Christopher Burton Movies

Following the surprisingly successful children's fantasy The Neverending Story (1984), this lesser sequel presents the further adventures of the young boy Bastian in the magical land of Fantasia. Bastian (Jonathan Brandis) returns to this kingdom of the imagination, reached through a magical antique book, to escape from his unpleasant life as a social outcast with a distant father. Unfortunately, things aren't so great in Fantasia either, which is under attack by the sorceress Xayide (Clarissa Burt), and Fantasia's young leader soon recruits Bastian to help win the battle for their world. Several memorable creatures return from the first film, including the Rock Biter and the Luck Dragon, and a number of other strange beasts make appearances along the way. However, the plot often relies on stale fairy-tale elements that make the sequel feel substantially less original than the fresh and unexpectedly charming original. However, enough children were entertained by the special effects and the simple story of good-versus-evil for a third installment, The Never Ending Story 3: Escape from Fantasia, to follow three years later. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

This pedantic sequel to Empire Pictures' less-than-original Ghoulies was released directly to video and summarily slipped into oblivion. At the outset of this one, the title creatures -- rubbery puppets originally conceived as cut-rate Gremlins lookalikes -- are shanghaied by a priest who intends to exterminate them, but they manage to escape to a low-rent carnival. There they take up residence in "Satan's Den," a foundering, old-fashioned haunted house attraction run by Royal Dano, who fears he may lose ownership of the show due to sagging attendance. The presence of the ghoulies at first gives business a much-needed boost ... until the slimy little buggers start dining on the patrons. Despite some enhancements in the lackluster monster effects (by John Buechler, who's done better work elsewhere) and clever stop-motion animation by David Allen, this film is just as pointless as its predecessor. There is, however, one memorable scene, which makes good on the promise of the first film's ad campaign -- which featured one of the reptilian critters leaping from a toilet bowl, accompanied by the tagline "They'll get you in the end!" ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide