Two groups? What, the "will be eaten" and the "won't be eaten"? [november 18, 2005]

Haven't seen the first edition, but this second one packs some wallop. Lots of dark earthy tones, and the "creature" itself benefits from never being completely visible long enough to send you snickering. The first film packed enough nails in its script to prevent a sequel. Chiefly, it was the rule that this creature got to feed for 23 days every 23rd Spring. Producer Francis Ford Coppola found an simple way out: set the sequel during the same 23 days as the first movie (specifically, on the 23rd day, thus preventing further sequels as well). The way this one got made was thanks to a technicality that allows this one to co-exist without making leaps of faith that pepper all the other sequel-laden franchises (razor fingers, hockey masks, William Shatner masks). I liked the use of the dissolve that took you from a shot of the strange knife(?) left by "it" in the wall to a long shot of the bus with people lying on the top. I also liked the movie nod in the scene when Kimball falls back stunned by a sudden flight of birds (one of his teammates screams out "Tippi Hedren man!").