Retro Blood 229: Witchboard 2 – The Devil’s Doorway (1993)

Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as Retro Blood continues Evil Spirit Month, exploring supernatural horror from the ’80s and ’90s. This week we move on to the strange and often overlooked sequel Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway, the follow-up to Witchboard. We kick things off with some quick first impressions, including a lot of discussion about Ami Dolenz (Paige) and her very early-’90s “Valley Girl” energy throughout the film. From there we jump into our Weekly History Segment, looking at what was happening in wrestling and metal around the movie’s release on September 10, 1993. James dives into WCW history and the infamous Fall Brawl 1993, including the legendary debut of The Shockmaster—one of the most hilariously disastrous debuts in wrestling history. Meanwhile, Alison explores the metal scene in 1993 with Sepultura and their groundbreaking album Chaos A.D., discussing how the band helped push heavier, groove-driven metal into the mainstream during the early ’90s. Next, we dig into the behind-the-scenes history of the film. We talk about the return of director Kevin Tenney, the creative direction of the sequel, and the controversy during production when Dolenz refused to do nudity despite studio pressure. Tenney reportedly backed her decision, which led to friction with producers and ultimately contributed to him not returning for the next installment. We also explore the film’s Los Angeles filming locations, the modest production budget, and some fun trivia about where certain scenes were shot—including locations fans might recognize from other pop culture projects. From there we talk about the cast, the creative process behind the sequel, and how the movie tries to shift the story into more of a supernatural mystery. Finally, we deliver a full breakdown of the movie, covering Paige’s inheritance of the haunted apartment, the Ouija board mystery, the soap-opera style relationships, the practical effects, and the investigation that slowly uncovers the spirit behind the haunting. We also discuss why the movie sometimes feels like it’s one step away from a Scooby-Doo–style mystery ending, complete with amateur detectives and a supernatural whodunit vibe. Is it a worthy sequel, a bizarre early ’90s horror oddity, or just a supernatural soap opera with a Ouija board? We break it all down on this episode of Retro Blood. 🩸👻