Video Violence 2 (1988 Video) User Reviews

black comedy about snuff; cheap and unpleasant, just like it should be

[FieCrier · 5/10 · 25 February 2005]

In the prologue, a woman enters a vampire's tomb to stake him in the heart. After she does, she withdraws the stake, with the bloody beating heart on it. She's about to lick or bite it when she says she can't - she's on a movie set. The director and crew are annoyed and stake her in the heart for real, drawing her heart out of her body.

That's right, this is a black comedy about snuff films!

A newscaster explains that pirate broadcasts of "The Howard & Eli Show" have been interrupting regular broadcasts. He is interrupted by one of these broadcasts. The show is a cable-access level show in which Howard and Eli tell bad jokes, show snuff films sent in by their viewers, and torture their guests. In "Wilbur," a boy gets bitten by his toy while his mother looks on, smiling. In "Electric Chair," an ex-sheriff who felt cheated by the fact he'd never witnessed an execution electrocutes someone he kidnapped. In "Pizza Boy," three friends who enjoy the Howard & Eli Show are annoyed by how only kills of women by men are shown. They decide a killing of a man by women would be nice. This segment definitely drags, with some odd slow-motion video effects of dancing. In "The Best Of" an announcer lists the scenes that will be available in Video Violence 2 (they're not available in this movie, which is actually titled Video Violence Two). As he does this, scenes of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Norman Bates entering a woman's shower to kill a woman are shown. Norman doesn't fare as well, since the woman that time has a handgun with her in the shower. In "The Video Studio," an out-of-town woman wants to rent three horror movies (including Funeral Home, and the first Video Violence). They'd rather show her how well their shrink-wrap machine works. In "Deli Dick's", the host displays how a certain slicer works on a woman who's come for a job.

Interspersed with this, a woman has come to Howard and Eli's studio under the impression that she's auditioning for a horror movie. They tie her up and mutilate her, to their great amusement. There's a bit of a twist on this towards the end. There are also station IDs for "W.G.O.R.!... yuck!" under which other short scenes of bondage or torture appear that are fairly creepy.

Finally, Howard and Eli receive a tape that appears to be from two of their victims from the first movie, that threatens that they will come to the studio and kill everyone. After the end credits a Video Violence 3 is promised, but that does not seem to have ever happened.

The movie was shot with a very poor video camera, and the picture quality is fairly bad. This actually works in its favor, since it is supposed to be a pirate broadcast of homemade movies. It does manage to be fairly unpleasant.

Both this and the first VV bear the grinning picture of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs and the note "Approved by Bob Dobbs - Used by permission of The Church of the SubGenius" I don't know if anyone associated with the Church was actually affiliated with the movie, but of course SubGenii do appreciate Great Badfilm.

Absolutely hilarious, perfect match with a cheese pizza

[last_cheese · 6/10 · 23 October 2012]

Video Violence 2 takes a turn away from it's predecessor in that it is far more tongue-in-cheek and silly than the first, which was a lot more serious in tone. A lot of the gags are cheap, and are laughable, as is the acting and plot, but it seems like that was all intentional.

the movie begins on set of a horror movie, a campy one about a vampire. When the actress refuses to eat the fake heart, the crew show her how it is done, by removing hers! It then cuts to a news broadcast about a pirate TV show that features killings, before promptly being cut by the pirate TV show - The Howard and Eli show. The two guests start by telling some corny jokes, before showing an ad for a little Christmas toy that kills the child. Howard and Eli then bring out an actress, telling her she's doing an audition for a splatter movie. They tie her up and then begin torturing her. Every so often the show cuts to fan made videos that are sent in, like an ex-cop that electrocutes a criminal's head and pops his eyes out, or man hating women that kill a pizza boy. The show ends and it is revealed that the actress was never actually harmed and it was just a gag. The crew receive a tape, from Steve and Rachael, the victims of the first one. They break in with a shotgun and a chainsaw... And then remove masks to reveal that they aren't those two.

I love this movie, is so campy and hilarious, it's the type of movie you can watch with a beer or some pizza. It's not meant to be taken seriously, and if you turn off your brain and just go in expecting a great time, you'll have a blast.

Plot sucks, kills actually rule!

[chanvat · 6/10 · 24 July 2003]

Man the plot and acting for this movie absolutely suck. However, I can say that the acting is so bad its funny, in a campy sort of way. However, the saving point of this film is the kills, which are actually somewhat creative and extremely gory (as well as fairly realistic). Not bad work for a film with what looks like a $2,000 budget.

Good cheesy gory flick

[ultra_tippergore · 2 April 2007]

Video Violence 2 is about an illegal TV show "The Howard and Eli Show" which consists of real snuff videos. They make their own videos killing babes on air and they also show other people videos, homemade snuff. The plot is non-existent, its all like a TV show with commercials and that kind of stuff. The highlight here are the gore scenes that are cool, this is a gory comedy. Sometimes the jokes are too long and even the movie itself is like a very long joke, but its cool and worth for gore fans who like cheesy movies. If you look for good production values, intelligent plot, good lighting and good performances, look far away from this one. I liked it for what it is, a no-brainier movie. 6/10

Has Moments, But Could've Been So Much Better

[TheExpatriate700 · 5/10 · 22 July 2012]

Video Violence has some hilarious scenes and a great premise, but it largely fails to deliver. Although a lot of enthusiasm clearly went into it, it suffers from significant problems with its pacing and writing. However, it benefits from some energetic performances.

The film consists of an episode of a new show by Howard and Eli, murderers who like to broadcast their killings, and tapes of killings sent in. The film does not have a plot so much as it goes from one kill scene to another. This is not all bad, as there are some interesting kills.

The problem is that the film also have a large amount of filler to get it up to barely feature length. Some of the murders drag out with too much dialogue, and not very good dialogue at that. The only thing that keeps this from a lower score is the enthusiasm of some of the performers, particularly the guys who play Howard and Eli. They know not to take this too seriously and ham it up.

Not as much of a camp classic as the first one was

[movieman_kev · 3/10 · 13 April 2007]

The main murdering duo of the first film, Howard and Eli, now seem to have a pirate public access show filmed from a hidden location which is just the device they need to showcase bloody kills, without having to deal with the pesky little thing called plot (yea the first one's was stenuas at best, but it DID have one). Still that's not really a detriment of a movie like this & with a running time shorter then the first by almost half an hour (more if you subtract the time this one spends on clips from the first), it's not hard to sit through. And this film is a mild improvement to the first in regards to the acting as well as the special effects. However it just doesn't all jibe as well as the original. A movie full of black humor that I enjoyed a lot more. This one is still worth a view though, i guess.

My Grade: D+

DVD Extras: Audio commentary by Director/ writer Gary Cohen, Special effects men Mark Dolsom & Mark Kwiatek, and actors Art Neill, Paul Kay, David Christopher, & Uke; 15 minute interview with Cohen; and Trailers for Video Violence 1, Video Violence 2, Cannibal Campout, Woodchipper Massacre, & Ghoul School (the DVD also comes with the first video Volence film on the same disc)

Video Violence 2

[Scarecrow-88 · 3/10 · 7 September 2008]

Howard and Eli return in this satiric sequel, as hosts of a pirate public access station snuff show where they mutilate and dismember special guests(..the guest on their show in this movie believes she's test screening for a role in a splatter movie)invited and unknowingly volunteering for their own destruction. Eli and Howard provide their bloodthirsty audience with a series of violent acts to this *actress* such as scissoring through her arm using the veins as a way to give the camera the finger, extracting her eyeball, removing her thumbs, etc. The show also has commercial breaks featuring recordings of murders to other victims including the damage inflicted on a victim tied to a home-made electric chair, what happens to a pizza boy thanks to three man-hating women who decide to kill for the first time, what employees and customers of a video store do to an outsider attempting to rent some movies(..nice use of saran wrap and a blow-drier for this particular girl), a newly hired employee at a grocery mart is used by her bosses as an example for their new experimental devices such as a slice'n'dicer that chops fingers into little pieces and a blood drainer if you have a taste for something different, and a little pet monster for sale who can kill your children if you are a tired parent looking to decrease the members in your family. Sicker, more twisted(..and more tedious and outlandish)sequel from writer/director Gary Cohen stretches his premise a bit thin. The two twists at the end are amusing enough, I guess. Many of the gore gags(..like the exploding face of the victim being shocked in the hot seat)are more laughable than before, but slasher fans who liked the first film from Cohen might get a kick out of this one. I kind of found this sequel rather long-in-the-tooth, wearing out it's welcome pretty quickly. Uke and Bart Sumner, as the warped duo, are living it up again, cackling and giggling as they *torment* their new victim. Everyone in the film seem to be having a good time.

Fun!

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 23 April 2023]

At some point after the events of the first movie, Eli and Howard have decided to start broadcasting a public access show from their basement, one that has viewers from home sending in their own kills as if this was America's Bloodiest Home Videos.

It has an electric chair, a gang of woman seducing a pizza guy until deciding to repeatedly stab him, a commerical for some killing implements and a live guest becoming, well, a dead one. And where the first film starts to make you wonder if you're just as bad as the killers for loving their work, this one decides to go full Herschell Gordon Lewis and make the whole thing a ridiculous, if not blood spraying, laugh fest.

Either that's going to work for you - I love it - or you're going to feel like this whole thing is a poorly acted waste of time, which is a sad state for you to be in. You have to love a film that has The Shape, Freddy and Norman Bates all show up and bother the same girl in the same shower.

Not up to snuff.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 28 December 2021]

Gary P. Cohen's low-budget sequel to his '87 movie Video Violence is in the spirit of cult director Herschell Gordon Lewis, with amateurish acting, basic direction, and lots of cheapo gore; unfortunately, it's on par with one of Lewis's lesser efforts and is difficult to take at times, not because of the blood and guts, but thanks to a really puerile script.

The film centres around a pirate public access programme, The Howard and Eli show, that broadcasts snuff videos, as well as its own real death content. Hosts Howard (Bart Sumner) and Eli (Uke) torture a young woman, Debbie Landau (Elizabeth Lee Miller), and shoot the breeze with the show's musician, organist Gordon (Gordon Ovsiew). Videos on the show include three girls seducing and then killing a pizza boy, the murder of a video store customer, and the execution of a man by electric chair (the victim's eyeballs popping out and his face exploding). Along the way, the presenters pull out the tendons on Debbie's arm, cut off her thumbs and pluck out her eye. Once the show has wrapped, Debbie's torture is revealed to be fake - but then she is killed for real!

The film closes with a couple of Howard and Eli's previous victims, armed with a shotgun and chainsaw, bursting into the studio to take revenge; this is also revealed to be fake - a prank played by a couple of the host's friends.

Fans of amateur splatter will get a kick out of the home-made special effects, which aren't very convincing but are fun nonetheless, but the black humour is dreadfully unsophisticated and not very funny making much of the film something of an endurance test.

Very entertaining, but didn't feel like a full film.

[MovieManiac42 · 6/10 · 27 February 2008]

This sequel to Gary Cohen's Video Violence follows our two sadistic killers from the first film, Howard and Eli. These two crazy cats have moved from making their little snuff films and have gone to do bigger and better things. Now they host their own pirated T.V. show where viewers can send in their own homemade snuff films.

This film, though nothing close to as good as the original Video Violence, is one entertaining little flick. Unfortunately the film feels as though it falls short. It seemed more as just a special feature for Video Violence 1, rather than a whole new film. This may be because the film has such a weak plot.

I kind of had the impression that the original Video Violence was a film that was taken very seriously with the intention of making a well put together film, and that this sequel was made just for fun. Video Violence 2 is a lot more campy and focuses on humor more than gore.

Over all the film is very entertaining, but didn't really feel like a full length movie.

A lot of fun

[SykkBoy · 9/10 · 22 May 2001]

This video, shot on camcorder is a lot of good campy fun. It's not for the weak of heart or the easily offended but is a fun bad movie.

It features a couple guys who host a late night pirated tv show featuring snuff videos their fans send in (they even have an in-studio band). Kind of America's Funniest Home Videos on crack.

I loved it, my wife was offended, so I guess it's one of those videos you either love or hate...if you're looking for something different and totally sick, check this out...if you want acting, production values and plot, go rent "Titanic" for the 100th time...

More senseless (stupid!) video violence

[The_Void · 6/10 · 16 May 2008]

The original 'Video Violence' was a campy and trashy, yet somehow likable little horror film. I guess the filmmakers must have had some film stock left over and a bunch of actors with a few days to spare so they decided to come up with this patched together 'sequel'. I suppose they have to be given some credit; the original didn't exactly leave the door open for a sequel, and they could easily have just done something similar to the first one and slapped a '2' on the end of the title. The film is similar to the first film, but it goes off in a completely different direction; and this is both refreshing and works well. The film once again focuses on the two maniacal antagonists from the first film; Howard and Eli. Their violence has won them a lot of fans and this had lead to them getting their own TV show ("The Howard & Eli Show") in which they torture and kill people live on the air. There isn't really a plot to speak of; the film is made up of different segments all revolving around snuff films and the TV show at the centre of the movie.

Staying true to the original, all the action featured in this film is very silly and trashy and the special effects haven't got any better either so the film still looks like it was made for a sum of money in double figures. While this doesn't exactly give it a lot of credibility, it does at least add to the charm. One of the few good things about the original film was its ham-fisted commentary on how film watchers love to see violence. This film once again takes that ball and runs with it but unfortunately this time it's all just too over the top and while the original wasn't very poignant, this one isn't at all. The original film also harked back to the old 'video rental' tradition with the focus being on a video store. This one doesn't have that going for it and the TV show idea isn't as good because (as far as I know) there isn't a show that is anything like this one. Still, the film is at least fun to watch and at just seventy five minutes, it doesn't drag like the original did. Fans of the original will probably enjoy this one too.

almost as awesome as the original

[bigkittywilliams · 9/10 · 10 July 2002]

Cool movie and you should see it. Lots of good hacking and breasts. Not as good as the original to me, but I liked it somewhat. In this movie there really isn't any plot- about 60 minutes of it is an actual recording of the Howard and Eli show. the best part of the movie was the organist Gordon, who was really awesome. He also wrote the music. He was the genius behind the music.

If you think not just anybody can make a movie. Think again.

[Scarface-18 · 27 November 2000]

Shot on a home video camera with amateurish production values. Video Violence 2 is...well Video Violence. Howard and Eli host a pirate cable T.V. show that has a cult following. They air tapes submitted by their fans actually killing people in gruesome ways. And it is supposed to be funny. They even have a commercial for a toy that bites the throats off of children! Hilarious! I actually found this movie (If you can call it that) really funny. They remind me of the stuff me and my friends do with video cameras. Not for the weak stomach, the effects are gruesome. I recommend this for people that has a taste for low budget cheesy stuff.

A worthy twisted follow-up to the sick original

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 31 October 2007]

Those demented hillbilly sickos Howard and Eli are back and worse than ever. Now these two depraved degenerates have their own pirate variety show on cable television. The decidedly unwholesome program includes commercials for sick items (you just gotta love Wilber, an evil fanged teddy bear that rips out little kids' throats!), terrible groan-inducing stand-up comedy routines, snuff videos sent in by viewers, and the gleeful on-air torture of naive aspiring actress Debbie (hot busty blonde babe Elizabeth Lee Miller). The homemade snuff videos are hilariously mean-spirited hoots: a folksy retired sheriff and his darling wife fry a dangerous criminal in their basement electric chair, a trio of sexy college girls blithely butcher a hunky pizza delivery boy, the staff and patrons at a video rental outlet slaughter an out-of-town chick, and a jolly deli owner tries out his new killing instruments on an unsuspecting lady victim. Writer/director Gary P. Cohen plays the whole warped premise for uproariously tasteless and offensive pitch black humor that's often crudely amusing in an admittedly lowbrow sort of way. Uke and Burt Sumner have a grand hammy time as Howard and Eli; their unrestrained eye-rolling histrionics may not be subtle, but they are quite entertaining. Gordon Ovsiew likewise makes a nice impression as the show's sunglassed hipster geek piano player. Better still, this flick sure doesn't skimp on either the excessive cheesy splatter or tasty gratuitous distaff nudity. A terrifically tacky howler.

An all-time favorite for the true gore fan.

[shop77 · 10 January 2001]

This film is among the thousands of B horror films that I have collected over the years. It has to be one of my favorites in my collection. In order to appreciate what this movie has to offer, you have to be a die hard gore fan. It centers around two guys, Howard and Eli, who form their own talk show with no subject other than splattering innocent victims on national television. In between segments they show cheesy commercials and homemade splatter films sent in from fans. My favorite segment has to be the retired cop and his homemade electric chair because it was funny as well as gory. In fact, most of the film has a deep sense of humor to it. True, there are plenty of gore scenes (very imaginitive but not very convincing)but the movie will make audiences laugh more than anything. If you're looking for academy awards and oscar nominations, this film is not for you. On the other hand, if you just want to see a fun film then I highly recommend this one. It will definitely be a different movie experience for you.