Trilogy of Terror II (Film)

A sequel to Trilogy of Terror, this made for TV horror anthology film first aired on USA Network in 1996. Once again directed by Dan Curtis, it brings three new tales of terror, each featuring Lysette Anthony in the lead role.

"The Graveyard Rats" – A woman and her lover conspire to kill her husband and obtain his money. Based on a short story by Henry Kuttner.
"Bobby" – A woman brings back her dead son, but he isn't quite what she expected.
"He Who Kills" – The Zuni Fetish doll from the original film returns for more murder and mayhem, this time in a museum where it has been brought for study.

Overall tropes:

Blackmail: Mr. Ansford forces Laura to be with him by threatening to send a video of her having sex with her cousin to the news station, and leaving her off from his will.
Evil Cripple: Mr. Ansford is a wheelchair-bound, abusive prick who is made unlikeable as possible.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: The eponymous rats have red eyes.
Robbing the Dead:
- Stubbs the cemetery caretaker makes some money on the side by digging up corpses and stripping them from their valuables.
- Realizing that the key to get their hands on Ansford's hidden assets is inside the gold watch that he was buried with, Laura and Ben go to dig him up. They find Stubbs working on his grave upon arriving, and he gets beaten up.
Rodents of Unusual Size: The graveyard where Mr. Ansford was buried is filled with rats, some of them as big as dogs. They pose a problem when they snatch his corpse right before Laura's eyes.
Staircase Tumble: Inspired by the Film Noir Kiss of Death (1947), his favourite movie, Ben pushes Mr. Ansford down a flight of stairs, killing him.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: After finding her husband's gold watch, Laura shoots Ben because she doesn't need him anymore.

Abusive Parents: It's implied that Bobby's mother is/was one.
Antagonist Title
Came Back Wrong: Bobby. Averted, however, in that it's not really Bobby at all, but a demon that Bobby's soul sent to punish his mother.
Creepy Child: The demon disguised as Bobby.
Destination Defenestration: Bobby's mother shoots him several times, and he falls through a second-story window.
Driven to Suicide: It's suggested that Bobby didn't drown by accident, but that he killed himself to escape his mother's abuse.
Psycho Knife Nut: After deciding to switch places in his game of hide and seek, Bobby starts hunting his mother with a knife in hand.
Bobby: Well, look what I found. A big, sharp knife!
Staircase Tumble: Bobby teleports behind his mother and pushes her down the stairs while yelling "surprise!"
Wham Line: "You lied, mommy. Bobby didn't drown by accident. You knew that. Bobby drowned himself to get away from you. Bobby didn't wanna come back, mommy. Bobby hates you, mommy. So he sent me instead."
Wrench Whack: Bobby's mother defends herself from him with a wrench.

Antagonist Title: The scripture that came with the doll names it "He Who Kills".
Comic-Book Time: The original film was made in 1975 and this one in 1996; the story is seemingly a direct continuation of the original's third story with the police discovering the bodies of Amelia and her mother, probably only hours after their deaths, despite there being a good bit of technology in the film not existing in the original's time.
Hollywood Acid: Dr. Simpson almost destroys the Zuni Fetish doll for good by putting it into a container filled with sulfuric acid.
Powerful Pick: Dr. Simpson attack the Zuni Fetish doll with a pick when it tries to get out of the bag it was trapped in.
Shout-Out: A security guard reads a comic book based on the television show Dark Shadows, which was created by the movie's director Dan Curtis.
Slashed Throat: Dr. Simpson finds the older security guard with his throat slashed.
Super Window Jump: The doll jumps through a doow window to get at Dr. Simpson.
Twist Ending: Much like Amelia in the original film, Dr. Simpson manages to destroy the Zuni Fetish doll, but is then possessed by the spirit residing in it, and the segment ends with her ambushing her boyfriend with a fire-axe.