Following its release in 2019, In Search of Darkness earned universal acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. The film earned a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Forbes magazine calling it “a scary good magnum opus”. Given its success, the filmmakers decided to follow-up with yet another four-hour-long 1980s horror documentary and expand further. While the first one covered the more iconic films, the second one would focus on more lesser-known films. In addition to the returning guests, many more guests were added, including actors, special effects artists, and internet commentators. Instead of using Kickstarter and IndieGogo, the filmmakers decided to make the documentary available for pre-order from their website. Through this, numerous different editions based on actors and internet personalities were made available for backers with their own exclusives. Finally, in late 2020, In Search of Darkness: Part II was released for horror fans to enjoy.
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Synopsis
Building off of the first film, this once again looks at horror films of the 1980s but expands further. More foreign films are spotlighted, including films from prominent directors like Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, and Lucio Fulci. Some of the horror films that are spotlighted include Nightbeast, Blood Diner, Cannibal Holocaust, Beetlejuice, The Beyond, and Mother’s Day. The new guests featured include Robert Englund, Steve Johnson, Tom Savini, Linnea Quigley, Robert Rusler, Nancy Allen, and Gedde Watanabe. While many of the commentators from the last film return, they also bring in YouTubers Brandon Tenold and Oliver Harper. Like the last film, they cover films from each year and in between focus on trends and themes explored. Also, they spotlight the careers of some of the major players interviewed, including Englund, Savini, and Quigley. It’s another massive four-hour celebration of one of the most prominent decades in horror cinema.
Review
Like the last film, In Search of Darkness: Part II is a very informative and enjoyable horror documentary. The filmmakers have taken everything that made the first film great, expand upon it, and make it better. Fans who may have been disappointed that a certain film or a certain guest wasn’t included will hopefully be satisfied. There’s a nice variety between American-made and foreign horror films, though there seems to be more emphasis on Italian cinema. The only exceptions are the Hong Kong film The Seventh Curse and the Japanese film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Then again, as with the last documentary, there are so many films out, it’s difficult to cover them all. Also, it would’ve been great if they had gotten some interviewees who had been involved in the Italian-made productions. Still, what we’re given here is more than we could have asked for.
Having more effects artists interviewed is a huge get for this documentary, hearing them explain how effects were pulled off. It’s especially cool to see Tom Savini reminisce about his experiences as the “master of splatter” in the ’80s. Like before, they explore various horror trends and themes explored, plus the impact the films had on pop culture. For instance, there’s a segment where they talk about video games based on horror films and how they’ve evolved. With speakers like actor Gedde Watanabe and director Jackie Kong, there’s also some commentary on how Asians were represented. It’s interesting to hear Watanabe talk about going from a stereotype in Sixteen Candles to a regular guy in Vamp. There’s also talk about queer representation in horror, further showing that horror truly knows no demographics. Overall, if you loved the first film, In Search of Darkness: Part II gives you even more.
Learn more about In Search of Darkness: Part II at 80shorrordoc.com
