Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 10, 2023

MVD Visual is not just revisiting Ghoulies and Ghoulies II, which Shout! Factory released as a double feature several years ago and which Charles Band's own Full Moon Features also offered as part of their Empire Pictures Collection, they're perhaps unexpectedly offering the first film in both 1080 and 4K UHD formats, which may indicate that an outing Charles Band himself has more or less described as his one and only "cash cow" production is continuing to generate dividends.

As mentioned above, both Ghoulies films have had a prior release courtesy of Shout! Factory as well as Full Moon Features. Those interested in plot summaries and screenshot comparisons are encouraged to read Marty Liebman's reviews:

Ghoulies / Ghoulies II Blu-ray review

Ghoulies Blu-ray review

Ghoulies II Blu-ray review

Empire Pictures Collection Blu-ray review

As I mentioned in my Ghoulies Blu-ray review, that film featured some kind of interesting "black magic" content that actually kind of strangely overtly referenced Jewish tradition, but such ecumenical flourishes are largely missing from this second outing, which tends to be a good deal goofier than the first, without much of the relatively more serious subtext the first film offered. Instead, Ghoulies II presents a much more vignette driven enterprise, as a carnival is beset with the little mutant creatures, who are out to have a little fun of their own.

Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ghoulies II is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Visual's MVD Rewind Collection imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Unlike MVD's release of Ghoulies which touted a new 4K scan, this film's packaging doesn't offer any information on the transfer on the back cover, which along with screenshot comparisons leads me to believe this was probably sourced from the same master that Shout! used. As Marty mentioned in his review, this is a rather nice looking presentation for the most part, with some really healthy densities and a nicely suffused palette. Detail levels are also quite good, especially in close-ups, and with an understanding that both nighttime and/or dimly lit moments and some of the optical effects can offer brief masking of fine detail. As Marty mentioned in his review, the element utilized does have some noticeable age related wear and tear, but nothing I'd term overly problematic. Grain resolves naturally throughout. My score is 3.75.

Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout!'s releases offered rejiggered DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks that Marty wasn't especially impressed by, but as with MVD's release of Ghoulies, this film returns to its source audio and provides a rather nicely spacious and at times clearly directional LPCM 2.0 track. You can hear a panning effect almost from the get go as a semi careens from left to right across the frame in the film's opening moments, and that same kind of subtle attention to detail accompanies the rest of the track. Dialogue, effects and score are all well balanced and presented without any major issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Dennis Paoli (HD; 1:15) is accessible either as a standalone bonus feature, or under the Play Menu, where it's authored to move directly on to the feature. Paoli doesn't really provide an official "introduction" as much as a defense of practical effects versus CGI.


• More Toilets, More Terror: The Making of Ghoulies II (HD; 16:50) has a lot of fun background information and includes several interviews with cast and crew. This was included on Shout!'s release of the film.


• Under a Magic Moon (HD; 33:36) is an interview with Dennis Paoli.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 2:43)


• Photo Gallery (HD; 1:50) is authored to move on automatically, so have the Pause button on your remote handy if you want to linger on any given image.


• Trailers include Ghoulies (SD; 1:55) and Ghoulies II (HD; 1:23), along with trailers for other releases from MVD Visual.

Additionally the keepcase features a reversible insert, and houses a folded mini poster. Packaging features a slipcover.

Ghoulies II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ghoulies II may actually be a breezier "entertainment" than the first film, even if it's obviously firmly in the lo-fi ambience that is often the hallmark of a Charles Band production. This release pretty much duplicates the video of Shout!'s release, while offering improved audio and more supplements, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.