian
Michael McMillian is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on What I Like About You and Steve Newlin on the HBO series True Blood...
) and Amber (Jessica Stroup
Jessica Stroup
Jessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
).
The search party discovers the mutilated body of a scientist in the hills, while Amber and Napolean pull another mutilated and dying scientists from beneath the portable toilet. On her way to join the group, Amber is attacked by Stabber (Tyrell Kemblo), but a returning (and injured) Mickey (Reshad Strik
Reshad Strik
Reshad Strik is an Australian actor of Bosnian descent.- Biography and career :Raised on Central Coast of New South Wales, Strik was a surfer and boxer as a youth. His sporting ambitions took a detour after he landed a national commercial and decided to pursue his love of film and theater by...
) drives him off. Just as Napoleon catches up, Mickey is pulled into a bolt-hole and killed. At the same time, the remaining troops are also attacked by Letch, leading to the sergeant being killed by Spitter's friendly fire. Spitter himself is later killed by an unseen mutant sabotaging his rappelling gear.
The troop soon locates their commanding officer, who has clearly become unhinged from recent events. He warns them of the mutants' plans to capture woman for breeding and kill everyone else, then commits suicide. With their remaining gear stolen, the team is forced to try to find another way down the mountain. In the process, Missy (Daniella Alonso) is captured and taken into the tunnels, where she is raped, while the remaining troop chases after her. They manage to kill mutants Chameleon (Derek Mears
Derek Mears
Derek Mears is an American actor and stuntman, best known for his role as Jason Voorhees in the reboot of Friday the 13th.-Early life:...
) and Sniffer (Gaspar Szabo), but Stump (Ben Crowley) and Delmar (Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young
Lee Thompson Young is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role as the title character on the Disney Channel television series The Famous Jett Jackson...
) are also killed. Crank (Jacob Vargas) is also killed by a trapped crate of dynamite.
While in the mines, the troop locate a non-violent mutant named Hansel (David Reynolds) who eventually shows them the way out of the mines, but Amber insists on returning to find Missy. They find and free her, then have a final showdown with Papa Hades. The final three National Guard troops -- Amber, Napoleon, and Missy -- make their way out of the mine, seemingly alive and safe. However, the epilogue text in the closing scene indicates that none of the guardsmen were ever found, and at least one mutant is seen alive, and making use of the high-tech surveillance equipment to watch the survivors.
Cast
The National Guard- Michael McMillianMichael McMillianMichael McMillian is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on What I Like About You and Steve Newlin on the HBO series True Blood...
as Napoleon - Jessica StroupJessica StroupJessica Leigh Stroup is an American actress and fashion model. Stroup is best known for her role as Erin Silver on The CW television series 90210, a spin-off to the original Beverly Hills, 90210...
as Amber - Jacob VargasJacob Vargas-Early life:Vargas was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, since 1971. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family.-Career:...
as Crank - Flex AlexanderFlex AlexanderMark Alexander Knox , better known as Flex Alexander or Flex, is an American actor, comedian and dancer.-Early life:Born in New York City in Harlem, Alexander is the son of Alethia Knox and Robert Whitehead....
as Sarge - Lee Thompson YoungLee Thompson YoungLee Thompson Young is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role as the title character on the Disney Channel television series The Famous Jett Jackson...
as Delmar - Daniella Alonso as Missy
- Eric Edelstein as Spitter
- Reshad StrikReshad StrikReshad Strik is an Australian actor of Bosnian descent.- Biography and career :Raised on Central Coast of New South Wales, Strik was a surfer and boxer as a youth. His sporting ambitions took a detour after he landed a national commercial and decided to pursue his love of film and theater by...
as Mickey - Ben Crowley as Stump
The mutants
- Michael Bailey SmithMichael Bailey SmithMichael Bailey Smith is an American movie and television actor. He is best known for his appearances on the hit television series Charmed, where he played Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, a Grimlock leader and Shax.-Early life:...
as Papa Hades - Derek MearsDerek MearsDerek Mears is an American actor and stuntman, best known for his role as Jason Voorhees in the reboot of Friday the 13th.-Early life:...
as Chameleon - David Reynolds as Hansel
- Tyrell Kemlo as Stabber
- Gáspár Szabó as Grabber
- Jason Oettle as Letch
Sector 16 Workers
- Jeff KoberJeff KoberJeff Kober is an American actor, known for his performances on television and film.-Major work:Jeff Kober, a native of Billings, Montana, was born on December 18, 1953. Not satisfied with being a rancher, Kober relocated to the L.A. area in his twenties with the desire to become an actor...
as Redding - Jay AcovoneJay AcovoneJay Acovone is an American actor who was born in Mahopac, New York as the son of a dry-cleaning business owners.-Career:...
as Wilson - Philip Pavel as Foster
- Archie KaoArchie KaoArchie David Kao is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Archie Johnson in the hit television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as well as the role of Kai Chen in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy...
as Han
Others
- Cecile Breccia as Pregnant woman
- Fatiha Quatili as Afghan woman
- Joseph Beddelem as Insurgent
- Jeremy Goei as Cly
Production
The Hills Have Eyes 2 began filming in the summer of 2006 in OuarzazateOuarzazate
-See also:* Tizi n'Tichka: The mountain pass that leads to Ouarzazate* List of Movies shot in Morocco-External links:* at IMDb...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where the previous movie
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of...
was filmed. The alternate title was The Hills Have Eyes 2: The Hills Still Have Eyes.
Writer Wes Craven's initial inspiration for the film came during a casual conversation with producer Peter Locke. Craven envisioned that the previous film's character, Brenda (Emilie de Ravin
Emilie de Ravin
Emilie de Ravin born 27 December 1981)is an Australian actress. She is commonly associated with her roles as Tess Harding on Roswell and Claire Littleton on the ABC drama Lost....
), traumatized by her suffering during the events of The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of...
, joins the National Guard to overcome her fears. Barely finished with basic training, Brenda receives a call from her sergeant, who explains that they are sending a team back to the New Mexico desert to eradicate the remaining mutants. Her sergeant and the team need her, for she is the only one left alive who knows the mutants' location. Because of de Ravin's involvement in the television show Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, her schedule was unable to accommodate the filming of the sequel. Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
replaced her character, but retained much of the original concept, including the group of National Guard soldiers in training.
A one-minute teaser trailer was released on December 12, 2006. The teaser featured "Insect Eyes," a song by indie folk recording artist Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
. In addition to that, a series of clips with an introduction by Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
and a small gallery can be found on the Fox Atomic website. Also on Fox Atomic is a soundless clip of the mutant Grabber attacking Amber. Later on a full length trailer and two clips were released to Yahoo! Movies.
Craven originally looked at Michael J. Bassett, the director of Deathwatch, to take over the directing role, but ultimately chose Martin Weisz after scheduling conflicts with Bassett.
Box office and reception
The Hills Have Eyes 2 received mostly negative reviews, garnering a 11% freshness rating from review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The film grossed $37,405,247 worldwide.
The film has grossed over $30 million in DVD sales, making in total $67,915,885.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on July 17, 2007.Track listing -US Edition
- The Hills Have Eyes - Loudlion
- My Fork In The Road (Your Knife In My Back) - AtreyuAtreyu (band)Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
- Unretrofied - The Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
- Redemption - Shadows FallShadows FallShadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
- Darkest Nights - As I Lay DyingAs I Lay Dying (band)As I Lay Dying is an American metalcore band from San Diego, California. Founded in 2000 by Tim Lambesis and having completed their first Line-up in 2001, the band consists of vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, lead guitarist Nick Hipa, rhythm guitarist Phil Sgrosso, and bassist Josh...
- Hard Rock Hallelujah - LordiLordiLordi is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band, formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts...
- Prayers - In This MomentIn This MomentIn This Moment is an American metalcore band from North Hollywood , California. Formed in 2005, the group has released three albums to date, all through Century Media Records.-Founding:...
- I Know Hollywood And You Ain't It - Walls Of Jericho
- Throwing Stones - The End
- Failure In The Flesh - Through The Eyes Of The DeadThrough the Eyes of the DeadThrough the Eyes of the Dead is an American deathcore band from Florence, South Carolina, formed in 2003. They have released three full-length albums, one EP, and one split album with The Knife Trade.-History:...
- Sleeping With The Fishes, See? - The Number 12 Looks Like You
- Own Little World (Remorse Code Remix) - CelldwellerCelldwellerCelldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based Electronic Rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust . Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being...
External links
- Teaser and Trailer on Apple Trailers released on January 4, 2007
- Review at Dread Central