Halloween II

Halloween 2 is a very worthy sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 classic. From the opening sequence we pick up exactly where the first film left off, making the two movies play like one whole movie in two separate parts. We continue focusing on Laurie Strode from the first scene and stay with her as she is rushed to the local Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Rick Rosenthal is directing John Carpenter's script this time, and although he doesn't pull off the techniques Carpenter used in the original, he brings in some new ones that work just as well. The nonexistant gore in the original is very present in this one, and the mode of death changes for each victim, unlike the first where Michael only uses his knife and a phone cord. Very tense scenes are set up throughout the movie that make your heart pound (one in particular takes place in the hospital hot tub). Michael seems to be much more angry and dangerous in this one. He's not in the shadows anymore and it seems his mask has changed, but oh well. Overall, Michael is alot creepier and scary in this one. Watch out for him when he scrunches up his mask in anger. Someone should say bravo to Carpenter for setting the movie in a hospital. The long hallway shots and the creepy music make the setting a classic in horror. Michael roams the halls, searching for Laurie (and this time we find out why). Putting all the doctors, nurses, and Laurie in a place with someone like Michael walking around makes you terrified to see what's around the corner. Loomis is back, too, still out to stop him before he kills anymore. Some strange references to Samhain and ancient evil are brought up that rack up the creep-o-meter sky high. Overall, Halloween 2 is not better than the original, but it is by no means worse. Yes, some scenes have no purpose and the plot is nothing exceptional, but for a sequel it's good enough and besides you'll be too involved to care. If you liked the original, watch this one with it together. Although Carpenter and Rosenthal's direction take two different turns, both films are highly entertaining. And scary...

This film follows on straight after the events of the first film. Michael Myers has been shot six times by Dr Loomis but there is no sign of a body. Loomis is convinced that he is still alive and will kill again. As Loomis and the police search for Myers, Laurie Strode is taken to the hospital for treatment. Myers is there soon picking off doctors and nurses in various ways.

The original film was very scary but not excessively gory; this film notably increases to level of gore but unfortunately it isn't as scary. This is because once Myers gets into the hospital it is just a succession of characters we don't really care about getting brutally murdered. The characters we do care about, Laurie and Dr Loomis, are side-lined for too long as she is in bed, off screen and he is out looking for Myers in places he isn't. The hospital setting is good although one has to suspend ones disbelief more than a little as it seems remarkably quiet. Overall this is a decent enough film but a little disappointing considering how good the first was... that was a classic; this isn't.

As far as I am concerned this was the last Halloween movie with Myers worth watching. I prefer the third movie which has nothing to do with him to all the mess that follows. This movie is a continuation of the first as it is still the same night. Myers has of course gotten up and Jamie Lee has been taken to a hospital to recuperate from her wounds. Of course this one tries to shock us with its revelations and such, but nothing to shocking. There are kills and once again Dr. Loomis is obsessed with getting Myers. Some good kills are to be found as is to be expected. Though I always feel sorry for the guy that gets hit by the car as he is obviously not Myers. There is a television version of this one that totally blows as it is very toned down and they even have a happier ending. Watch the uncut theater version as it is much better.

The original has its critics, but for me, it's a masterpiece, a film that really brought the genre to life, question is, does the sequel do justice to the first?

Brave to do a direct continuation of the first, meaning that night of terror truly does continue, it's no wonder poor Laurie Strode had her problems.

I've got two copies of it, and maybe it was the way it was filmed, but it doesn't look as slick as the first, some of the camera work looks cheap. The opening music is horrid, true eighties synth, it's not good. The original music is so much better, when they do use the original incidental music it works so much better.

A few clichés, including the useless security guard, bits of nudity and deserted hospital, but overall I still think it's a pretty good movie. Enough scares, and moments to make you jump, albeit delivered with less subtlety, which is what made the first work so well.

Overall, it's still a good watch. 7/10.

Michael Meyers is back with a higher kill count, more blood, and more of what happened the night he came home. Iconic opening credits (Mr Sandman), one of my favorite opening scenes of any slasher ever, the Halloween theme with the 80's synth, and some gruesome kills courtesy of the hospital setting. Jaime lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence (RIP) return for their roles, acting is above average by horror standards. But the bottom line is Rick Rosenthal is simply not John Carpenter. The charm and suspense from the first Halloween are mostly void from the second. Although dull at times, the final girl circuit and explosive ending more than make up for it.