Starring - Priscilla Alden (Criminally Insane, Death Nurse), Robert Copple (Naked are the Cheaters, Death Nurse 2), and Charles Egan (Video Vixens!, The Devil's Gas)
Release Date - 1987
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Never come between Ethel and a well stocked refrigerator"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
Back when indie filmmaker Nick Mallard made his 1975 classic Criminally Insane he didn't expect it to be as big as it was. Star Priscilla Alden became a cult star and the film found an audience in the coming video boom of the 80s. The film's popularity would come a little later than it's original release which prompted Millard to half-hazardly release a sequel 12 years later. I had heard nothing but great things about Criminally Insane but when fans mentioned Criminally Insane 2 they always did so in a way that you knew it was going to be a bad experience. These are the types of movies I love so I couldn't wait to dig into it.
The film follows Ethel (Adlen) who is in an insane asylum after the events of the first film. However, due to overcrowding and budget cuts she is sent to a halfway house where she returns to her murderous ways when anyone gets in between her and her food.
I was all about a follow up to the first Criminally Insane film but the way Millard approached this one is a slap in the face of the fans of the first film. The movie is roughly 40 or so minutes of new footage with the rest of the film consisting of flashbacks to the original. Not only that, the new footage is piss poor quality with some sort of weird ass humming or buzzing noise throughout many of the scenes. I thought it was the speakers on my television going out but after a quick google I discovered it was something going on when this was filmed. It's obvious Millard wanted to cash in on the unexpected fame of the first film with minimal effort. The acting in this one is not as fun as the first. Priscilla just doesn't seem that interested in the role at all. Her blank stare and angry screams lacked the intensity that the first film had. Her age and possibly health may have something to do with it by this point. The supporting cast attempts to deliver the best performances that they can but they lacked the experience and direction needed. The story for this one is non-existent. It's the first film shot in 40 minutes with the rest done in flashbacks. Painfully dull and cheap. It's almost disrespectful the way Millard approached this for his fans. Finally, the kills are the same as the first film. They have minimal effects and take place off screen. Overall, Criminally Insane 2 is a slap in the face of genre fans and fans of Millard in general. I really want to know more behind the making of this one to see why some of the choices were made. Skip it.
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