Where it belongs
Continuity & connections
A direct sequel to the 1974 film, with Lefty’s connection to Sally and Franklin making the relationship explicit. Later installments do not consistently preserve its ending.
Inside this dossier
Stretch, Lefty, and the Sawyer family
A recorded killing turns Stretch’s radio work into dangerous evidence. Her attempt to bring the recording to Lefty Enright draws her into a conflict between a survivor seeking help and a man whose obsession with the family has become all-consuming.
Cannon-era filmmaking
The sequel belongs to Hooper’s period working with Cannon and was written by L. M. Kit Carson. Its production brought together returning performer Jim Siedow and new faces including Caroline Williams, Bill Moseley, and Bill Johnson.
Radio, score, and the soundtrack album
Sound is part of the plot: the recording of an attack becomes evidence, and the radio station becomes a site of danger. Stretch’s profession gives the sequel a different relationship to recorded voices and public listening than the original film.
Theatrical identity and collector editions
The film reached US theaters in August 1986. Its black comedy and graphic effects made it a markedly different proposition from the first film, and its reputation has developed through later screenings, home video, and fan discussion.