I Was A Teenage Paper Back Vol. 2: FEAR STREET: PART TWO - 1978 Does Camp Without Camp And Leaves Us With A Bit Of A Mess Hall

As I settled in with a chili dog and s’mores in hand (yes, I made it a theme night), I expected to love Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 as much as, if not more than, its predecessor (I have a Laurie Strode tattoo, for perspective). However, the magic of Fear Street: Part One - 1994 was not recaptured for me. I don’t know if it was the polished edges given to the usually sleazy 70s slasher, the Ryan Murphy/AHS: 1984 feel (don’t get me wrong, I love me some American Horror Story), or what, but I wasn’t as enamored as I was during 1994.

Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 acts as a vehicle for Gillian Jacobs’s C. Berman’s backstory, and in that, I think it’s successful. We needed the entire lore of Camp Nightwing added into the mix, and we’re given even more interconnectivity within Sarah Fier, Shadyside, and all of our main characters. We needed this supplementary story to understand C. “Ziggy” Berman and Nick Goode’s involvement in the story, as well as some foreshadowing to how this trilogy might come to an end. For me though, it wasn’t 70s enough. When I think 70s slasher, I think Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Black Christmas, etc… 1978 didn’t have the slow burn of Halloween, the grindhouse of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or the suspense of Black Christmas I’ve become accustomed to, and it felt like with a simple soundtrack and wardrobe swap, this movie could have been thrown into any decade. The jagged edges I’m used to with the 70s slasher were nowhere to be found. I know Fear Street is adapted from a YA series, but I feel like more could have been done to pay homage to the 70s slashers of old. 

Fortunately, 1978 does follow the lead of its predecessor in gore. There (for sure) isn’t a lack of splat, and that’s honestly where 1978 finds its redemption with me. As with 1994, in 1978 no one is safe, and I really appreciate that this carried over. I will say that with both 1994 and 1978 we don’t just have throwaway characters; we really grow to care about these characters, only to have them casually hacked to pieces without second thought (if a character makes you smile, go ahead and light a candle for them). The soundtrack of 1978 is also phenomenal, and I was very impressed at the use of “Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show” at the beginning. Despite a bitchin’ soundtrack and crimson-soaked campers, 1978 falls short of 1994. 

I know that it sounds like I hated 1978, but that’s not the case at all. Was 1978 still enjoyable? Absolutely. The second half makes for a much better watch than the first, and I love the more extensive dive into the lore surrounding Sarah Fier, and I’m always a sucker for interconnected storytelling, so it was a lot of fun to see how 1994 and 1978 are interwoven and how the stage has been set for our conclusion, 1666. I loved the continuation of pure slasher gore, and I love the idea that every single character is fair game. Like 1994, I would definitely listen to the soundtrack of 1978 regularly. I’m not sure if 1994 just set the bar high with the Scream homages, or how it felt like I was sincerely watching a 90s horror flick I had rented out from Blockbuster after school for the weekend, but 1978 just didn’t have the same impact as 1994. After seeing 1978, I’m a little more apprehensive coming into our third and final film. I was already worried about 1666 because I am definitely not a fan of The VVitch (you can read more about that here), and 1978 wasn’t successful in calming my nerves. It’s definitely still enjoyable, but it wasn’t as warming to my little horror heart. 

1978 is still worth a watch, and I do think it’s essential viewing in the trilogy because there is vital information regarding Sarah Fier and those she has possessed. Although the information may be vital, 1978, much like the unfortunate campers and counselors of Camp Nightwing, flatlines.